Humans have looked up at the night sky since the very beginning, and with good reason... its awesome! The night sky is full of wonders there are stars, planets and even entire galaxies just waiting to be seen. No fancy equipment is needed to witness the beauty on offer. In fact, there is something special about the simplicity of observing the stars unaided much like our ancestors would have done all those years ago. Having said that using an application on your phone to help find your way around the sky can be very handy! This list is intended to be for those in the northern hemisphere, but that doesnt mean some of the objects included cant be seen elsewhere. To get started just find somewhere dark; the further away any lights are the better. Then let your eyes adjust to the darkness for about 30 minutes.
6. Orion
Orion is a beautifully colourful constellation with a distinctive shape that is easy to spot. Due to its distinctive shape Orion has been recognized by different cultures throughout all of human history. In most of these cultures Orion was known as a hunter or a warrior and its easy to see why. Whilst most of the stars in the constellation shine with a silvery blue, the star that constitutes the right shoulder of Orion bucks this trend and instead glows with an orange tint. This orange tinted, ember-like star is known as Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse appears orange in colour because it is a red super giant star. A red super giant star is a star nearing the end of its life. When Betelgeuse dies it will be hard to miss the star will very likely explode in the form of a stunning supernova! Just in case a star on the verge of exploding wasnt enough Orion is also home to the appropriately named Orion Nebula. The Orion nebula is a stellar nursery, meaning it is a place where stars are born. With the naked eye the nebula can be found below Orions belt as the middle star making up the sword. If you have good eyesight or a pair of binoculars then the Orion nebula will reveal itself in greater detail and tints of greens, blues and reds might even be visible.
