Process

Where did I put those directions?

This is an individual journey so be self-sufficient and check out the Evaluation page to ensure you reach your destination, in this case, a good grade!

Step One: Research	♦ Use the resources below to begin your search into the history of sky mapping. ♦ Jot down important dates of development and advances in the technology of this trend for your timeline. (A simple timeline template you can use is found here but feel free to create your own since you may need more or less dates!)
Step Two: Observation	♦ Pick six nights out of the two weeks of this project's time period and observe the night sky at your house from the same viewpoint. (In otherwords, if you look out the window over the kitchen sink, don't switch to the view out the front door.) If you have a telescope, this would be a great time to dust it off and check out the sky (but don't worry if you don't, there are plenty of stars visible to the naked eye just waiting to be observed).
Step Three: Sky Chart	♦ Sketch the stars, and any other features that you see, and their approximate relation to each other. Do they seem to be moving? Be sure to make note of any changes you see. (You can use the graph paper here to make it a little easier to sketch the location of the celestial features in relation to each other or make your own.) Be sure to put the date on each graph to help keep track of the sky.

Step One: Research

♦ Use the resources below to begin your search into the history of sky mapping.

♦ Jot down important dates of development and advances in the technology of this trend for your timeline. (A simple timeline template you can use is found here but feel free to create your own since you may need more or less dates!)

Step Two: Observation

♦ Pick six nights out of the two weeks of this project's time period and observe the night sky at your house from the same viewpoint. (In otherwords, if you look out the window over the kitchen sink, don't switch to the view out the front door.) If you have a telescope, this would be a great time to dust it off and check out the sky (but don't worry if you don't, there are plenty of stars visible to the naked eye just waiting to be observed).

Step Three: Sky Chart

♦ Sketch the stars, and any other features that you see, and their approximate relation to each other. Do they seem to be moving? Be sure to make note of any changes you see. (You can use the graph paper here to make it a little easier to sketch the location of the celestial features in relation to each other or make your own.) Be sure to put the date on each graph to help keep track of the sky.

Resources

columbusnavigation.com - Read about the process of navigation used by Christopher Columbus

space.com - Facts and background on the stars and skywatching

astronomy.com - Search this magazine's website for articles about navigating by the stars

celestialnavigation.net - Some history on the methods of the mapping by the stars and links to additional sources

mat.uc.pt - History on the tools of navigators

kidsastronomy.com - Check out this map of the sky to help you identify the constellations you may be observing