It’s easy to assume that stargazing is only about looking into a telescope towards the night sky, but there are several different ways to view a night under the stars. Led by Ilias Cholis, the associate professor of physics at OU, Astronomy at OU teaches participants how to properly stargaze using a telescope, binoculars or average sight.
“I’ve been teaching astronomy to students,” Cholis said. “I thought, ‘Let’s make a version that is for the public and outreach.’ It is also a part of a grant I received from the National Science Foundation, which contains an outreach component, so on top of everything else, the National Science Foundation gave me the money to buy our telescopes.”
During these free events, Cholis teaches the group how to examine the stars with normal eyesight, such as how to find the north star, and how to spot some easier constellations.
“Once you find the Big Dipper and you find Cassiopeia, you’re already looking towards the general direction of the north,” Cholis said. “So that means you don’t even need a compass or a cell phone to find north.”
When it comes to stargazing, the fancy equipment is not required. One tip Cholis gives to people looking to start stargazing is to test it out with the naked eye and utilize free applications.
“Just start with something simple,” Cholis said. “Start stargazing with your naked eye and download a free app for stargazing on your cell phone. Don’t pay a single dollar, and just see if you enjoy that. And if you enjoy that and you find that interesting, then you can think about getting binoculars.”
When it comes to using binoculars or telescopes, Cholis suggests people find the moon first as a warm-up for stargazing.
“My suggestion is always start with the moon when you are new to using a telescope, because it’s easy to find and it’s a much bigger target,” Cholis said. “The moon is the first exercise you get through, then you go and find the planets.”
While telescopes are a staple when it comes to astronomy, Cholis teaches how to use binoculars, providing a quick, easy and more cost-effective way to take a deeper look at the night sky. With binoculars, dim stars or galaxies that are hard to notice to the naked eye are clearer to view.
For the highest amount of magnification, the telescope allows users to view other planets with a clearer view and see stars that can’t be seen by the naked eye. Cholis explains that the main caveat is having to set up and aim the telescope.
“It’s pretty straightforward to tell you to look at a star with your naked eyes and with binoculars,” Cholis said. “You’re able to just look up, and it takes you maybe another second to do it with the binoculars, but with a telescope, you cannot do it on the spot.”
While Astronomy at OU is over for the year, Cholis plans to start the event back up in April 2025. For more information on Cholis and the physics department, please visit their OU webpage.
