SALT LAKE CITY — There’s nothing quite like sitting out under an umbrella of stars on a warm summer’s night. The changing of the seasons brings new opportunities for stargazing and armchair astronomy.

Whether you’re a novice night sky gazer or a seasoned astronomer, there’s something for everyone out under the original big top.

Learn a new constellation every week

As the months change, so do the stars in our view. Winter constellations differ from summer ones, and the night sky offers a new landscape as our planet tilts closer to the sun. A few years back, Google released Sky Map, an interactive smartphone app that lets users explore the stars from the palm of their hand.

Using programs like Sky Map, set a goal to learn and view one new summer constellation a week. Plan activities around this goal; draw out the constellation on paper and hang it somewhere you’ll see it often. Learn about any nuances of this constellation: what’s significant about Lyra’s brightest star? Where does Cassiopeia get its name?

Study one star structure a week until, by the end of the summer, you have a veritable encyclopedia of constellations living in your brain.

Host a star party

Have you ever been to a star party? There’s nothing better than huddling around a telescope with 10 of your favorite astronomically-minded friends, arguing about whether or not the dot you’re looking at is Polaris or a planet.

Not quite sold? NASA offers a guide on how to host the best possible star party in your very own backyard. If you’ve already started learning your weekly constellation, a star party is the best venue to impress with your new knowledge.

Visit a local observatory

Did you know there are dozens of stargazing observatories right in our own Beehive State backyard? For those living in the Salt Lake City area, check out the South Physics Observatory at the University of Utah for their weekly Wednesday evening star parties. If the skies are clear, the observatory offers free access to its telescopes and on-hand experts who can help identify nebulas, galaxies, stars, planets and more.

There are other similar observatories located around the state in Ogden and throughout southern Utah. Most observatories hold special star parties throughout the summer and are free to visitors.

Gear up for a meteor shower

Watching a meteor shower can be a lesson in patience, but for the penitent observer, the payoff can be literally otherworldly. The dramatic fireworks produced by chunks of burning space debris breaking apart in our atmosphere are second to no TV show or board game.

The next predicted meteor shower visible from Utah is the Perseids Shower, August 11. Many of the above mentioned observatories will be hosting star parties on the night of the 11th and have activities geared around educating visitors about the best way to take in a meteor shower.

Go into the wild

There’s really no better way to take in the stars than by driving away from human civilization into the darkness of nature. Did you know Utah is home to a handful of designated International Dark Sky Parks? According to the IDSP website, a certified Dark Park “is a land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment.”

The following is a list of Utah’s designated International Dark Sky Parks:

• Canyonlands National Park
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Natural Bridges National Monument
• Weber County North Fork Park

Perhaps the best way to truly enjoy the summer night sky is to combine a few of these suggestions into a mega-ultra stargazing summer extravaganza; learn a new constellation every week in preparation for a camping trip/star party held over the Perseids Meteor Shower in August. There might not be a more comprehensive path to true, summer star enjoyment.

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