Tips and Tricks for Family Stargazing Boating Adventures

From learning how to fish from a boat to hosting family parties on an easy-to-steer pontoon boat, there are many ways to enjoy boating and spending time on the water with kids, but have you ever tried boat stargazing? Having a family stargazing boating adventure with a constellation guide for kids and armed with a few night sky photography tips can produce one of the most memorable family fun nights possible on the water. Let’s take a look at what’s involved in having a boat stargazing astronomy night, including stargazing tips and tricks to make astronomy fun for kids.

Tips and Tricks for Family Stargazing Boating Adventures

Stargazing is one of the great ways to spend some peaceful time in nature by yourself, but taking a family fun night boat stargazing trip is a truly memorable shared experience. The water can be the ideal spot to observe the unpolluted night sky and stand in awe of the constellations and the Milky Way alongside your kids. Referencing a telescope for beginners guide, packing a constellation guide for kids, and doing a quick search for “Dark sky locations near me” can get the ball rolling—or boat started—for an epic night of space exploration for families.

Boat Stargazing Tip and Tricks

• Get as far as you can from land and the lights that come from home and buildings

• Check for special astronomical events like meteor showers (the Perseids in August and Geminids in December) and eclipses, and research the planets you might see and which bright stars might appear near the moon during your family stargazing boating adventure

• Bring a star chart, astronomy book, or constellation guide for kids to make it easier to identify what it is your kids are seeing in the sky. This will help to get the excited about a family fun night of boat stargazing

• Pack Binoculars or a Telescope (and a Telescope for beginners guide)

• Start observing the night sky by finding the brightest object. This will usually be a bright star or a planet

• Focus on objects that appear highest in the sky because those closer to the horizon won’t appear as clear due to atmospheric turbulence

• When looking through the eyepiece of a telescope, avoid touching the device to prevent the scope from moving and losing sight of the star, planet, or constellation

• View an object through a telescope’s eyepiece for about 20 seconds and then take a break for your eyes to adjust

• Stay a few feet away from the telescope to avoid accidents when not using it

• Pack a few Milky Way candy bars for great dad joke material (and delicious snacks) while stargazing!

Night Sky Photography Tips

Everyone who dreams of seeing the night sky without light pollution dreams of taking at least one great photo of that magical scene. Night sky photography, however, is not as easy as snapping a beautiful photo of a flower on a bright sunny day. For starters, your camera will need high ISO capabilities and a fast wide-angle lens. And an aperture of 2.8 or wider is best suited to truly capture the wonder of the starry sky. Because a steady hand is an extra challenge while on a boat, a very sturdy tripod is essential, too. Finally, keep in mind the small lights your camera may be emanating (and turn those off if possible) and trust that the colors your camera will deliver, a range of color and celestial light the human eye cannot see in the night sky, will reflect the real scene above you.

Standing underneath a starry sky in a National Park is breathtaking but doing so on a boat takes the experience to another level. Observing an umbrella of celestial beauty can raise a lot of questions, from adults and kids alike. Family members might wonder about their place in the universe, ask how far away the planets and stars actually are, and it is natural to wonder why some stars are visible and others are not, depending on the night. The conversations had can be deep and/or playful.

To have the best boat stargazing experience, be patient and be prepared with guides, apps, and equipment to make your family stargazing boating adventure relaxing and thoroughly amazing, and guarantee that this astronomy night won’t be the last one enjoyed from the deck of your boat.

Before you head out, brush up on some boating and water safety to ensure you are practicing responsible boating, especially with little kids on board.