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National Look Up at the Sky Day

Nature · April 14

A day for stepping outside, tipping your head back and paying attention to clouds, color, birds and stars overhead.

National Look Up at the Sky Day falls on Wednesday, April 14, 2027. That is 169 days away.

Most of the sky goes unwatched. People glance up to check for rain, then look back at the sidewalk. National Look Up at the Sky Day asks for a longer look, at clouds, light, birds and whatever else is passing overhead.

The sky changes faster than almost anything else in view. A puffy cumulus cloud can build, drift and fall apart in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee. Thin, wispy cirrus clouds sit much higher and are made of ice crystals. At sunrise and sunset the light travels through more of the atmosphere, which is why the colors shift toward orange and red.

Marking the day takes no equipment. Some people lie on the grass and name cloud shapes. Others watch the sky near dusk, when the first bright points appear, and the steady ones are often planets rather than stars. City dwellers can still find a patch of sky between buildings and watch planes, pigeons and the moon in daylight.

The one rule is simple: never look directly at the sun. Everything else up there is free to stare at for as long as you like.

A clear night away from streetlights shows far more stars than a suburban backyard, and even a few minutes of letting your eyes adjust to the dark makes a noticeable difference.

Ways to celebrate

• Lie on the grass and find shapes in passing clouds.
• Step outside at sunset and watch the colors change.
• Look for the moon in the daytime sky.
• Let your eyes adjust to the dark and count stars.
• Sketch or photograph the sky at the same spot twice.

Dates

All national days on April 14

Also on April 14

• National Dolphin Day
• National Pecan Day
• National Ex-Spouse Day
• Pan American Day

Categories: Nature days