INTO THE WILD:

Into the Wild: Stargazing

Even with the bright lights of the metropolis, Chicago can be the launching pad for a cosmic journey.

Compiled by Robert Dolgan

It’s a brisk autumn evening in Chicago Wilderness. The crickets and katydids are quiet this time of year. A cold front has just moved in, leaving crystal clear skies in its wake. A barred owl’s surreal call echoes through a silent oak savanna. It’s an ideal evening to turn to the skies

Where to Go: The Marengo Line

Prime viewing areas are most likely outside your orbit, but not light years away. “In the past 20 years, the light pollution has gotten so bad in Chicago that some sites that used to be fantastic now suffer from serious pollution,” says Don Payne of Northwest Suburban Astronomers. Payne recommends areas west of an imaginary line from Marengo to DeKalb. “But,” says Bruce Blair of the Chicago Astronomical Society, “anywhere that is away from the lights of urban-suburban sprawl, shopping centers, large industrial facilities, et cetera, will do.”

Planets Don’t Twinkle 
If you can’t get out to the darkest rural areas, the silver lining in the astral cloud is that planets are frequently visible in Chicago. “The moon and planets are actually some of the few things you can see from the city,” says Bart Benjamin, director of Cernan Earth and Space Center at Triton College in River Grove. “And most people enjoy the moon and planets. Star clusters and galaxies are more of an acquired taste.” One way to tell the difference is that planets usually don’t twinkle and stars do. Go out on nights with a new moon, unless you want to watch the moon itself.

Now Look Up

On your own, learn to navigate the sky with the naked eye. (It’s better to learn to use a telescope with an expert.) For just $10–20, you can purchase a planisphere, a star guide that can be adjusted by latitude, time, and date. Find them at most bookstores.

Then let your eyes adjust to the dark (it takes five to ten minutes), and get to know one or two constellations well:

Polaris, the North Star Visible year-round. The outer two stars of the Big Dipper (the pan end) point directly to Polaris—which is also the end of the Little Dipper’s handle.

Cassiopeia, the Seated Queen Five stars visible as a “W” or “M” all year.

Cepheus, the King A faint pentagon near Cassiopeia. One star chart describes it as “a rough peak-roofed house-shaped figure.” Try amplifying the view using a pair of binoculars. Lower-power binoculars (7x or 8x magnification) offer a wide field of view and a steady image.

The Autumn Cosmos

Look for Pegasus during the fall. The Flying Horse is distinguished by a “great square” visible on November evenings high in the southern sky. Reacquaint yourself with the beauty of the Hunter, Orion, in December. Follow the sword attached to Orion’s belt. Binoculars easily reveal the Orion Nebula, a massive cloud of cosmic dust. Mars will also be visible in the fall, and by December will be as brilliant as anything in the sky, save the sun and moon.