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Description

Wrap up warm then head outside to explore the night sky. What can you spot high above you?

Courtesy of The Scout Association
https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/eyes-to-the-skies/

Resources

45 minutes
Weather appropriate clothing
Torch or phone
Snacks
Warm drinks
Binoculars

Safety
All activities must be safely managed. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Do a risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Always get approval for the activity and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Change the level of challenge
- People can try spotting other constellations. They could even join the stars they can see to make their own!
- Find out more about the things people have spotted. How far away are they? When were they discovered?
- Hold a stargazing party with star-themed food and snacks, and star-themed music. You could dress up, have themed arts and crafts, or even have a stargazing quiz. You could do this as part of camp.

Instructions

Before you begin
- Decide when you’ll walk. Stars are best viewed on a clear night before or after a full Moon. Stars should start to appear around an hour after sunset.
- Decide where you’ll go on your walk. It’s best to find a dark spot away from lighting such as a hillside, a clearing in a wood, or a park.
- Remind everyone to wear warm clothing – you may even want to take some blankets to keep warm under.
- Decide if you’ll take warm drinks (and snacks) to enjoy while you stargaze. Don’t forget to check for any allergies.
- Decide how you’ll identify what you see. For example, could use a website such as In the Sky (https://in-the-sky.org/skymap.php).

Space walk
1. Everyone should talk about the sort of things they expect to see in the night sky. The person leading the activity could look online to see if any planets will be visible. We've provided some things to look out for below, to get you going. [Orion and Taurus gif; Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and the North Star gif]
2. Everyone should travel to the stargazing spot. Everyone should stay together and use torches to light the way if they need to. The person leading the activity may ask everyone to meet at the stargazing spot instead. If everyone meets there, do steps one and two once everyone has arrived.

Stargaze together
1. Everyone should turn off their torches, and spend some time looking around and getting used to the dark. It can take up to 10 minutes for eyes to adjust – people could start to train their eyes by looking at nearby scenery (for example, trees) or each other’s faces.
2. Once everyone’s used to the dark, they should look up at the sky. What can everyone see? Stars can be different shapes, sizes, and colours. They look like they’re twinkling in the sky. Planets don’t look like they’re twinkling. Everyone should be as quiet as possible so people can focus better.
3. Everyone should find a partner. Each person should try and spot a constellation and point it out to their partner.
4. After a few minutes, pairs should join with another pair to make a small group of four. The pairs should show each other what they’ve discovered.
5. Everyone should gather back together and share what they discovered. The person leading the activity could help everyone spot anything they may have missed.
6. Everyone should enjoy a warm drink and snack together before they head back indoors.

Celestial superstars
Orion and Taurus: Orion was a hunter in Greek mythology. Start by looking for the three stars that make Orion’s belt. Up and to the right of Orion is Taurus the bull; you can spot him by looking for his big red eye, the star ‘Aldebaran’. see gif animation attached

Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and the North Star: Ursa Major (Also known as the Great Bear, Plough, Saucepan or Big Dipper) is one of the most recognisable shapes in the night sky (which may be why it has so many names). The two stars at the far right point towards the North Star, which forms part of Ursa Minor (also known as the Little Bear). The North Star is also known as Polaris. see gif animation attached


Swoon at the Moon
The eight key phases of the Moon. See image attached.


Moon Science
- Did you know that of the 12 men who have walked on the Moon, 11 were Scouts?

What is the Moon?
- The Moon is thought to be 4.5 billion years old.
- Most scientists think that the Moon was created when a big object collided with Earth. The collision caused chunks of Earth to be thrown out into space. Over time, the chunks of Earth joined together to form the Moon.
- Unlike the Sun, the Moon doesn’t create any light. Moonlight is just sunlight reflecting on the Moon’s surface.
- Usually the Moon is a greyish-white, but it can change colour. Red Moons are caused by a lunar eclipse (when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, so the sunlight to the Moon). Dust, pollution, or volcanic ash can cause the Moon to appear orange or even blue.
- The Moon controls the tides – the waves in the sea these are caused by the Moon.

What does it look like?
- The surface of the Moon is rough and uneven. It’s covered in craters, lava plains, mountains, and pits, caused by rocks hitting its surface over many years.
- You might be able to see large dark patches on the Moon’s surface. Sometimes these are called the ‘seas of the Moon’. They aren’t full of water, though – they’re actually large pools of frozen lava.

What are the phases of the Moon?
The Moon is always changing; but don't worry, it's just a phase it's going through. As the Moon orbits the Earth, we see a different amount of the Moon reflecting the Sun’s light. This means the Moon looks like it’s changing shapes, even though it’s always a ball shape. The different stages are called phases.

It takes 29.5 days for the moon to go through the eight key stages and complete a lunar cycle. The terms used to describe different phases of the Moon include:

- Waxing (when the Moon appears to be growing in size)
- Waning (when the Moon appears to be shrinking)
- Gibbous (when more than half of the Moon is illuminated)


Reflection
- This activity was a chance to develop skills. Did anyone spot a constellation in the sky, and follow it with their eyes? Some people may have spotted Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Orion, or Taurus. Why is stargazing useful? In the past, stars helped people find where they were in the world. Now, we have maps, clocks, and apps to help us – but it can be still useful to know about the stars and phases of the Moon when we’re out camping, for example.
- This activity was also about valuing the outdoors. How did everyone feel about being outside without any lights? Some people may have felt exciting, and others may have felt nervous – both are OK. Being outside in the dark helps remind everyone that our world is amazing, and that planet earth is connected to the rest of the universe.

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Badge Links

• All About Adventure - New activity
• Astronomer - Identification
• Astronomer - Moon
• Space - Constellation
• Space - Identify
• Space Explorer - Moon