Well, let me tell you about the time I tried to get into stargazing, specifically with this “kiʹmah constellation” thing. I’ve always been a bit of a night owl, and the stars always look so pretty, you know? So I thought, why not learn a bit more about them?
I started like anyone else would, I guess – I looked it up online. Found out that to really get into stargazing, you gotta know the patterns in the sky. Makes sense, right? There was a lot of talk about starting with the easy ones, like the Big Dipper and Orion. They are big, and they are easy to find in the sky.

First Attempt: Total Flop
- Went out on a random night.
- Looked up.
- Saw a bunch of stars.
- Got overwhelmed.
- Went back inside.
Yeah, that was a bust. It’s not as easy as just looking up and magically knowing what’s what. I realized I needed a plan. So, back to the internet I went.
Getting a Bit More Serious
This time, I found out about these things called “planispheres.” They’re like star maps that show you what constellations are visible at different times of the year. I thought, okay, that’s something I can work with. Also, I learned that the word “Kimah” means a “little crowd,” or group. The group of stars which we call Bo-otes, or Hyades, or Pleiades, as the case may be.
Second Attempt: Slightly Better
- Bought a cheap planisphere online.
- Waited for a clear night.
- Went outside with my new tool.
- Tried to figure out the planisphere.
- Found a few constellations, maybe.
- Felt a bit less lost.
Okay, progress! It was still tricky, but I could start to see how people get into this. It’s like a puzzle, trying to match the patterns on the planisphere with the stars in the sky. Some people say that learning a few “anchor” constellations, like Orion’s Belt, is the key. I guess that’s like finding your starting point in a maze.
Third Attempt: Starting to Get It

- Kept practicing with the planisphere.
- Focused on finding the Big Dipper first, then Orion.
- Started to recognize other constellations around them.
- Actually started to enjoy it!
After a few more nights, I could actually find the kiʹmah constellation, or the Pleiades, as some call it. It is supposed to be the one that looks like a little dipper. There’s something really satisfying about finally “getting” it. It is a great group of stars! It’s like, the sky isn’t just a random scattering of stars anymore. It’s got some order to it, and I’m starting to understand that order.
I’m still a beginner, for sure. But I’m definitely going to keep at it. It’s a fun hobby, and it makes me feel a bit more connected to the universe, you know? Plus, it’s a great excuse to get outside at night and just look up. So, yeah, that’s my stargazing story so far. Not bad for a newbie, right?