Deck of Stars

Deck of Stars
Published at DK Canada

About the product

These decks provide quick reference on key topics for scouts and outdoor enthusiasts.

Use these easy-to-carry, glow-in-the-dark star charts to find your way around the night sky and locate star formations. Each constellation card will show width and depth icons, locator map, star map, constellation figures, and visibility icons indicating naked-eye observation, binoculars, or telescope required.

My Thoughts

How can you combine homeschooling and nighttime during the year?  

I think I can hear some reactions here… What?  Is she crazy?   Learning during the nighttime?  Aren’t you suppose to sleep during that time? 

Yes I agree.  Sleeping is essential for anyone in a family – particularly children.    But learning is an activity that happens all the time whether during the day or during a bright night outside the city.   Our family is fortunate to have an RV outside of the city.    The black night is bright often and the stars are easier to watch.   With our telescope it would be easy to turn toward the stars and observe them.   But how can we learn more about these jewels in the black night?   Nothing is more important that having a book to help you identify them.   Okay a book is good but you would need to also have a flashlight to learn more and see the patterns you need to find.

That’s why the Deck of Stars from DK is so handy.   They are easy to slip in a backpack and to carry wherever you go to observe the stars.   The deck comes also with information pamphlets that will give you basics information on the solar system as well as explain how the logos and icons works on each card, how to find your way when the sky is pitch dark and the tools you might need to discover stargazing.   On each card you will get information on the constellation you are observing, the height and width of it, and how to position your card.

But the best feature of this deck of cards is the glow-in-the-dark illustrations!   Seriously these cards are well-thought and will help you identify the constellation  you are trying to find more easily.  Simply shine a flashlight on the card for a few minutes and the pattern of the stars will glow in the darkness.    We tried it at home and I was definitively impressed.   These are perfect for camping and to introduce the kids to astronomy!

The constellations presented in this special deck of cards are: Andromeda, Aquarius, Aquila, Aries, Auriga, Boötes, Camelopardalis, Cancer, Canes Venatici, Canis Major, Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cetus, Coma Berenices, Corona Borealis, Corvus, Cygnus, Delphinus, Draco, Gemini, Hercules, Hydra, Lacerta, Leo, Lepus, Libra, Lyra, Monoceros, Ophiuchus, Orion, Pegasus, Perseus, Pisces, Sagittarius, Serpens, Taurus, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Virgo, and Vulpecula.  When I was in the girl guides, I used to be able to find Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.   Nowadays, I can still spot them in the sky but with the cards, I can discover more information about these two well known constellations.   For example I now know that the best months to observe the Ursa Major would be April and May while the best month to observe the Ursa Minor is June.   

The Deck of Stars is available to order through any bookstore near you.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.