You see stars but not shapes
Everyone else points out constellations and you see dots.
Courses
Start with three things you can do today
How to find constellations in the night sky
Recognise the brightest stars, key constellations and planets from where you live.
Start with a few bright patterns that act as signposts, then learn why the sky turns through the night and changes with the seasons. Each step is planned around your hemisphere and light conditions, so you know what to look for on the next clear evening.
Type this when Cadence asks what you want to learn
I want to be able to look up at night and recognise the main stars, constellations and planets. I live in a town with some light pollution, and I would like to know where to start and how the sky changes through the year.
Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.
Start today
Four things you can do before the course exists.
Useful on their own. The course is for when you want the whole skill, not just the first move.
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Use the Big Dipper to find north
In the Northern Hemisphere, find the Big Dipper and the two stars at the end of its cup, the pointer stars. Follow their line about five times the gap between them to reach Polaris. Facing Polaris means facing north. The Southern Hemisphere has no equivalent bright pole star, so people there use the Southern Cross instead.
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Give your eyes time
Turn your phone screen off or to a dim red light and wait at least 20 minutes before judging how many stars you can see. Eyes keep adapting to the dark for longer than most people expect, and one look at a bright screen sets them back.
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Measure with your fist
Held at arm's length, a closed fist covers roughly 10 degrees of sky. Use it to note where things are, for example 'two fists above the horizon, left of the bright star'. Hands vary a little, but it is close enough for finding your way back to the same spot.
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Check whether it is a planet
A bright point that shines steadily, sits along the path the Sun and Moon take, and is missing from your star chart is likely a planet. Confirm it against a monthly sky guide such as NASA's What's Up before you name it.
Sources: NASA: what the North Star is and how to find it; NASA: What's Up, a monthly skywatching guide. Practical examples are starting points, not promised results.
- Best for
- Science & nature
- Prerequisites
- None. Bring the situation you have.
- Course length
- 7 to 30 lessons, sized to your goal
- Lesson pace
- About 10 minutes a day
- Format
- Read it, or play the audio
- Access
- Available on the App Store, with early features and Android testing access
Before the course is built
Setup asks about your situation first.
Lesson 1 opens on the moment you describe, and the examples use your role. For this request, expect questions like these.
- Where are you: which hemisphere, and city, suburb or countryside?
- What will you use: your eyes only, binoculars or a telescope?
- What do you most want to see: constellations, planets, the Moon or meteor showers?
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
You live under city lights
You want to know what is still visible from your street.
You are planning a dark-sky trip
You want to know what to look for when you get there.
Course arc
Where the course goes, in order.
Cadence writes the lessons for you, so the exact path follows your answers. This is the ground a course built from this sentence covers.
01 / 06How the sky moves
Why stars rise and set, and why the view changes month by month.
Signpost patterns
Using bright, easy shapes to step across to fainter constellations.
Planets and the Moon
Why planets stay near one band of sky and how the Moon's phase affects viewing.
Measuring the sky with your hand
Rough angles at arm's length for describing where things are.
Light pollution and dark adaptation
What city lights hide and how to give your eyes a fair chance.
Charts and binoculars
Using a star chart or planisphere, and when binoculars are worth adding.
What changes
What you will be able to do, and what you will stop believing.
You will be able to
Find your signposts
Locate a few bright stars and patterns and use them to find others.
Tell planets from stars
Use brightness, steadiness and position to pick out planets.
Plan a night out
Choose a time, direction and target based on the season and the Moon.
Ideas this course corrects
The North Star is the brightest star in the sky
Polaris is not the brightest star. Its value is that it sits close to the north celestial pole, so it marks north.
You can see the same stars from anywhere on Earth
Your latitude decides which part of the sky you see. Polaris is not visible from far southern latitudes, and the Southern Cross is not visible from most of Europe or North America.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
How to find constellations in the night sky: what can I do today?
Use the Big Dipper to find north. In the Northern Hemisphere, find the Big Dipper and the two stars at the end of its cup, the pointer stars. Follow their line about five times the gap between them to reach Polaris. Facing Polaris means facing north. The Southern Hemisphere has no equivalent bright pole star, so people there use the Southern Cross instead. Give your eyes time. Turn your phone screen off or to a dim red light and wait at least 20 minutes before judging how many stars you can see. Eyes keep adapting to the dark for longer than most people expect, and one look at a bright screen sets them back. Measure with your fist. Held at arm's length, a closed fist covers roughly 10 degrees of sky. Use it to note where things are, for example 'two fists above the horizon, left of the bright star'. Hands vary a little, but it is close enough for finding your way back to the same spot. Check whether it is a planet. A bright point that shines steadily, sits along the path the Sun and Moon take, and is missing from your star chart is likely a planet. Confirm it against a monthly sky guide such as NASA's What's Up before you name it.
Is this a fixed course?
No. Cadence builds the course when you type the sentence and answer a few setup questions, so the lessons follow your situation. This page describes what a course built from this request covers. You see the whole path before Lesson 1.
Who is this course for?
Start with a few bright patterns that act as signposts, then learn why the sky turns through the night and changes with the seasons. Each step is planned around your hemisphere and light conditions, so you know what to look for on the next clear evening. It sits under Science & nature in the Ideas & discovery part of the library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Setup asks what you already know and where you want to use it, and the course starts from there. Bring a real situation if you have one; the examples are built around it.
How long does it take?
Courses run 7 to 30 lessons of about 10 minutes, sized to what you asked for. One lesson a day is the intended pace, and you can go faster. Lessons can be read or played as audio.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Type it, answer a few questions, open Lesson 1.
The sentence to type
I want to be able to look up at night and recognise the main stars, constellations and planets. I live in a town with some light pollution, and I would like to know where to start and how the sky changes through the year.