Created by Elizabeth, Youth Services Librarian

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Introduction

Enjoy star gazing and want to know more about the constellations or the stories behind them? This guide provides links to resources and materials found at the library that will assist you in your journey through the night sky.

Selection Criteria

The following criteria was considered when selecting resources for this LibGuide:

1. Providing materials that will be helpful for both beginning and experienced star gazers.
2. Materials reflect accurate and relevant information.
3. All materials are accessible from either online or through the Princeton Public Library.

Reading Material

These are books that can be found in the library or accessed through WV-Reads that have information about star gazing or the myths that inspire the constellations.

Books on Stars:

Dewey Decimal Number: 523

The Stars Tonight by John and Cathleen Polgreen

Star names: Their Lore and Meaning by Richard Hinckley Allen

Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Sees Stars: A Book About Stars by Nancy White and illustrated by Art Ruiz

I Wonder Why Stars Twinkle and Other Questions About Space by Carole Stott

Books on Myths:

Dewey Decimal Number: 291 & 292

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton

Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch

Myth Atlas: Maps and Monsters, Heroes and Gods from Twelve Mythological Worlds by Thiago de Moraes

Those who first invented and then named the constellations were storytellers. Tracing an imaginary line between a cluster of stars gave them an image and an identity. The stars threaded on that line were like events threaded on a narrative. Imagining the constellations did not of course change the stars, nor did it change the black emptiness that surrounds them. What it changed was the way people read the night sky. -John Berger

Online Resources

These websites can be used to identify constellations, find them in the night sky, and information on other events in the night sky.

The Star Registration provides an overview of all 88 constellations in the night sky for both northern and southern hemispheres. Each constellation has when it and where it is visible, interesting facts about the constellations, and the stories that shaped the stars.

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https://www.star-registration.com/blogs/constellations-and-zodiac-signs/an-overview-of-all-88-constellations

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Skymaps provides monthly maps to the constellations available to print out. The printable PDF map also identifies other celestial bodies in the night sky, like planets.

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https://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

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For any space related news, NASA keeps you up to date. Information about meteor showers, rocket launches, and planets are all available. Enjoy exploring articles, videos, and photos from NASA.

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https://www.nasa.gov/

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