On a clear night (preferably away from city lights), go outside and study the night sky.
a. Can you see the Milky Way? (It will usually appear as a faint cloud of stars making an irregular band across the sky.) Make a sketch of its orientation.
b. What are the brightest objects in the sky (other than the moon)? Are some of these objects planets? Some planets will produce a steadier-appearing light than stars and are quite bright.
c. Can you pick out the Big Dipper (a part of the constellation Ursa Major) and other constellations? Make a sketch of the more prominent groupings of stars that you observe.