Thames & Kosmos TK1 User Manual

EXPERIMENT MANUAL

TK

1

TELESCOPE

& ASTRONOMY

KIT

TK

1

TELESCOPE

& ASTRONOMY

KIT

REFRACTOR 60/700

Franckh -Kosmos Verl ags-GmbH & Co . KG, Pfizer str. 5-7, 70184 Stut tgart, Germ any | [phone] | www.ko smos.de
Thame s & Kosmos, 301 Frie ndship St., P rovidence , RI, 02903, USA | 1-800 -587-2872 | www.th amesandkos mos.com
Thame s & Kosmos UK Ltd, G oudhurst, K ent, TN17 2QZ , U nited Kingdo m | 01580 212000 | www.th amesandko smos.co.uk

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

A Word to Parents!

Safety Information

WARNING! Never look directly into the sun
— whether with your naked eye, or with the

telescope or its viewfinder! You could blind
yourself!

Dear Parents,

With this telescope, your child will be able to
explore the stars in the night sky, or study
natural objects all around us right here on
Earth with the help of the image reversal lens.

Never inadvertently leave the telescope and
its viewfinder in the sun — it could start a

fire!

Keep the packaging and instructions as they

contain important information.

To be sure that this optical instrument is
handled correctly, it is essential to pay careful
attention to the instructions and tips provided
in this manual. Please stand by your child’s side
when he or she is learning the relevant skills,
and be ready to offer help when it is needed. In
particular, please note the adjacent safety
information and discuss these points with your
child.

To view the night sky, your child may
sometimes need to work at a time or in a place
requiring you to accompany him or her or at
least to help plan evening outings.

1st Editi on 2014
© 2014 Franckh -Kosmos Verlag s-GmbH & Co. KG , Pfizerstra sse 5 – 7, 7 0184 Stuttga rt, Germany. Tel. + 49 (0)711 2191-343

This work, i ncluding all its pa rts, is copyr ight protecte d. Any use outsi de the specific li mits of the copyr ight law without the c onsent of the publi sher is prohibite d and
punishable b y law. This applies spe cifically to re productions , translations , microfilming , and storage and p rocessing in ele ctronic syst ems and network s. We do not
guarantee that all material in this work is free from copyright or other protection.

Text: Mic hael Vogel, with spe cific portio ns of text by Just ina Engelmann and Her mann-Michae l Hahn
Project management: Dr. Mark Bachofer
Technical product development: Dr. Petra Müller
Manual desi gn: Atelier Bea Kle nk, Berlin
Layout an d typesett ing: werthdes ign, F. Werth, Horb a.N .
Illustrat ions and graphic s: Gunther Schulz , p. 2 bottom right , 16, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31; G erhard Weiland, ba ck page, 26; Sven Me lchert, p. 17, 18, 19 ; all others Friedr ich Werth
Photos: M artin Gert z, Stuttgar t Planetarium / Welzheim Oberv atory, p. 32 bott om left; Libr ary of Congres s, p. 2 second fro m top, 23; Klaus Sc hittenhelm, p. 16 t op right;
Stefan Sei p/www.ast romeeting.d e, p. 26 bottom le ft, 32 top right ; CreativCo llection, p. 8, 1 0, 21 center+bott om left+top right ; MEV, p. 21 bott om right
Packagin g layout: werth design, F. Werth, Horb a .N.
Basic de sign concept, p ackaging: Pet er Schmidt Group Gmb H, Hamburg

The publishe r has made every e ffort to loc ate the holder s of image rights fo r all of the photos us ed. If in any individu al cases any hol ders of image right s have not been
acknowle dged, they are a sked to provide ev idence to the pub lisher of their image r ights so that the y may be paid an image f ee in line with the indu stry stand ard.

1st Englis h Edition © 2015 Tha mes & Kosmos, LL C, Providence , RI, USA
Thames & Kos mos® is a register ed trademark of T hames & Kosmos, LLC.
Editing: Ted M cGuire; Additio nal Graphics and L ayout: Dan Frei tas, Ashley G reenleaf

Distribu ted in North Am erica by Thames & Ko smos, LLC. Pr ovidence, RI 029 03
Phone: [phone]; Email: [e-mail]

We reserv e the right to make te chnical change s.

Printed in China/ Imprim é en Chine

When observing the stars outside, appropriate
tools and equipment are advisable (depending
on the weather and season, this could mean
warm clothing, a Thermos with some hot cocoa,
a red-light flashlight (see page 16), this
instruction manual, and maybe a separately­purchased star wheel or star map app). Please
help your child with these things.

We wish you and your child lots of fun with the
telescope!

› › › KIT CONTENTS

677015-02-260115

What’s inside your experiment kit:

TK1 Telescope

4

5

10

12

11

3

7

6

1

Checklist: Find – Inspect – Check off

No. Description Count

1 Aluminum stand with telescope cradle 1
2 Shelf for accessories 1
3 Telescope tube with dew shield and

pitch arm for height adjustment 1

4 Viewfinder 1
5 Star diagonal (mirror diagonal) 1
6 Eyepiece (10 mm) 1
7 Eyepiece (20 mm) 1
8 Barlow lens 1
9 Image reversal lens (erecting lens) 1
10 Star-knob tighteners for securing

the telescope in the cradle 2

11 Attachment screws for securing

the legs of the stand 3

12 Moon filter 1

8

9

TIP!

Any parts that are not

included with the kit
are indicated in italic

letters in the “You
will need” sections.

You will also need:

Homemade red-light
flashlight

Possibly: warm clothing
for outside

Optional: rotating star
map (planisphere), star
finder app

2

1

1

› › › CONTENTS

A Word to Parents ................................... Inside front cover

Safety Information ................................. Inside front cover

What’s Inside Your Experiment Kit ..................................... 1

Assembling Your Telescope.................................................. 3

Check It Out: How Your Telescope Works ......................... 9

How to Use Your Telescope ................................................ 11

Check It Out: Preparing for

Nighttime Viewing ............................................... 16

Check It Out: Ten Observations to

Get You Started ..................................................... 17

Not Just Stars and Planets .................................. 21

Identifying Constellations in the Sky ............... 23

Check It Out: Stars and Constellations ........................... 26

Star Charts for Different Seasons ..................................... 27

Check It Out: Moon, Planets, Satellites, and More ....... 31

The 20 Prettiest Constellations ........................ Back cover

2

Assembling Your

Telescope

In this chapter, you will learn about all the parts that make up

your telescope and how to assemble them. The stand holds the

telescope for you and helps you keep it pointed at the exact part of

the sky you want to look at. The telescope itself is the long tube

with a glass lens at the front. The rear, narrower end, which is the

end into which you look, is where you will insert various other

glass lenses and other accessories.

3

3

BEFORE YOU START

Assembling the
telescope

YOU WILL NEED

› Stand
› Three attachment screws
› Shelf with three wingnuts
› Telescope
› Two star-knob tighteners
› Eyepiece

HERE’S HOW:

1. Extend the three legs of the stand to their full
length. Insert the three attachment screws
into the threads in the center of the legs. The
legs should not collapse when you set up the
stand with its legs spread apart.

2. Screw the shelf to the stand’s attachment
bars with its rimmed side oriented upward. To
do that, first unscrew the three wingnuts
from the shelf and then screw them back in
through the holes in the stand’s attachment
bars. Keep screwing until the shelf stops
jiggling.

3. Insert the shiny height adjustment rod, which
is mounted on the side of the telescope, into
the opening in the telescope cradle.

NOTE! This applies to both assembly and

subsequent use of the telescope: Tighten all the
screws carefully and only by hand (not using
tools!). Only tighten them as much as they need to

be tightened, not as much as you can tighten them.

1

2

3

4

4. Attach the telescope securely to its cradle by
screwing in the two star-knob tighteners
equally on both sides. The telescope should
then swivel without much force, but it also
shouldn’t be so loose that it moves on its
own.

5. Now, gently tighten the height adjustment
screw.

6. Slide an eyepiece into the eyepiece extension
until it hits the stop and secure it in place
with at least one of the eyepiece extension’s
knurled screws. It is best to start with the
eyepiece with the largest millimeter readings.

Assembling Your Telescope

4

TIP!

All of your telescope’s

optical elements have covers
to protect them from dust. If

you remove the cover only
while you are using the

telescope for your

observations and then place
it back on afterwards, the

glass lens will stay clean
longer. Try to avoid touching
the sensitive glass surfaces

with your fingers.

5

6

5

BEFORE YOU START

Mounting and
adjusting the
viewfinder

YOU WILL NEED

› Assembled telescope
› Viewfinder

HERE’S HOW:

1. The viewfinder must have its larger opening
(the objective) pointing away from the
viewer.

2. Loosen the two knurled screws at the end of
the telescope, insert them into the two holes
in the viewfinder bracket, and tighten them
again. The holes in the bracket are elongated.
Make sure that the viewfinder sits parallel to
the telescope.

3. Outside during the day, point the telescope at
a target on the horizon at least 500 meters
away (such as a tower, tree, or building).

1

2

TIP!

You should adjust the

viewfinder during the
daytime.

6

4. Focus the telescope by turning the eyepiece
extension and move the observation target
right into the middle of the field of view.

5. Look through the viewfinder and focus it by
turning its eyepiece.

Assembling Your Telescope

TIP!

When looking through the viewfinder or

the telescope, you will notice that

everything is turned upside-down. It’s
supposed to look that way (see page 10).

For observation targets on the ground,
your telescope comes equipped with an

image reversal lens (see page 21), which

will display images in their usual
orientation.

4

5

7

6. When you look through the viewfinder, you
will notice that the observation target is not
in the center of its field of view, but shifted
off to the side instead. Use the three knurled
screws to adjust the viewfinder until the
center of its field of view matches that of the
telescope. To do this, keep loosening one or
two of the screws while you tighten the
other(s). You will probably have to repeat this
several times. Keep looking into the
viewfinder to verify that the observation
target is moving toward the center of the
field of view.

7. If adjustment of the three knurled screws is
not enough, you will have to loosen the two
knurled screws again on the viewfinder
bracket and correct the viewfinder’s
orientation before returning to the viewfinder
alignment instructions described in step 6.

8. After orienting the viewfinder, all three
knurled screws should be gently tightened
again so that the viewfinder doesn’t
inadvertently shift in its bracket. Finally,
check one last time to make sure that the
viewfinder and the telescope show the same
observation target in the center of their fields
of view.

6

View through the telescope (top); view through the

viewfinder: misaligned (center) and aligned (bottom).

8

Assembling Your Telescope

CHECK IT OUT

How Your

Telescope Works

When we are in the dark, our pupils grow larger in order to take in (or
gather) as much light as possible. That’s exactly what a telescope does
— it gathers light — with the main differences being that its “pupil” (the
objective) is a lot larger than our pupils and the objective’s diameter
always remains the same. The light of an observation target enters the
objective and is concentrated at the focal point. With the use of a second
lens (the eyepiece) that functions like a magnifying lens, you can view
the observation target’s image created at the focal point.

Objective

Magnification

If you divide the objective focal

length by the eyepiece focal

length, it gives you the

telescope’s magnification. Bright

observation targets, such as the

Moon or planets, can handle

greater magnification than

fainter ones.

Focal point

Objective focal length

The Visual Field

When you look through the eyepiece,

you can only see a very small portion of

the sky. The greater the magnification,

the smaller that portion will be. With

the viewfinder, on the other hand, you

can survey a relatively large area. That

is why it’s easier to orient toward the

observation target with the viewfinder

than with the telescope.

Eyepiece

Eyepiece focal

length

9

CHECK IT OUT

Star through telescope

N

S

EVERYTHING’S UPSIDE DOWN

If you look through the telescope,
everything will look upside down and left-
right reversed. The reason for that is
because it has optical advantages in
astronomical telescopes. But that means
that if you look through your telescope in,
say, a southerly direction, south will be at
the top of the visual field, north will be at
the bottom, east to the right and west to the
left — in other words, exactly the opposite
of when you look at the sky with your
naked eye.

View through
telescope with

star diagonal

N

W E

S

W

N

E

S

S

View through the

W E

N

E

W

telescope

10

FACT SHEET
Your Telescope’s Specifications

Objective:

Diameter: 60 mm

Focal length: 700 mm

Eyepieces:

20 mm focal length: 35x magnification

10 mm focal length: 70x magnification

How to Use Your

Telescope

Your telescope is now ready for viewing. Find a location

where you won’t be too bothered by the light from

houses or street lights. If your backyard or the balcony

of your own home doesn’t work, take a parent or older

brother or sister with you to find someplace darker.

11

SETUP

Viewing through the
telescope

YOU WILL NEED

› Telescope

› Optional: red-light flashlight (see p. 16)
› Possibly: a warm jacket

SETTING IT UP:

1. Make sure that you aren’t blinded by light
(from nearby buildings, street lights, and
cars) at the location that you have selected.

2. Set up the stand with its legs fully spread out
and select a height that is comfortable for
you by extending the stand’s legs as far as
you want. You can view in a standing or
sitting position. Take any accessories that
you won’t be needing right away and place
them on the shelf.

3. The stand should be stable. If the ground is
soft, you can press the tips of the legs into the
soil a little. That will help stabilize the
telescope.

4. Be sure that the shelf remains more or less
horizontal.

2

3

Like this ... ... not like

this!

12

4

SETUP

How to Use Your Telescope

VIEWING:

1. Loosen the cradle’s height and tilt adjustment
knobs and swing the telescope toward your
observation target.

2. Use the viewfinder to check whether the
telescope is pointed at the right part of the
sky. Your observation target must be right in
the cross-hairs of the viewfinder. If you have
a bright target, such as the Moon, use the
viewfinder bracket’s sighting aid.

3. Re-tighten the height and tilt adjustment
knobs.

4. Insert the 20-mm eyepiece into the eyepiece
extension, secure it in place with at least one
of the two knurled screws, and turn the
eyepiece extension until the image is sharp.

5. Always place your observation target in the
center of the visual field. For the cradle tilt,
you can leave the knob fairly loose so you
can swing the telescope without having to
adjust the knob every time. Pivot the
telescope in the height direction by turning
the fine adjustment ring.

Height

adjust­ment
knob

Tilt adjustment

knob

1

Sighting aid

2

5

13

SETUP

6. If the fine height adjustment ring can’t be
turned anymore in a given direction, you will
have to turn it back to the middle and
readjust to your target by loosening the
height knob. Then you can use the fine
adjustment ring again.

7. For optimal viewing, do not touch your
telescope when looking through it.

8. Start viewing any given target at the lowest
possible magnification (the eyepiece with the
greatest focal length) and increase it to the
extent that your target permits. You will have
to refocus every time you change the
eyepiece.

9. If you watch an astronomical target for a
long time, you will notice that it gradually
moves out of the field of view. Turn the fine
height adjustment ring and loosen the tilt
knob to swivel the telescope horizontally
until your target is once again in the middle
of your visual field.

10. You will notice that you will see more and
more details in the target the longer you
practice.

6

DID YOU KNOW?

When you look through the telescope,

you will see how the brighter stars will
flicker and change color. This is a result

of Earth’s atmosphere. You probably

already know the same effect from hot

summer days when the air shimmers

above a hot road’s surface. With the
Moon and the planets, too, you can see

this kind of shimmering. The image in

the telescope may get sharper, and

then become blurrier again.
Sometimes, Earth’s atmosphere is very

calm for a few seconds or minutes.

When that happens, you will see the

target very clearly and sharply.

14

TIP!

If the Moon looks too bright when you look
through the telescope, which may happen if

it’s close to full, screw the Moon filter into
the front opening of the eyepiece. It will

soften the light.

Moon filter

TIP!

If you want to look at something high in the sky, your

telescope may point almost straight up. That can make it
pretty uncomfortable to peer through the eyepiece. It will

be more comfortable if you first insert the star diagonal and
then mount the eyepiece on the eyepiece extension. It will

deflect the light at a right angle. If you do use the star
diagonal, you will need to readjust the eyepiece extension

to get a clear image. Don’t forget to tighten the knurled
screws on the eyepiece extension and the star diagonal!

NOTE: If your tele scope is coming from

the warm house, it will cool off a lot in
the first half hour. While it cools, your

observation targets may look unstable
and washed-out. They will look better

once it has cooled down to the
surrounding temperature.

How to Use Your Telescope

Star diagonal

CARE

On some nights, it can be so damp
outside that your telescope, the

objective, or the eyepiece can become

wet with dew. With an eyepiece, you

can pretty much avoid that by keeping

it in its cover and putting it in your

pants or jacket pocket. The objective

can also get condensation on it when

you bring your telescope back into the

warm house from the cold. If that

happens, be sure to let everything dry

thoroughly — especially the lenses,

before you put their dust covers back

on them. Don’t wipe the glass lenses

when they are dry, because you might

scratch them. Feel free to wipe the

stand and telescope tube off with a

rag, if you like.

Barlow lens

TIP!

You can use the Barlow lens to double the

magnification of any eyepiece. It will only
work well, though, if the air is calm and

you’re watching a bright object, such as the
Moon. Insert the Barlow lens into the

eyepiece extension until it hits the stop and

clamp it in place with the two knurled
screws. Then insert the eyepiece into the

Barlow lens. Don’t forget to screw it on tight!

15

CHECK IT OUT

Preparing
for Nighttime
Viewing

For good stargazing, you need a clear,
cloudless night sky. If you want to view
from a terrace or balcony, turn off the
inside lights and stay as far away from
streetlights as possible, because the light
will interfere with your viewing. Of course,
you can always see lots more stars if you go
with your parents on an outing away from
any towns or cities, and find a pitch-black
location with an unobstructed view of the
sky all around.

To help you see in the dark to look at what’s
on your star wheel, for example, take a
flashlight with you. But first wrap a red

balloon around the
light. That will create a
red-light flashlight, which
won’t cause your pupils to dilate and
reduce your night vision. Before viewing,
give your eyes a few minutes to get used to
the darkness. After 15 minutes in the dark,
you will start seeing things that you hadn’t
noticed before.

16

Summer

Autumn

North

North star

Spring

Winter

TIP!

You can use the Big Dipper to figure out what
direction you’re facing even if you have no

compass or GPS. Just extend the line between

the two stars at the front edge of the ladle
about five times, away and up from the

bottom front star. You will come to a single
brighter star known as Polaris, or the North

Star. Turn your face to the North Star and
look down to the horizon. You will be looking

exactly north. South is behind you, east to the
right and west to the left.

CHECK IT OUT

Ten Observations

to Get You Started

Stars will always be points of
light, no matter what kind of
telescope or magnification you
use. They are just too far away.
But there are also the Moon,
planets, binary stars, star
clusters, galaxies, and nebulae
— all highly worthwhile
targets. Start by selecting an
easy one like the Moon or a
planet. The following ten
suggestions are ideal choices for
your first astronomical
observations.

How to Use Your Telescope

THE MOON

You can see craters, mountains, and lava-filled
plains. It will astound you how many details
you can make out. When the moon is full, you
won’t be able to see its features so well because
they will only cast short shadows. The waxing
or waning moon is better for watching through
the telescope. Try a variety of magnifications.

Titan

SATURN

You will see a yellowing-white disk surrounded
by a ring. You might also notice Saturn’s
brightest moon, Titan, which stands well off
from the planet’s disk and almost looks like a
weak star. It changes its position from one night
to the next. Use a high magnification. For more,
see page 31.

17

CHECK IT OUT

Callisto

Europa

Io

Ganymede

JUPITER

On the clearly oval disk of this planet, you will
see two parallel bands of clouds and four
moons. The moons change their positions from
one night to the next. Use high magnification.

VENUS

This planet displays patterns of light similar to
those of our Moon. Sometimes, you can see it as
a sickle, other times as an almost-full disk.
Unlike our Moon, Venus won’t show all these
shapes within a single month. Instead, they will
only appear over a period of several months.
Use high magnification.

18

TIP!

See page 31 for how to

identify the positions of
the planets.

MARS

Of all the planets, this one shows the most
obvious color. Its orange disk can look
significantly larger or smaller at different times
of the year, depending on its distance from
Earth. When it’s large, you will also be able to
see dark and light structures on its surface. Use
high magnification.

Mizar

Alcor

How to Use Your Telescope

MIZAR/ALCOR

Even with your naked eye, you can distinguish
these two stars in the bend of the Big Dipper’s
handle. With the help of the telescope, you
should be able to see how Mizar, the brighter of
the two, is actually two stars. Use high
magnification. (See the star charts on pages 27
and 29.)

PLEIADES

This star cluster in the Taurus constellation is
also visible with the naked eye. With the
telescope, you will be able to see lots more
stars within Pleiades. Can you make out the
chariot or dipper shape formed by the brightest
stars in the cluster? It looks like the Little Dipper
only much smaller. Use a lower magnification
for this. (See the chart on page 30.)

ORION NEBULA

In the constellation of Orion, there is a pale
patch of light known as the Orion Nebula
beneath the stars forming the belt. You will be
able to see its irregular shape more clearly with
the help of the telescope. Use low to medium
magnification. (See the chart on page 30.)

19

CHECK IT OUT

ALBIREO

This star, which forms the head of the swan in
the constellation Cygnus, is actually a double
star. With the help of your telescope, you will be
able to make out the two stars and their
different colors — one reddish and the other
blue. Use high magnification. (See the star chart
on page 28.)

ANDROMEDA GALAXY

Andromeda is our closest neighboring galaxy.
With your naked eye, you will only be able to
see it as a weak glow. With the telescope, it will
reveal itself as a long, diffuse patch — the light
from billions of stars belonging to the
Andromeda galaxy. Use a lower magnification
for this. (See the chart on page 29.)

TIP!

There are a lot of books and

apps that offer descriptions of
interesting things that you can

view in the nighttime sky. A lot

of good observation targets are
also noted on your star chart

(see page 24).

20

Not Just Stars and Planets

Not Just Stars

and Planets

By now, you have gotten to know a few of the things you can see in the

night sky with your telescope. But there’s a lot more that the telescope can

do. Just as you can use those panoramic telescopes or binoculars to view

mountains or vistas at tourist lookout points, so too can you use your

telescope to view your surroundings here on the ground. And it has a

greater magnification than most tourist binoculars.

You’ll be able to see distant animals, mountain

tops, or ships on the ocean so close

that it’s almost as if you

could reach out and touch

them with your hand!

21

VIEWING

Viewing in daytime

YOU WILL NEED

› Fully assembled telescope
› Image reversal lens

HERE’S HOW:

1. Start by inserting the image reversal lens into
the eyepiece extension until it hits the stop,
and secure it tight with the two knurled
screws.

2. Then, insert the eyepiece into the image
reversal lens and clamp it on tight.

3. Use the viewfinder to orient your telescope
toward the observation target.

1

4. Bring the target into focus by rotating the
eyepiece extension.

TIP!

The image reversal lens is most useful

with the 20-mm eyepiece. That gives you
a 53x magnification, because the image

reversal lens extends the objective focal

length by a factor of 1.5.

22

2

4

Identifying

Constellations in the Sky

You are now pretty comfortable with your telescope. If you take

it outside tonight under clear skies, you will certainly be able to

see a lot of stars. With a little practice, you will also be able to

recognize constellations and it will become easier to focus your

telescope on interesting observation targets.

23

VIEWING

How a rotating star
wheel will help you
with your viewing

With a rotating star wheel — also known as a
planisphere — you will easily be able to adjust
your view of the starry sky to any time of night
and any time of year. All planispheres are a
little different, so read the instructions on yours
to make sure you are using it correctly.

YOU WILL NEED

› Rotating star wheel (planisphere)

HERE’S HOW:

1. Rotate the star wheel’s cover disk so the
current time is lined up with today’s date. If,
say, it is 9 PM on February 10, turn the 9 PM
mark on the cover disk’s scale to February 10
on the bordering date scale.

IMPORTANT!

You will need a planisphere

that is configured for your
latitude. Most of the United

States is between latitudes 30°

North and 50° North. Most of
Europe is between 40° North

and 60° North.

Date and time

1

2. Now the wheel is correctly set. The see­through oval section shows all the
constellations that you will be able to see in
the sky at this time.

3. Turn the wheel — without changing its
setting — so the word “South” is oriented to
the bottom of the transparent part of the
cover disk. Stand so you are facing south.

24

Oval

2

3

South

Lile
Dipper

North Star

Big
Dipper

(Ursa Major)

Perseus

Auriga

Cepheus

Cassiopeia

Draco

Hercules

Cygnus

Lacerta

VIEWING

4. From the bottom edge up to the zenith
marker, the oval section shows you the stars
that are in the southern sky. At 9 PM on
February 10, the constellation Lepus is at the
bottom of the southern horizon, Orion is
halfway up the sky, and the constellation
Auriga is up near the zenith.

5. If you want to know which stars are in the
northern sky, simply turn the chart upside­down. Then, the word “North” will be at the
bottom and it will show you the stars that
you can see in a northerly direction between
the horizon and the zenith.

6. If you turn the chart so “East” or “West” is at
the bottom, it will show you the stars in those
directions.

NOTE! During daylight saving time, you

will have to subtract one hour from the
actual time when adjusting the wheel. So,

for example, if it’s 9 PM in the summer, use
the 8 o’clock mark. You may also need to

slightly adjust the time according to your
Local Mean Time depending on your

longitudinal location within the time zone.

Identifying Constellations in the Sky

Zenith

4

5

North

DID YOU KNOW?

The stars that you see at the bottom edge of

the chart are the ones that you will see down

near the horizon. And the stars that you see

near the zenith are the ones that you will
see high in the sky. You will have to tilt your
head way back to see them. The actual

zenith is the point exactly above your head.

25

CHECK IT OUT

S

p

r

i

n

g

S

u

m

m

e

r

A

u

t

u

m

n

W

i

n

t

e

r

Orion

Pegasus

Aquila

Leo

Sun

Earth

STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS

People used to believe that the stars were
points of light attached to the heavens.
Today we know that stars are actually
glowing balls of gas in space, just like our
Sun. In order to orient themselves in the
confusion of all those stars, our ancestors
created the constellations over 2,000 years
ago. And because they are so old, they still
have Latin names. In reality, of course, the
stars in a constellation are not close to each
other at all, and their actual distances vary
quite a bit.
Why is it so difficult to recognize the
constellations when you look at the night
sky? One reason is that the night sky is
constantly changing. Take a look at the stars
one evening, and then go back inside and

Earth rotates once each day around it s own axis
and once each year around the Sun. That is why
our view of t he stars in the sky is always changing.

come back out an hour later. You will notice
how the entire sky has shifted. That’s because
our Earth is rotating. In addition, our Earth
also rotates around the Sun during the year.
That means that the direction in which we
look when we look out into space will change
a little every night. And that’s why the
constellations we see in winter are different
from the ones we see in summer.

26

KEY WORD: "Milky Way"

The Milky Way is a softly glowing strip
that you can sometimes see in the night

sky if you’re in a dark enough location. It
consists of thousands of weakly shining

stars. The Milky Way is actually our own
galaxy. If we could view it from far away,

it would look like a vast starry spiral.
There are a lot of other systems just like

that in space.

Zenith

Crater

Boötes

Big Dipper

Coma
Berenices

Canes Venatici

Virgo

Leo Minor

Leo

Corvus

Hydra

Arcturus

Regulus

Mizar/
Alcor

South

VIEWING

The night sky in
springtime

YOU WILL NEED

› Star chart

› Red-light flashlight
› Warm jacket

HERE’S HOW:

1. Look for the Big Dipper, which will be high in
the sky. You will need to crane your neck
back to see its seven more or less equally
bright stars. Four make up the dipper’s ladle,
and three more compose the curved handle.

2. Now extend the curve of the dipper’s handle
toward the horizon. You will come to the
bright star Arcturus in the constellation of
Boötes (meaning “herdsman” or “plowman”
in Greek). It will be shining with a reddish-or­ange glow.

3. On the other hand, if you extend a line from
the two stars at the front edge of the dipper’s
ladle and proceed in a downward direction,
you will come to the constellation of Leo.
This will also be about halfway up the sky,
and looks a bit like a large clothes iron. Its
brightest star, called Regulus, shines with a
slightly blue color.

Identifying Constellations in the Sky

DID YOU KNOW …

… that the Big Dipper is not really a
constellation? It actually belongs to

the constellation of Ursa Major, which
also includes a lot of other stars. See
the illustration on page 23!

27

Zenith

Aquila

Delphinus

Vulpecula

Hercules

Lyra

Albireo

Corona

Borealis

Sagia

Scutum

Serpens

Ophiuchus

Sagiarius

Cygnus

Scorpio

Serpens

Vega

Deneb

Capricorn

Draco

South

VIEWING

The night sky in
summertime

YOU WILL NEED

› Star chart

› Red-light flashlight
› Warm jacket

HERE’S HOW:

1. In the summertime it won’t get dark until
late, so you will have to stay up later to
watch the stars. Up high in the sky near the
zenith, you will see a bright star. That is Vega,
the principal star in the constellation of Lyra.

2. A little to the left next to Vega, you will see
another bright star — Deneb, the principal
star in the Cygnus constellation. It will also
be up high in the sky.

TIP!

If you cannot make out the Milky Way in the

night sky, take another look at your star chart.
Can you find Cygnus, the swan? It will be

gliding along the Milky Way.

The constellation of Cygnus looks a little like

3.
a giant cross, so it is sometimes also called
the “Northern Cross.” If it’s really dark, you
will be able to see that Cygnus is right in the
middle of the Milky Way.

TIP!

The Milky Way is easiest to see in late

summer or early autumn. It gets dark
earlier then, and it’s easier to see its

gently glowing white strip running

across the sky’s zenith. Wait until just

28

before or just after a new moon, so its

light doesn’t interfere with your viewing.

Lile
Dipper

North Star

Big
Dipper

(Ursa Major)

Perseus

Auriga

Cepheus

Cassiopeia

Draco

Hercules

Cygnus

Lacerta

Lile
Dipper

North Star

Cepheus

Cassiopeia

Perseus

Mizar/
Alcor

Big Dipper

Draco

Lacerta

Cygnus

Andromeda Galaxy

Triangulum

Zenith

North

VIEWING

The night sky in
autumn

YOU WILL NEED

› Star chart

› Red-light flashlight
› Warm jacket

HERE’S HOW:

1. At this time of year, you will find the Big
Dipper low above the northern horizon.

2. If you connect the two right stars of the
dipper’s ladle and extend that line upward,
you will come to the North Star. It will be the
brightest star in the Little Dipper
constellation.

Identifying Constellations in the Sky

TIP!

Pay attention one evening to the way

the sky changes over the course of
several hours. Do you see how the North

Star always stays in the same place?

3. Keep extending this same line the same
distance again beyond the North Star and you
will come to the constellation of Cassiopeia.
It will be riding high in the sky and looks like
the letter “M.” If you look at it from the other
side, it looks like a “W.”

DID YOU KNOW?

The North Star is positioned exactly above Earth’s axis. It

is the only star in the sky that doesn’t move, always

remaining in the same place. The stars around it are
called circumpolar stars (literally, “around the pole
star” — the North Star is also known as a pole star, or

Polaris). While they do move, they never set. So you can

always see them on any clear night.

29

Auriga

South

Canis Major

Lepus

Canis
Minor

Cancer

Lynx

Orion

Perseus

Taurus

Gemini

Pleiades

Betelgeuse

Orion Nebula

Rigel

Capella

Zenith

VIEWING

The night sky in winter

YOU WILL NEED

› Star chart

› Red-light flashlight
› Warm jacket, socks, cap, scarf, gloves
› Something warm to drink, a few cookies

HERE’S HOW:

1. A little above the horizon, you will see the
constellation of Orion. You will recognize it by
its three stars close together, all in a single
line. This is Orion’s Belt.

2. To the left just above the belt, you can find the
orange-colored star known as Betelgeuse,
which is the principal star in the Orion
constellation. Beneath the belt and to the
right, you will find the bright star Rigel. It has
a bluish-white glow.

3. Now tilt your head back and look high in the
sky: There, you will see the bright, yellowish
Capella, which is the principal star in Auriga.

30

DID YOU KNOW?

The color of a star can provide

information about its temperature.

Hotter stars shine white to blue, while

cooler ones are yellowish or

orange-red.

CHECK IT OUT

Identifying Constellations in the Sky

Mars

Sun

Mercury

Earth

Jupiter

Saturn

Moon and planets

The Moon orbits around Earth once every
month. You can clearly see its movement
over the course of one or two days if you
look at the sky at the same time each night.
The full moon in particular is almost
impossible to miss. But you can see a

DID YOU KNOW?

…that the Moon and the planets cannot

occur just anywhere in the sky? They
are only found in certain constellations
corresponding to signs of the zodiac.
You may know them as horoscope

signs. They include, for example,
Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer.

Venus

TIP!

Since the planets move across the sky over time,
they are not drawn on the star charts, any more

than the Moon is. But you can always find their
current positions online or by using an app for

your smartphone or tablet.

particularly nice sight just a few days after a
new moon, when it shows itself as a delicate
silver sliver in the evening sky.
Along with Earth, there are seven other
planets that orbit the Sun: Mercury, Venus,
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
The easiest to find is Venus. For weeks at a
time, it shines very brightly just after
darkness falls. Jupiter and Saturn are clearly
visible in the sky for a few months every year.
Jupiter is the largest planet, and shines with
a striking brightness. Saturn has a pretty
ring, but you will need your telescope to see
it. Mars is only clearly visible about every
other year. It has a reddish color. The other
planets are difficult to see, or can’t be seen at
all with the naked eye.

31

CHECK IT OUT

Satellites,
shooting stars,
and comets

You will often be able to see at
least a couple points of light in
the sky that seem to be moving
fairly quickly. Usually, they are
airplanes. If they are blinking,
that’s what they are. But once in
a while you will be able to see a
man-made satellite such as the
International Space Station
(ISS). The ISS will show up as a
bright point of light that moves across the
entire sky in just a few minutes. Other
satellites will flash brightly for a few
seconds and then disappear again.

TIP!

With permission from a parent or adult
supervisor, visit the website heavens-above.com.

This website can tell you the locations of many

celestial objects and when to look for the ISS or
bright satellite flashes (called iridium flares).

If you are lucky, you might be able to catch
a shooting star during one of your evening
stargazing sessions. It will look like a bright
trail of light flashing briefly across the sky.
Shooting stars are small pieces of rock or
dust from space that burn up as they enter
our atmosphere.

32

TIP!

Every year around the 12th of

August, the chances of seeing
shooting stars are especially high. At
this time, Earth’s orbit around the
Sun takes it through a giant cloud of

dust left behind by a comet.

KEY WORD: "Comet"

Very rarely, a comet will appear in

the sky. Comets are small bodies of
ice and dust. When they approach
the Sun, they will often form a

glowing tail.

Kosmos Quality and Safety

More than one hundred years of expertise in
publishing science experiment kits stand behind every
product that bears the Kosmos name. Kosmos
experiment kits are designed by an experienced team
of specialists and tested with the utmost care during
development and production. With regard to product
safety, these experiment kits follow European and US
safety standards, as well as our own refined
proprietary safety guidelines. By working closely
with our manufacturing partners and safety testing
labs, we are able to control all stages of production.
While the majority of our products are made in
Germany, all of our products, regardless of origin,
follow the same rigid quality standards.

The 20 Prettiest Constellations

677015-02-260115

English Name Latin Name Visibility

The Great Bear Ursa Major Always

The Queen Cassiopeia Always

The Lion Leo January-June

The Herdsman Boötes March-September

The Virgin Virgo March-July

The Northern
Crown

The Harp Lyra April-December

The Swan Cygnus May-December

The Eagle Aquila June-November

The Scorpion Scorpius June-August

Corona Borealis March-October

The Dolphin Delphinus

The Archer Sagittarius July-September

Andromeda Andromeda July-February

The Flying Horse Pegasus August-January

The Charioteer Auriga October-May

The Bull Tau r us October-March

Th e Twins Gemini November-May

The Hunter Orion November-March

The Lesser Dog Canis Minor December-May

The Great Dog Canis Major January-March

The table lists a few of the constellations that you can most easily find in our night sky. They
are arranged according to their visibility during the year if you look in the evening between
about 8 and 10 pm. The Latin names are often used in English and are typically found in
books and on star charts, but the English equivalents are also provided here so you can see
what they mean.

June-December