Making Friends with the
Night Sky
Making Friends with the Night Sky can be used with the very young
as an introduction to the stars and the moon, and by older children as a tool
for expanding the knowledge, they have already acquired. It is important
for the children to know that God created the night as well as the day (Genesis
1: 5). Many children have nightmares and fears of the dark. It is
our hope that by exploring and discovering the many treasures the night holds
your child will become acquainted with and possibly friends with the night sky.
Make a 'Night-Lights' journal for recording stargazing notes. Wrap up and
bring along a flashlight (if you cover the flashlight with red cellophane, your
eyes will stay adjusted to the low light), pencil and a homemade stargazer (a
decorated paper towel tube). The more serious-minded astronomers can
bring along their telescopes. Have fun looking at the stars and finding
constellations. See if you can find the "Big Dipper" or "Drinking
Gourd". If you can, you can also find the North Star
(Polaris). Take the two stars at the end of the "Big Dipper"
(they are called Pointers), and make an imaginary line
"upwards". Extend the imaginary line five times the distance
between the two stars. There you have the North Star. The North
Star is the last star in the handle of the "Little Dipper". It
may be easier to locate the North Star by finding the "Little
Dipper", but realize the "Little Dipper" is a much dimmer
constellation and not all the stars of the "Little Dipper" are
visible from the city. If you lived at the North Pole the North Star
would be directly overhead at all times. The North Star is not one of the
brightest stars, but it is one whose position causes it to appear to stay in
the same place in the sky (due north) at all times. Your child can draw
pictures of the night sky and the constellations you find together in the
Night-Lights journal. Different constellations are visible at different
times of the year. Check your library for resources to help identify the
constellations and stars. Have creative fun and make up your own
constellations. Just as in cloud gazing, we each see different shapes and
forms. Have fun seeing your own shapes and designs and recording these in
the Night-Light journal.
You will also want to take advantage of meteor showers. Meteors are
better known as shooting stars (a space rock which glows due to the friction
produced when passing through earth's atmosphere). Watch for meteors
around January 1-3rd and August 10-13th.
Psalm 147: 4 says, "He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all
by name". Today we need nothing outside the Word, to provide a
clear message about the plan of God, but in times before Scripture, God may
have used the stars to tell of His plans. We have included an
"Evangelical Significance Of The Heavenly Bodies" chart. We
want to make it clear that we in no way or manner endorse the 'trusting of
stars' for guiding peoples' lives! We can look back in history to very
early times and see how Satan has counterfeited the zodiac with
astrology. The Evangelical interpretations are very interesting and
give the glory where it is due, to God.
One night before going out to stargaze, have everyone guess how many stars you
will see out that night. Have fun recording the number of stars.
The day and night sky are much alike except that the day sky is “governed by a
large star called the sun" and the night sky by a "lesser light
called the moon" (Genesis 1: 16). The stars that we see at night are
in the day sky, also, but due to the brightness of the sun are not visible.
If you are interested in the "Evangelical Significance of the Heavenly
Bodies" information (which tells the story of our Savior, Jesus), click
below: