PANSTAR

The sky is still there, even from the city.

Small notes on finding constellations, planets and the occasional meteor from a balcony.

Notes

Start with the Moon

Even a cheap pair of binoculars shows craters along the line between light and shadow.

Planets beat the glare

Venus and Jupiter stay bright through light pollution, so they make easy first targets.

Let your eyes adjust

Give yourself twenty minutes away from screens. Fainter stars slowly start to appear.

Getting started

  1. Pick a clear night and a spot shielded from direct street lights.
  2. Find one bright, familiar pattern and use it as your anchor.
  3. Keep a short log of what you saw, when, and from where.
  4. Come back at the same time next month and notice what has moved.