Learn to measure distance easily in the night sky: Stargazing Basics 3 of 3

Want to know more about the basics of astronomy? Learn how to measure distance in the night sky, starting with the full sky and horizon-to-zenith concepts, and then discussing how to measure smaller distances in the sky with just your hand and outstretched arm. After viewing you should easily be able to find dimmer objects from brighter stars in the sky after consulting a current star chart.
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[@user-abdo-shorbagy]

I am an Arab, from Egypt. and I had some difficulty understanding this series because of the language, but I enjoyed it a lot. Thank you very much.

[@alularussell778]

Salam, don't worry my friend, it's my language and I still need to listen more than once to catch the meaning.

[@MHarenArt]

Thank you! What a great sky watching basics lesson! I already knew a lot of this, but I've been away from my sky watching for so long, it was wonderful to have such a user friendly reminder of the basics!!!

[@arwa458]

Thank you! this is the most helpful series about stargazing

[@chrisarmstrong5273]

Excellent 3 series basic video set. Easy to understand after a few replays haha but thank you and well done.

[@Eyesonthesky]

Thank you Charles!

[@epiceminence]

Thank you so much!! I showed these to my high school astronomy students for a visual and basic explanation of what the book made very complicated. Thanks again, and they thank you too.

[@eljison]

Love the shots of you holding the ruler and the protractor up to the sky. Great stuff!

[@Eyesonthesky]

Thank you very much!

[@klassixmo]

Excellent. Thank you, David. I have read a few books and used a telescope for a few years and this has been as helpful as anything I have come across so far. Very well presented.

[@Boxxkarr]

I keep coming back to this excellent video! Thank you for making this content!

[@lukestephen2496]

Mind blowing! Astronomy is truly the only thing that I crave information for. Absolutely fantastic thank you!

[@iamhondo]

This was wonderful. You cover all the info about hand/finger angle measurement. And I've promoted the Skymap chart for years without realizing the 180mm size. It's great that I can share this video with my group's public outreach audience. Plus I learned something. Thanks a lot. FWIW, Dubhe to Merak, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar and Alkaid is (roughly) 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, and 25°.

[@Eyesonthesky]

Thank you for this wonderful comment, Joseph! Very thoughtful of you, and much appreciated. Yeah, the 180mm diameter of those charts was something I discovered when I was trying to help people scale a chart to the sky, and I realized, "Hey! This is brilliantly done as it is!" So I've promoted the Skymaps anytime I do public outreach (which hasn't happened this year, unfortunately). I did know about the various stars in Ursa Major - I just though that was one too many things to put in that video. But I may make another that includes it. Thanks again!

[@katjanicka5958]

I love it! Thank you! Doing the class (Phd in Transformative) and was send here by the teacher.

[@uv-cat]

This is easily the best stargazing basics available on KZbin. Awesome work and thank you so much.

[@D148521]

Thanks for your great videos and info. Have been away from sky watching for quite a while, but am now getting back into it, and am in process of selecting a new telescope, and you are a great help to me. Keep up the good work.

[@mlawrence634]

Wow I didn't know about such simple ways of measuring sky degrees. Thank you

[@productivitysharma3455]

loved the series, so simple and staright

[@drcoffee5588]

My gosh. Great tips we should all know. Thank you

[@Spex_Army]

Thank you sir for telling because I want to see comet leonard and don't know how measure 10 degrees

[@z8ty]

Again, your videos are the best I have seen. Thank you for taking the time to do them. Off to your tee shirt store...

[@nbt2397]

I didn't know steve-o was so knowledgeable!

[@Thestripper1]

Not really politically correct. But yes, it was funny :)

[@MrRasalgethi]

Less than 100k views for a video that goes back to the basics of navigation (survival, natural, desert-dwelling). But songs and modelling get 100 million views. Sad. Great video, my friend! :)

[@Eyesonthesky]

Thank you so much. I guess entertainment "sells" better, but this is what I know and what I do. So it's ok.

[@Verminreaper999]

Hey! From where I stay, my view to the North is restricted to about three hours of all of Cassiopeia or just the handle of Great Dipper. I do not get to see any further toward the poles. Can you use the examples of may be Orion or Scorpius, as they are the brightest and easiest asterisms to spot toward the celestial equator and the ecliptic?

[@elhamahmed6892]

Thank you so much for this amazing Video, that was really helpful to me.

[@DifferentSaturner]

Interesting! Didn't know this! Added to a playlist: Astronomy, cosmos, universe. (Mon 11 Oct 2021 12h30)

[@Epicurean999]

thank you so much sir :)....this was quite an interesting tip for us amateurish people !

[@alessandrolentini7603]

So, are there any tips and tricks to reduce some of the light pollution? Caus I live in a city center and there are unfortunatly too many lights in my backyard...

[@Eyesonthesky]

You can "pre-set" your latitude scale, definitely. Once it gets dark, be sure that the scope, while in the "home" position, is within a few degrees of Polaris & that should be good enough for most visual observing. With that scope, you may wish to use a barlow lens with the 10mm eyepiece to view Jupiter, but for M31 you will definitely want to use the longest focal length eyepiece you have. Check my "Telescope Basics" videos on eyepieces to help you better understand why. Clear & dark skies!

[@jeffvanlaningham8855]

you have been so much help in my astronomy education...thanks!

[@TheShanenah]

awesome video ,but if i am trying to learn more about stars and celestial object where do i go ?? beginner stuff , and i don't mean observing , just to in general .

[@Eyesonthesky]

This might be what you're looking for: kzbin.info

[@TheShanenah]

oh yh i know these guys , they appear in some sixty symbols videos , thanks lot , i appreciate it

[@michellemcgregor358]

very informative vid....i learned how to measure distance with my hand. thank you

[@juliealsayed3513]

Thank you! VERY interesting to listen too and now I understand my moon watching homework :D

[@shmeckle666]

Awesome video, man. I LOVE SPACE!

[@modAnthe]

What a fantasic video David !!!

[@natalies3413]

really good videos with good explanations! :)

[@Eyesonthesky]

Thank you!

[@rashimahajan8596]

Woah! I learnt so much. Thank you :)

[@RUSTYMULLENIX-xm5sn]

Very cool. Thank you.

[@VIKINGHUN]

Awesome job Dave!!!!!

[@arpitanandi7888]

Thanks a lot...... sir. You explained amazingly

[@devilmis]

Very useful and interesting videos. Thank you very much, David :)

[@gabriels1256]

Hey David,how can I mathematically calculate the position of planets and constellations?

[@eugeniomyles]

I take it then that you can combine your hands to form (for example) a 30 degree tool? Or (for example) a 26 degree? Very nice

[@Eyesonthesky]

+eugeniomyles Yes. It's not 100% accurate, but good enough to measure distance on a star map (that has known degree measurements) and apply it to the sky with a reasonable amount of accuracy to help one identify objects up there.

[@MHarenArt]

Close enough has always been good enough for me! I tend to use estimates a lot, much to the chagrin of some of my friends LOL! But it works for me and that is what matters :)

[@princejohn4681]

This is a great video! But would we need to stretch our arms to the fullest ? because depending on the distance between our eyes and our fingers, the distance between the stars might appear to be less or more.

[@WDE1121]

Yes, you have to have your arm fully extended.

[@agerven]

Now that is really helpfull, thank you!

[@dimor22]

Thank you, these were great tips.

[@thinkermahmud4292]

Thanks a lot! It's been very useful

[@wwaqashussain]

Wao, that was cool, thankyou David

[@Eyesonthesky]

You're welcome; I'm glad it help you, and thanks for the nice comment!

[@BamaFanEdge]

Do you have a video explaining arc minutes/seconds?

[@Eyesonthesky]

Not at this time, no.

[@mrspidey80]

3:18 Great. Can't do that as a german... We're not used to signing "3" like that. It actually hurts to try...

[@CherryWhiteLies0712]

deadddddd :):):)

[@khaliffoster3777]

So, the space is actually infinite, so our eyes make it into a sphere, so you are saying it shouldn't look like a sphere? But flat at whole over. Bigger sphere relative to earth which should be flat or a sphere visually?

[@bennmacstiofan4387]

So good!!!!

[@sayantandas3801]

The siries was amzing interesting and easy

[@Omar-mm3us]

this is soooo good , awsome

[@leepinnguin9682]

I want to find the international space station. 7/14/2020 is telling me 16 degree then they say starting at 11 above NW ending 11 above NNE so how do I do that. I can find nothing on this. I would appreciate a reply.

[@Eyesonthesky]

I'm not 100% sure based on your description, but it sounds like it starts about a fist width above the horizon to the NW, rises to about 16 degrees at it's highest point, then sinks back down to about a fist width in the NNE. You have to look at the right time - and sometimes the apps are off by a few minutes. It's the non-blinking bright spot in the sky (planes always have blinking lights).

[@leepinnguin9682]

@@Eyesonthesky spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/view.cfm?country=United_States&region=Illinois&city=DeKalb this is a NASA link but I don't follow it.

[@ahlasamra2011]

Hi I have a Meade Telescope D=80mm &the F=400mm & the eyepieces I have are 9.7mm & 26mm what objects can I see with this one??? I'm just a beginner

[@Eyesonthesky]

Hi there - you can see most anything I talk about in my weekly videos. Check out my KZbin channel and look for the weekly installments.

[@ahlasamra2011]

Thanks a lot I will check them out!

[@ajenaamaro3435]

Thank you!

[@stevepinnell453]

Fantastic thank you David - really enjoyed this series and learned something from each video! What's next? :)

[@Eyesonthesky]

Working on these right now: kzbin.info/aero/PLLM5fRxAaC_fTbgcoI2rNyQZCuZ1VCnLY

[@stevepinnell453]

@@Eyesonthesky Fantastic!! Can't wait to see these too. Really appreciate you sharing your expertise thank you. 😊

[@hollowfriend1902]

Master Splinter? I need to finish my training.

[@menopally]

1:58 25 degrees 2:41 15 degrees 2:59 10 degrees 3:21 5 degrees 3:41 1 degree

[@peterlution]

Two thumbs up!

[@Eyesonthesky]

You're welcome - and thanks for the nice compliment.

[@SaadMalaeb]

than you!

[@N0TSmart]

So I was touching my monitor with my pinky to see if I really can cover the moon and since I had the video still playing, when I took my pinky off, the moon disappeared and I was literally like "Did the moon stick to my finger?" It was a weird experience but okay.

[@EIsuruPriyaranga]

Good Job. Really Nice :)

[@GabriellaMarpaung]

idk why but the way you talk near laughing always makes me want to laugh as well, even though there's nothing funny here obviously. :D Thank you for this helpful video! #thumbsup

[@Eyesonthesky]

If I can brighten people's day with the way I talk about astronomy, then I count that as a win. :-)

[@aron2182]

Thank you

[@caiobarros7946]

Could you not assume everyone lives north of the equator?

[@Eyesonthesky]

Marcello 3055 I try not to, but understand that 98% of my audience does live there, and I've never been south of the equator so I dont have any reference point to help guide people in those locations. Astronomy is sometimes location specific, and I am not always able to make videos for everyone, though I do my best to make them applicable to as many people as possible.

[@atb8660]

Eyes on the Sky don’t worry it’s hard to remember us down here, we are only like 12 percent of the worlds population.

[@rienzitrento8397]

Wow I never knew!

[@denisdralec1993]

1:20 Did you mix up E and W ?

[@Eyesonthesky]

denis dralec nope. Remember, we are use to looking at maps which are on the ground. The sky is up. The directions are correct when you realize you have to look up, not down..

[@gaurivishwakarma5776]

+Eyes on the Sky I'm trying to learn this (degree) concept for many years but I still can't understand. Can somebody help please?

[@dkmg]

yes what is your question about it?

[@Eyesonthesky]

The sky appears to be a spherical (or half spherical) shape from our perspective on the ground. So we measure distance between those objects as if they are in degrees, because using linear measurements like inches or meters doesn't make sense. So you can measure those angular distances using your hands, outstretched. Then you can measure the distance from a known, bright star or object on a star chart, and apply it to the sky to find the dimmer objects, or measure between two naked eye objects. Make sense?

[@LeonardoFiori]

Ok, but how to use degrees? The two axis are RA and Decl, one is measured in hours minutes.. and the other in degrees. But how to actually use your fingers to jump between objects? :)

[@Eyesonthesky]

Don't worry so much about RA / Dec. Unless you have a telescope with large setting circles (4 inches or larger) that is very precisely aligned, they won't do you much good anyway. The hand configurations are meant to help you star hop around the sky naked eye anyway. For example, Sirius is about 20 degrees to the SE of Orion's belt. If a person can find Orion, they can locate Sirius by using two fist-widths to measure the 20 degrees to the bright star. Of course, that's a simple one, but it can help you locate dimmer stars in the sky, to assist with starhopping using a finderscope on a telescope.

[@LeonardoFiori]

Eyes on the Sky that's usefull! Thanks :) but where can I actually read that a star is x degrees from another 😂 for example Stellarium only gives ra and decl. However your channel is awesome.. Subscribed

[@Eyesonthesky]

You're very welcome; glad I was able to simplify the topic for them. And thanks for the comment; I appreciate the feedback!

[@Bitsadola]

Kocab rocks!!!

[@Po0hi1244]

THANK

[@khaliffoster3777]

Can update so can put English CC.

[@Eyesonthesky]

The closed captioning has been available since it was first posted in 2012.

[@khaliffoster3777]

@@Eyesonthesky It is working now since it was not English before, but other CC, like Spanish.

[@thetakongpancake1003]

1:29 - Why is East in California?

[@Eyesonthesky]

@@thetakongpancake1003 because if you were looking at a map of California, you'd be looking top-down, like a birdseye view. What I was showing is a map of the sky. So you're looking up. To understand, try this: Lay down on the ground with north above your head and south to your feet, and tell me which way east is. (It's to your left then.) A sky map is looking up, not down - that's why it seems backwards. But it's not. It's correct.

[@thetakongpancake1003]

@@Eyesonthesky Thank you!

[@koribillichaitu]

25 degrees means how many kilometres?

[@Eyesonthesky]

Chaitu Koribilli Kilometers is distance. 25 degrees is an angular dimension. They're not the same.

[@koribillichaitu]

Eyes on the Sky I would like to know the distance between two visible stars. How to calculate the distance between two stars

[@Asereco1968]

You can´t do it with your fingers, because the stars in the sky are not in the same plane. Obviously, some are further away than others, although we, from the earth, see them in the same plane. Sorry for my english.

[@jack002tuber]

Embrace your inner rocker!

[@losonsrenoster]

0:37. Facing North east will be on your right and west to your left. Just saying.

[@Eyesonthesky]

With a map we are looking down at the ground? Yes. For a map overhead of the sky? Nope. The video is correct.

[@losonsrenoster]

@@Eyesonthesky I stand corrected.

[@Eyesonthesky]

It is a bit confusing at first, because we are all used to looking down at a map, with the ground being below us. But for the sky, things feel reversed. But if we think about holding the map over our heads, it makes more sense. If we laid down on the ground, with north above your heads and south below our feet, then east is to the left and west is to the right. And that's the orientation of the sky maps. But it DOES feel weird when we see it, because we think of "land" maps being the other way. :-)

[@MrSmith-vz3in]

Im double jointed so that didnt turn out well

[@feelfree2335]

✨

[@Eyesonthesky]

Thank you so much. :-)

[@amielmonterona2968]

Unfortunate is me, Skymap astronomy software has now ceased trading.😢

[@Eyesonthesky]

It is not software. I was referencing these free PDF star maps. skymaps.com/

[@dkmg]

rock! \m/

[@thinker2925]

+

[@earlrussell1026]

You must love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. You must love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus the anointed is Lord! Repent and be baptized and believe the Gospel.