Summer Stargazing

Beat the summer heat by heading outside after sundown. Summer is a great time to turn your eyes to the skies and learn about the stars. Many constellations can only be seen at certain times of year. Orion might have hung up his belt for the season, but there is still plenty to discover!

Try these celestial activities for the whole family this summer:

• Check out star-finder websites like Stellarium, opens a new window or Stelvision, opens a new window for an interactive map of the night sky.
• Take a trip: Star-spotting is harder in the city due to the bright city lights washing out our twinkling pals. But lucky for us, Texas is full of star-speckled countryside, far away from the city lights! Check out DarkSky Texas, opens a new window to learn about light pollution and where to go in Texas for prime stargazing.
• Make a model of the solar system: Here are 18 Do-It-Yourself Solar System Model Ideas, opens a new window to get you started.
• Check out these books and kits to help with your summer stargazing:

Star Finder!, opens a new window

Amazing Night Sky Atlas, opens a new window

Exploring Constellations, opens a new window

Night Sky, opens a new window

Seeing Stars, opens a new window

Astronomy for Kids, opens a new window

50 Things to See With A Telescope, opens a new window

50 Things to See With A Telescope, opens a new window

Telescopes for Kids, opens a new window

Outer Space, opens a new window

Space, opens a new window

Comets, opens a new window

Eyewitness Planets, opens a new window

Meteors, opens a new window