© Maitane Romagosa/ThrillistThe stars are aligning, so to speak. Summer is the optimal time to get back outside and look up at the stars on the regular. It was particularly appealing when everything was closed down due to the pandemic, but it's always a good time to hang out under the stars and remains a nice activity if you're still social distancing.
Stargazing is a bit of a weird hobby to pick up in many ways. At once, it can seem like the barrier to entry is nothing at all and way too much to handle. All you have to do is step outside and tilt your head back. Now, you're stargazing. But, also, what the hell are you looking at? How could you ever learn enough to get a grasp on what's going on up there?
We asked Suresh Sreenivasan, who leads the beginner's program at the Minnesota Astronomical Society (MAS), what you should know to start enjoying the cosmos from your backyard.
However, there are tools available beyond telescopes and binoculars. "The first thing I did when I started is to subscribe to the national magazines," Sreenivasan said. "The two largest ones are Sky and Telescope and Astronomy." Though, he notes you can read them online as well. They have details about what you can see in the night sky over the coming weeks. (Of course, Thrillist also has details on many space events throughout the year.)
Additionally, there are apps that use augmented reality to show you what's in the sky and help you track down objects you want to see. Some of the most popular apps include Sky View, Sky Safari, Star Walk, and Night Sky. "Also, invest in a star atlas," Sreenivasan said. "There are several out there like Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas. That's one a lot of beginners use, and I still use it myself when I travel. It's just a set of star maps. It's a pretty small book, but it's a pretty good book."© YE AUNG THU/AFP via Getty Images
You don't necessarily have to do this right away but try things out and start to hone in on what you want to follow most closely. Even professionals tend to not have the bandwidth to be into everything. You don't need to either.
The light pollution will wash out your view of most stars. But you might be able to catch some planets from there. "In the city, a lot of times, people will be planet observers, at least that's the way they start out until they get a bigger scope or they can find a place out in the country," said Sreenivasan. "That's where I would start."
If you're looking for deep-space objects or meteors, you may want to look into web apps that can help you locate dark skies. DarkSky.org and the Dark Site Finder are good spots to start.© VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Yes, he is part of MAS, but all of these tips could sound intimidating on your own. However, they are really pretty easy if you go to a star party or club event. You can talk to other beginners as well as experts and start to find your way toward what interests you, even if what interests you is stepping back from the whole scenario and just lazily looking at the stars without any guidance. Also, most people who lead star parties are very welcoming to newcomers and can't wait to take you on a tour of the sky.
The northern lights are fickle. You can't just go out any night and expect to see them. There are a lot of factors influencing whether or not you're able to spot them. You're more likely to see the northern lights the further north you are (or south you are for the southern lights). Though, seasons also come into play at that point because it needs to be dark out. So, if you are going aurora hunting in, say, northern Sweden, that is great. But there is not much darkness in the summer when you're that far north. Still, hunting the aurora can be immensely satisfying. Plus, there are plenty of other stargazing sights to see when you are out looking for the northern lights.
Go outside, look up, enjoy yourself. Crack open a beer in your backyard, and imagine what the world is like beyond Earth's gravity.
Dustin Nelson is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. Follow him @dlukenelson.