If you know me or have followed me on social media any length of time you likely know that stargazing is one of my favorite things. David and I both love to spend an hour or so admiring the beauty of the night sky. No matter what our day has been like, this ritual relaxes us and brings us some much-needed peace.

How to Create a Stargazing Ritual

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Our ritual is simple and only requires a few things:

• zero gravity chairs

One of the best purchases we’ve ever made have been zero gravity chairs. They recline way back which makes them perfect for stargazing. Of course,  you could also lie on a blanket if you live somewhere that isn’t infested with all the creepy crawlies we have out in the country in Oklahoma. But in our case, being up off the ground is essential and these chairs are really comfortable. 

• something to sip on

Sometimes we’ll each take a glass of wine out with us or perhaps hot tea, coffee or hot chocolate – depending upon the weather and what we’re in the mood for. On a weekend we might choose whiskey (me) and rum (David). In order to keep hot drinks hot or to keep bugs out of whatever we are sipping, we usually use our Klean Kanteens.

• a clear, dark night

This last is the one we don’t have control over but that also makes those perfect-condition nights all the more special. Here in Oklahoma it can be miserably hot and humid in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. We really make an effort to take advantage of those times when the temperature is tolerable.

Most of the time we simply lie back and enjoy the view. We like to watch for satellites and shooting stars. David has an app on his phone that shows the constellations so we can identify what we are looking at.

Occasionally we’ll bring the telescope outdoors when there is something in particular we want a good look at. David is notoriously difficult to buy for so I was pretty pleased with myself when I came up with the idea to buy him a telescope a few years ago. This is the one we have. It’s not super fancy or expensive but it suits our amateur purposes. It is no longer available on Amazon but here is another option. A pair of binoculars can also be helpful and less expensive.

 

If you’d like to start a stargazing ritual all you really need is a clear, dark night. However, it’s also fun to learn a bit about what you are looking at. Here are a few sites you might find interesting:

10 Must-Haves for a Night of Stargazing

EarthSky’s top 10 stargazing tips for beginners

13 Tips for Stargazing From Astronomers

Star Walk phone app – This is the one David has.

10 Free Astronomy Apps for Stargazing

 

 

~~~~~

“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet.

Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.”
~Stephen Hawking

Read more:

10 Ways That Stargazing Can Soothe the Soul and Quiet the Mind