Science Starter: Observing the Sky

What’s the best way to look at stars and planets (and other stuff)?

Note: For my physical science class, I’m trying to put up questions before the start of class. These questions will give them something to do while they wait — but also make sure their online voting system is working (right now, I’m using Mentimeter.com). Once class starts, I can talk about the student responses and have a discussion.

This question is for the second day of class. When possible, I like to have the question related to the material, but there’s just not much there yet. So, this question focuses on stuff that many students might find interesting — space.

Also, like many questions — there might not be an absolute best answer. That’s good because it will promote discussions.

• A: Backyard Telescope. This is a Dobsonian mount telescope. They actually aren’t that difficult to build — it’s mostly just the mirror that is complicated. Yes, you can get some good images with these but they are bulky.
• B: Binoculars. If you want to look at the night sky, get yourself a pair of binoculars. They are cheap and easy to use. Oh, you can use them for other stuff too. The problem with a telescope is that it can have a significant “set up time” that can prevent you from actually using it.