Sky Gazing: A Guide to the Moon, Sun, Planets, Stars, Eclipses, and Constellations

by Meg Thacher

Overview

The sun, moon, stars, and planets have been a source of wonder for as long as humans have lived on earth.

In this highly visual guide to observing the sky with the naked eye, kids aged 9–14 will delve into the science behind what they see. This captivating book offers a tour of our solar system and deep space, explaining how objects like Earth’s moon were formed and introducing the “why” behind phenomena such as eclipses, northern lights, and meteor showers. Sky gazers will learn how to find and observe planets — no binoculars or telescopes required — and star charts will show them how to spot constellations through the seasons and in both hemispheres.

Activities include tracking the cycles of the sun and moon and observing the sky during daylight hours or on a cloudy night. Includes profiles of professional astronomers and sidebars on space technology and current issues, such as light pollution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635860962
Publisher:	Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	10/13/2020
Pages:	132
Sales rank:	222,880
Product dimensions:	11.10(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	9 - 14 Years

About the Author

Meg Thacher is the author of Sky Gazing and Cool, Cosmic Tattoo Stars and Planets, a senior laboratory instructor in Smith College’s astronomy department and the academic director for Smith's Summer Science and Engineering Program for high schoolers. A regular contributor to national children’s science magazines, she teaches astronomy workshops for school groups and scout troops. She has a BA in physics from Carleton College and an MS in astrophysics from Iowa State. She lives in western Massachusetts. 

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Step into the Sky
The Sky Belongs to Everyone
What's Up There?
Astronomy Notebook: Start a Sky Journal
Where to Sky Gaze
Darkness and Light
Finding Your Way around the Sky
Try It: Cosmic Protractor
Astronomy Notebook: Be a Weather Watcher
Light Shows
Special Effects
Try It: Watch Day Turn into Night
Night Vision
Try It: Make a Red Flashlight
Journey into Our Home Galaxy: The Milky Way
Special Event: The Aurora
A Closer Look: Binoculars

Chapter 2: The Moon
Shape-Shifter
Astronomy Notebook: Make a Moon Diary
Our One and Only Moon
Moonrise, Moonset
Moon Illusions
Try It: Do a Moondance
Sightseeing on the Moon
How the Moon Formed
Astronomy Notebook: Picture the Moon
Moon Map
Special Event: Lunar Eclipse
A Closer Look: The Moon

Chapter 3: The Sun
Sunwise
Astronomy Notebook: Make a Sunset Calendar
How Seasons Happen
Sun Paths
Telling Time by the Sun
Try It: Track the Sun
A Visit to the Sun
How the Sun Formed
Special Event: Solar Eclipse
Try It: Make a Pinhole Projector
A Closer Look: Our Sun

Chapter 4: Planets
Earth's Siblings in the Sky
Star or Planet?
Planets Inside and Outside
Sky Wanderer
Roaming around the Solar System
Try It: Make a Scale Model
Meet a Planet: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Other Dwarf Planets
Astronomy Notebook: Design Your Own Solar System
Try It: Be the Solar System
How the Solar System Formed
Special Event: Great Comet
Other Suns and Their Solar Systems
A Closer Look: The Planets

Chapter 5: Stars and Constellations
Star Light, Star Bright
How Stars Move during the Night
Try It: Find North & South Using the Stars
Why Humans Invented Constellations
Astronomy Notebook: DIY Constellations
The Zodiac and the Ecliptic
Star Seasons
Try It: Make Your Own Star Wheel
Seasonal Sky Gazing
How Stars Are Born, Live, and Die
Special Event: Meteor Shower
A Closer Look: Deep Sky Objects

Appendix: Find Out More
Try It: Throw a Star Party
Meteor Shower Calendar
Eclipses 2020-2030
Binocular Objects
Buying Binoculars
Try It: Make Dew Shields
Resources
Glossary
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Packed with fun activities and fascinating facts, Sky Gazing is perfect for sharing with kids or letting them enjoy on their own. By inviting us outside to look up in wonder, Sky Gazing inspires our best defense against the continued growth of light pollution and the loss of natural night: a love for the sky gained by knowing it firsthand. You couldn’t ask for a better guide to that experience than Meg Thacher’s marvelous book."
— Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light

“This title is a bonanza for upper-elementary or middle school independent reading, especially for students with an interest in the sciences.”
— School Library Journal, starred review
 

"Packed with fun activities and fascinating facts, Sky Gazing is perfect for sharing with kids or letting them enjoy on their own. By inviting us outside to look up in wonder, Sky Gazing inspires our best defense against the continued growth of light pollution and the loss of natural night: a love for the sky gained by knowing it firsthand. You couldn’t ask for a better guide to that experience than Meg Thacher’s marvelous book."
— Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light

“This title is a bonanza for upper-elementary or middle school independent reading, especially for students with an interest in the sciences.”
— School Library Journal, starred review
 

From the Publisher

★ 12/01/2020

Gr 4–8—The deep origin and projected future of the universe? How to observe the sky effectively from your own neighborhood? The composition, density, and temperature of our sun? It's all here. Thacher, who teaches astronomy at Smith College and runs a summer science and engineering program for high school girls, offers a clear, highly engaging narrative voice throughout the text. The pages are visually stunning and include colorful backgrounds, small chunks of text, multiple drawings, comics, illustrations, and gorgeous photos. Some sections explain elements of basic science, such as how the solar system came to be. A recurring cartoon character called "Star Dude" provides definitions and other salient facts. In a chapter about constellations, Thacher features star stories from southern Africa, China, the Indigenous people of North America, Polynesia, and ancient Greece. Additional chapters focus on the sky, the moon, the sun, planets, and stars. Many sections include instructions for crafts, such as how to make a red flashlight to protect night vision or a pinhole projector to view an image of a solar eclipse. Source notes are not included, but Thacher lists two pages of recommended resources. VERDICT This title is a bonanza for upper-elementary or middle school independent reading, especially for students with an interest in the sciences.—Bob Hassett, Luther Jackson M.S., Falls Church, VA

School Library Journal