The dark skies of the wilderness are perfect for stargazing. Most campers stare up at the night sky in awe, but aren’t exactly sure what they are looking at. Don’t stay in the dark. Impress your friends and family with your knowledge of the night sky using this quick guide.

Milky Way

Our home galaxy, the Milky way, stretches across the sky and though some part of it is visible every night, summer provides spectacular viewing. Best seen from very dark areas, look up and find a cloud-like band across the sky. It’s made up of about 300 billion stars. It’ll take your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to see their best in the dark—even flashlights and campfires can make the Milky way less intense.

Planet Dance

From August to October, Venus can be seen in the western sky near sunset. Even though it’s not a star at all, Venus is often called the wishing star because it’s the first light to appear in the sky at dusk. No single object has been misinterpreted as a UFO more often than the planet Venus.

Big Dipper

After sunset, look for the Big Dipper in the northern sky. It looks like a big spoon, with four stars making up the bowl and three more making up the handle. The big dipper is part of a constellation called Ursa Major (the big bear), which doesn’t look like a bear at all, no matter how you squint.

North star

Once you find the Big Dipper, draw a straight line through the two stars at the end of the bowl. Follow that line until you hit a very bright star, which is the North Star, or Polaris. This star stays in the same place all night and all year, which is why navigators have used it to find their way north for thousands of years.

 To read the other three reasons to stay up late, check out Canoeroots & Family Camping,  Summer/Fall 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.