Thinking about buying a star and wondering if you can really see it? Well the answer is yes! In the right weather conditions, little to no light pollution and a good telescope, you can see a hell of a lot in the night sky! When you name a star with Star-Name-Registry, we ensure that every star has the right magnitude to make sure that it is visible on a clear night with a telescope. All standard stars have a magnitude below 20 and our Extra Bright stars have a magnitude below 10!
What are the perfect conditions for Star Gazing?
The best stargazing is achieved with a clear night sky with no haze on a dark and dry night. The environment should be free of pollution while you are stargazing with little to no wind speeds. Moonlight also has an interesting effect on your stargazing experience, with a bright moon you get scattered light meaning that it can obscure stars while on the other hand, a late rising moon or early setting moon can make the stargazing experience unlikely. However, even in the presence of the moon, many planets and meteors can be seen.
Light pollution also plays a major role in your stargazing experience. Light pollution is the result of increased urbanisation combined with excessive and inefficient use of light. Many LED lght emit a short wavelength blue light that easily disperses into the atmosphere, causing the formation of eyes, weakening night vision and increasing light pollution. Light pollution is caused by outdoor lights when and where they are not necessary. However, artificial lights from buildings, cars and streetlights, although 10,000 times dimmer than the sunlight, also has an impact on nitrate and slows down the cleansing process by 7%. Artificial light sources can overwhelm natural light sources, which can lead to the dragging of birds staring at artificial light.
Personal factors such as comfort and body position can also influence your stargazing experience. Most of the time, the nights on the roof and outdoor are too cold. Such cold weather or nights can come in the way of peaceful and interesting stargazing. Therefore, unless weather it’s hot enough, it is recommended to wear coat, hat and other warm clothes before going for stargazing. Such prior planning and preparation can make you stargaze comfortably. Your body position, such as the turning of your head directly up to the sky for long time is unsuitable for your neck, as it will soon cause neck ache. If this happens, the most suitable arrangement is to lie straight, with the head up looking at the sky. Sit on a chair and place your sleeping bag across your chair, then gaze at the sky. On the roof, you can use a mat to lie down with some cushions and a blanket. When you are sitting and gazing, it is necessary to keep your legs straight as it maintains the blood flow.
A star gazing guide-
- Plan your night before you start stargazing. Check the weather to find the appropriate day and place.
- Use a virtual planetarium software to get an idea about what to expect. We recommend [star-register.org]
- Ensure that you are in an area with little to no light pollution.
- Keep warm clothes for comfort.
- Bring a mat, cushion, blanket, folding chair, a watch and your telescope – Be comfortable!
- Turn your phone to silent mode for a more peaceful experience and not lose your focus!
