Being with children at camp this past week, one exciting summer activity and pastime we enjoyed was studying the summer night sky.

This is one of those laid back activities that you can enjoy for hours with your family.

We can observe the night sky with just our eyes, binoculars or even an inexpensive telescope.

Summer star and sky gazing is appealing because the nights are warm, the sky is clearer and the children can stay up later.

This article is intended for young observers so we will go over just some basic points.

As the sun goes down with its seasonal colors of bright red, orange, or pink, lesson

No. 1 can be taught. What is the sun?

The sun is a yellow star and it is the only star in our solar system.

Stars do burn and sunlight gives life to plants and life.

When one observes the sun going down it looks like it is falling off the edge of the Earth.

This is where you can explain to your child that the Earth is one of the nine planets that travel around the sun and rotates on its axis for day and night.

In the classroom we teachers use a flashlight for the sun and a globe for the Earth to demonstrate this.

Parents you can use Play-doh or a tennis ball for the Earth and a pencil for the axis.

Lesson No. 2 — The order of the planets in our solar system are: Mercury-closest to the sun; Venus-called the evening star; Earth-only planet to support life as we know it, third planet from the sun; Mars-red planet, most like the Earth; Jupiter-largest planet, has great red spot; Saturn-has thousands of rings; Uranus-made of gas and liquid gas, tipped on its side when it travels; Neptune-has an icy moon called Triton; Pluto-smallest planet.

As of Aug. 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union defined the term planet for the first time.

This definition did not include Pluto. It is considered to be a dwarf planet.

So we now have eight planets rather than nine planets.

Of course we can see the steady bright light of Venus, the evening star but also Jupiter is high enough in the Western sky to be clearly seen through the end of July or mid-August.

Lesson No. 3 — Hey can you make out the man in the moon?

The moon circles the earth once a month. There is no air or water in the moon but there are plenty of craters which makes it look like we can see a man in the moon.

Share with your child that man has stepped foot on the moon.

Lesson No. 4 — Spread out that blanket as you view the stars. What are stars?

Stars are a mass of gas in space like the sun. It is so neat to make out the patterns of stars.

The constellation of Orion-the “Hunter” in Greek mythology is easy to point out to the young eye.

He is wearing a belt with a sword in it, an upraised arm, and is holding a shield out in front of him.

It is so neat just to lay back, look up for other shapes the stars make. This constellation is so clear on a summer night.

As you gaze up at the summer sky, one cannot miss the beautiful event of shooting stars dancing across the sky.

Scientifically, these are labeled as meteor displays which young sky observers can really observe a lot of action during the second week in August.

The summer night sky has a lot of bright and beautiful lessons to teach. Celebrate the rest of summer nights by looking up.

Beth Pinyerd serves as Children’s Director at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort, Ala.