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The Beginners Naked Eye Skywatching Guide for Planets and Stars!
The night sky is one of the most beautiful shows of nature. Beautiful far distant stars, our neighboring planets & and lucid Andromeda galaxy are some of the top attractions today for stargazers.
Lucky for us, this heavenly sky is everyone.
It offers you a free ticket to the most starling shows of nature.
The powerful telescope and stargazing binoculars are the top equipment in this field. But these, are just optional add-ons.
Humans have already learned a lot about the sky when there were no such pieces of equipment.
That’s why today, in this naked eye skywatching guide, I’m going to show how you can unravel the wonders of the sky, beauties of nebulas, and hopefully some planet & galaxies as well.
You don’t need expensive tools for this. Just you, dark sky, and a few tricks I am going to tell you below.
The complete instructions on how to experience the best sky with unaided eyes.
Which place to choose for this? what are the things you should be carrying? How to read and navigate through the sky? Where to spot objects like planets and some special stars and more?
For your information; Its one of the most ancient scientific practice humans have ever been performing. One of the highlights is, it requires the least(zero) instrumentation.
Naked eye skywatching involves observing the nightly sky with your bare eyes.
Unlike regular skywatching which today is popularly exercised with telescopes or binoculars. The naked eye skywatching is the purest form of observations of the sky. And trust me, it’s still very effective and enjoyable- you will experience it yourself anyway.
How did we learned a lot about our universe thousands of years ago, already with no telescopes? Let me tell you…there was a complete absence of light pollution! There wasn’t such a thing in pre-industrial civilization.
That’s the hidden secret my friend – Dark Skies!
Artificial light is the biggest enemy for astronomers today.
So go baby, and get into an as open & darker place as possible. With a clear sky, free from clouds and dust. You should also be able to see from horizon to horizon.
Probably away from the city and have it safe for you. Hilltops and beaches are great for this.
If traveling some distance is not possible. Turn off as many lights, computers, and all those lighting things as you can.
You’ll also want to lie on your back (unless you want to stiff your neck of looking up). So make it comfy!
Caption: Repellent, Blanket, Drinks, Red Flash, etc
Okay, not talking about telescope here!
There are few other things you should consider carrying with yourself (hope won’t be expensive).
First, a repellent to keep mosquitoes (and thus malaria) at the bay.
Red flashlight for navigating and doing things. Wrapping red color over white flash may work but can fail in filtering other colors and end-up ruining your night vision.
Caution ! No light other than red color should be used!
And a blanket maybe, for ease in laying down. Some hot/cold drinks if you want to.
When you first get into a dark place, high on hope to see it all. You may not experience a lot of difference and you’re likely to get discouraged.
But trust me, it’s completely normal. Your eyes just need to adapt to darkness and to activate the night vision.
It may take up to 20 minutes at max to be at its best.
After that, you will start to experience the power of your naked eye. And beauties of the sky. End up finding out how busy the nightly universe is.
But remember; once you get this process started, don’t look at shiny things or use your phone. I would go on & suggest to shut it for while to prevent calls from ruining the business of your eyes.
And again, use only a red flashlight . Because red is the only color that does not erect our pupil.
Five planets at once from the earth sky are visible just 45 minutes before sunrise. Credits: Sky and Telescope
Now after following all those steps above, you are sure to see better.
So its time to upgrade. Lets read the sky like a pro!
Start gradually! Look for moving things in the sky. Meteor (also called shooting stars) appears like a bright streak of light.
I am assuming that you choose the night of eclipse i.e. when the moon is completely absent.
In that case, you may notice an object in the sky, highly outshining all the other things. Its Sirius , the brightest star in the earthly night sky! The second topper is Canopus .
Between December to January, you can even find Great Orions nebula with the naked eye. To spot it, you first need to find Orion’s belt. More on it here
International Space Station ! Can you see it?… It will look like a star, moving across the sky slowly and steadily.
Airplanes will flash green and red lights.
You have thousands of stars at your sight. Now use your imagination!
Can you make pictures out of them? Our ancestors have been doing it for thousands of years. There are 88 named constellations already. 😮
Stars on a casual view appear to be white. But if you observe them properly, even with the naked eye, you will be amazed to find out that there are few stars of different colors.
It is a little tricky, but some astronomers are successful in distinguishing them based on their color; like red, orange, and yellow.
Yes! You can definitely see planets with the naked eye. But not all of them (sorry!).
There are five of them; Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. But you probably aren’t gonna get to see many details (unless you’re superhuman or you need a telescope for that!).
They look brighter, little less like a star. If lucky, you’ll be able to identify them by their color.
But you will also want to know when and where to look for it .
As I said earlier, there are no compulsory gears (except your eyes). Trust me your eyes are just enough!
But still, I’m going to mention two, if you can afford, will take your experience to the next level.
Binoculars. A cheap regular binocular (if astronomy binoculars are not possible) will do a lot better than having nothing.
Sky charts can make your life easier.
Astronomy is all about patience. To be an expert stargazer, it cost years of practice, dedication, and hard work.
No doubt, you are going to have a lot of fun on this journey (if it’s your passion!).
So just keep practicing naked eye skywatching (binoculars/optional) maybe for a few months. Then consider a good beginner level telescope so you can see things that not possible with naked eyes.
Upgrade slowly, steadily, and buildup your personal collection of telescopes and binoculars.
So that’s my personal experience with naked-eye skywatching.
Yeah, I had a lot of fun doing it myself and wish for you the same. And I will update you with more tips on this as I come across.
Now I have a question for you. Are you going to give naked eye skywatching a shot? Which of these steps did you find most useful? 2021 Or maybe you have your own tricks to share with our readers? Just drop your comment below.
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A paddlewheeler makes its way up the Mississippi River as the moon rises over New Orleans on Sunday ... [+] evening, August 22, 2021. The August Sturgeon Moon, which was also a rare Blue Moon, was full at 7:02 A.M. local time Sunday but the moon still put on a show when it rose over New Orleans later that evening. New Orleans is home to the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility where the core stage of the Space Launch System that will return people to the moon is being built. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker
Each Monday I pick out the northern hemisphere’s celestial highlights (mid-northern latitudes) for the week ahead, but be sure to check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.
Venus isn’t long for this world. A fixture of the pre-dawn morning sky for most of 2022, Earth’s hotter “sister planet” is in its last six weeks or so of visibility as a bright “Morning Star.” However, before it goes it’s got a few more roles to play in some beautiful conjunctions—starting this week with a close “pass” of bright star Regulus.
Here’s what’s going on in the night sky this week:
Monday, September 5, 2022: Venus meets Regulus
Look east before sunrise and with naked eyes you’ll easily see the bright planet Venus. It will be just 1º or so from (though much brighter than) Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo “the Lion.” You may need binoculars for Regulus.
Wednesday, September 7, 2022: The Moon and Saturn
Summer has seen Saturn—the beautiful “ringed planet”— creep across the southern night sky. At its brightest last month, it will today, just after sunset, be visible in the southeastern twilight sky a mere 4º from a 92%-lit waxing gibbous Moon well on its way to its “full” phase later this week.
Saturday, September 10, 2022: ‘Harvest Moon’ and Neptune
Today sees the Moon turn full, the phase of our natural satellite in space when it is fully illuminated by the Sun from our point of view on Earth. This month’s “Harvest Moon” is one of the most well-known full Moons of the entire year, perhaps because its name is used across the northern hemisphere where crops are being harvested at this time of year.
Something truly special about tonight’s “Harvest Moon” is that it will shine just under 3° from Neptune. Check the exact moonrise times where you are , get in position and watch the “Harvest Moon” appear as a beautiful orange orb on the eastern horizon. With binoculars you might also harvest yourself a glimpse of the eighth planet from the Sun (though that might be easier once it’s properly dark).
Sunday, September 11, 2022: The Moon and Jupiter
Look to east an hour after sunset tonight see a 96%-lit waning gibbous Moon about 4º below a very bright Jupiter. The giant planet will reach its annual “opposition” in a few weeks, which is when it will shine at its brightest of the year.
Constellation of the week: Aquila, the eagle, with its bright star Altair at the zenith this week.
The constellation of Aquila, the Eagle, straddles the Milky Way and has Altair as its brightest star. Just 16 light years distant, Altair is the 12th brightest star in the night sky.
Visible in at the zenith this week after dark, Altair forms the lower point of the “Summer Triangle”—an informal asterism with bright Vega in Lyra and Deneb in Cygnus as the the top two stars. Just above Altair is the star Tarazed, which is 460 light years distant.
Times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information consult online planetariums like Stellarium and The Sky Live . Check planet-rise/planet-set , sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset times for where you are.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

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Jumping in the nude is a rite of passage
Naked skydiving gives new meaning to "free-balling"
Jennifer Billock is a freelance writer and author, usually focusing on some combination of culinary travel, culture, sex, and history. Check her out at JenniferBillock.com and follow her on Twitter: @jenniferbillock .
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"It's funny," one of the jumpers at Skydive Milwaukee told me. "None of these people are exhibitionists."
I looked at him, skin bare but for a pair of socks, a parachute strapped to his back, and a helmet. He was right, of course, but you wouldn't know that from his current appearance -- or that of the 10 other skydivers practicing their formations in the nude a few feet from us. You'd only realize it if you noticed how everyone carefully (and almost imperceptibly) covered up their bare bits before hopping into the plane.
Well, all except Bob. The older jumper was the first to strip and the most carefree about the nudity, countering calls of "You didn’t have to get naked yet, Bob!" with "I got nothing anybody hasn't seen before."
This wasn't the typical jump at Skydive Milwaukee -- I was there for an observation ride on a SANS jump, the Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving . Anyone who's made a nude jump can join -- $5 will get you a membership number, certificate, three stickers, a magnet, and an eccentric group of like-minded people. Jeff Dawson, the 61-year-old man who's made the most naked skydives on record (639 and rising), started the group in 2011. He makes at least one naked skydive every month, and has been doing so for 14 years.

"To make a naked skydive is a huge accomplishment," he said. "By nature, I'm not the type of person to show a lot of skin. But I enjoy being up there free. You get a lot of, 'Why would you do that, things are going to fall off,’ a lot of good-natured fun. But nobody objects to it, at least where I jump."
Traditionally, a naked jump is a rite of passage in the skydiving world. Once you hit 100 jumps, you celebrate by baring it all and letting the wind caress your skin on the way from airplane to ground; though Dawson says many people don't do it anymore because of the proliferation of GoPros and social media. What once was mostly private and impulsive now has an unregulated platform for broadcast.
Shortly before the jump that day, Dawson laid out the ground rules:
First , "if we touch each other, we'll be fine."
Second , be prepared to start slowing down about twice as far away as normal. Without the skydive suits, you fall a lot faster and it's harder to fly precisely.
Third , don't forget that nude skydiving is just as deadly as any other jump, and the same precautions need to be in place. Dawson shared the story of a woman who tried to do her first SANS jump, but forgot to unbuckle her seatbelt tether. She dangled outside the plane instead of free-falling and had to be pulled back in.
Fourth , Dawson gave perhaps the most important piece of advice: be aware of your body. "You can't cut away with a nut under,” he said, tugging at the parachute pack straps around his thighs.
One of the other skydivers, a teacher who asked to remain anonymous, also prepared himself for the after-effects. "My bits are going to flap around a little bit," he said. "It may be a little sore afterwards. Worse things have happened, I guess." This was his first SANS jump.
The plane pulled up and I climbed into the co-pilot's seat, followed by 11 naked bodies cramming into the small aircraft. It would have been 12, but as Dawson told everyone, the 12th guy cancelled -- he forgot he was having a vasectomy that day.
Excitement was high on the 15-minute flight to the jump zone. Everyone cheered as the plane took off and passed a fist bump throughout the group as the door opened at altitude. Unloading was quick and deliberate. As the plane broke away from the divers and careened toward the ground, the pilot -- Raven, who has also skydived nude -- looked at me, laughing. "That's disgusting," he said. We shared a grin and I thought back to what Dawson told me earlier.
"Just the physical feeling of being out there and being totally free, it's amazing," he said. "You feel the wind on your entire body. To be up there without any clothes with no one there to see it, there's a sense of freedom."
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