Starry Wonders: Exploring the 25 Brightest Stars (Stargazing Book, Astronomy Exploration) - Softcover

Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

Janine Bonham is a highly experienced educator, well-versed in both traditional classroom and online teaching. Her teaching journey began in Kona, Hawai'i, where she had the privilege of observing the celestial wonders beneath the captivating dark skies of the Pacific for over a decade. Janine is dedicated to integrating research-based experiences into her secondary classroom to ensure students receive a comprehensive and engaging education. Currently residing in Pennsylvania, she shares her home with her two daughters, four cats, and a leopard gecko. Beyond her teaching responsibilities, Janine enjoys practicing yoga, hula dancing, and is an avid science fiction enthusiast.

Erin Miller is a middle school art educator, creativity coach, and freelance artist based in Pennsylvania. She attended Kutztown University for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in art education. She is passionate about the value of art and the creative process in understanding, communication, and critical thinking in schools. She primarily works with educators to blend art and the artistic process into all content areas. It is through such collaboration that she was able to work with Janine, and where the ideas for this artwork were born. Starry Wonders is the first book she’s illustrated. She created this artwork with watercolor, pencil, and digital media.

Erin is a painter who loves to work with mixed media and learn new techniques and processes. She loves all things science and making connections between art and science. When she isn’t creating artwork, she loves being outside in nature and spending time with her very large extended family. She has three children, two dogs, and too many cats.

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Introduction to Stars
Ancient beginnings

Humanity has been gazing up at the night sky for thousands of years. It is the one thing we all share together.

Some of the earliest human artifacts that have been discovered depict the arrangements of specific star shapes and patterns. The apparent movement of the sun, moon, stars, and planets across the sky make a giant, celestial clock. The earliest civilizations recorded these movements to help time agricultural activities, to mark the changing of the seasons, and guide travelers. The stories of the stars were often meaningful and helped to preserve cultural legacy. Humans have often associated these star patterns with mythical people and religious themes throughout history. Legends from around the world reveal ancient knowledge of the sky, and these stories have been passed down from generation to generation. Mythology, religion, and cultural practices were frequently interwoven in ancient astronomy.

In the past, astronomers could only view the sky with their unaided eyes. To follow the motion of the planets and stars, they employed basic sighting devices and gnomons, which are sticks that produce shadows. Observations were documented using rudimentary means such as carvings, writing on clay tablets, and drawings. This data was used to track cosmic patterns throughout time.

Most ancient civilizations, including the Greeks, Egyptians, and Babylonians, believed in a geocentric model of the universe, where Earth was at the center and everything else orbited around it. Celestial phenomena were often explained through myths and legends, lacking a scientific basis. Figures like Ptolemy, who developed the geocentric model with epicycles, and Hipparchus, who cataloged stars and discovered precession.

The Mayans, Chinese, and Indians also made significant contributions with their own unique observations and calendars. Although the myths and legends of the stars differ depending on time, place, and culture, the curiosity about what is beyond Earth's border is always there. Everyone shares the same sky.