Watching the night sky

From Nubra, Yangdol and Dorjay see thousands of stars: the sky is almost cloudless, with almost no air or light pollution.

In a big city you may see only a few. That is because of light pollution (too much artificial light at night), smoke and dust. Tall buildings and trees can also block the view. In villages and other places with less light pollution, many more stars can be seen. The night sky is best seen from open, dark areas.

How to prepare, always with adults:

• Choose a dark, open place, away from lights, tall buildings and trees.
• Pick a night when neither the Moon nor clouds can be seen, especially for a faint star like the Pole Star.
• Carry a sky map, a magnetic compass for directions, and a notebook.
• When you arrive, wait about half an hour so your eyes get used to the dark.

Never go to a dark, open place at night without adults.

Not every star can be seen from every place on every night. Sky-mapping apps on a phone show when and where in the sky a star or constellation will appear from your place. Sky Map is one such app, and Stellarium is another (its computer version is free to download).