SMITHSONIAN

STAR
FINDER!
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO
THE NIGHT SKY

FOREWORD BY
DR. MAGGIE ADERIN-POCOCK
 CONTENTS
Editor Sarah MacLeod
US Senior Editor Shannon Beatty
US Editor Jill Hamilton
Designer Louise Dick
Managing Editor Francesca Baines
Managing Art Editor Philip Letsu
Producer, Pre-Production Robert Dunn
Producer Gary Batchelor
Jacket Editor Claire Gell
Jacket Designers Surabhi Wadhwa, Juhi Sheth
Jackets Editorial Coordinator Priyanka Sharma ROUTE 1 ROUTE 3
Managing Jackets Editor Saloni Singh
Jacket Design Development Manager Sophia MTT THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO 18 CASSIOPEIA TO ARIES 68
Senior DTP Designer Harish Aggarwal
Picture Researcher Deepak Negi
The Big Dipper 20 Cassiopeia 70
Publisher Andrew Macintyre
Art Director Karen Self Ursa Major 22 Cepheus 72
Associate Publishing Director Liz Wheeler Cigar Galaxy 24 Perseus 74
Publishing Director Jonathan Metcalf Polaris 26 Andromeda 76
Contributor Ian Ridpath Ursa Minor 28 Andromeda Galaxy 78
Boötes 30 Pegasus 80
First American Edition, 2017
Published in the United States by DK Publishing
Canes Venatici 32 Stephan’s Quintet 82
345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 Whirlpool Galaxy 34 Aries 84
Copyright © 2017 Dorling Kindersley Limited Corona Borealis 36 Review route three 86
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC Leo 38 Find the constellations 88
17 18 19 20 21 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Review route one 40
Foreword copyright © 2017 Maggie Aderin-Pocock Find the constellations 42
001–299417–Oct/2017
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no
part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced
into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise),
without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
A catalog record for this book
is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN: 978-1-4654-6475-0
DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk
for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For
details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 345 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014 SpecialSales@dk.com
Printed and bound in China
All images © Dorling Kindersley Limited Foreword 6
ROUTE 2 ROUTE 4 AMONG THE STARS 114
A WORLD OF IDEAS:
SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ORION TO THE PLEIADES 44 CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT 90
www.dk.com THE NIGHT SKY 8 The Moon 116
Orion 46 Cygnus 92 The Milky Way 118
Constellations 10 Orion Nebula 48 Lyra 94 Planet spotting 120
The celestial sphere 12 Canis Major 50 Ring Nebula 96 Shooting stars 122
Smithsonian Star movement 14 Canis Minor 52 Aquila 98
THE SMITHSONIAN Stargazing tips 16 Winter Triangle 54 Summer Triangle 100
Established in 1846, the Smithsonian—the world’s largest museum Gemini 56 Ophiuchus 102 Glossary 124
and research complex—includes 19 museums and galleries and the
National Zoological Park. The total number of artifacts, works of art,
Taurus 58 Serpens Cauda 104 Index 126
and specimens in the Smithsonian’s collection is estimated at Crab Nebula 60 Serpens Caput 106 Acknowledgments 128
154 million. The Smithsonian is a renowned research center,
The Pleiades 62 Messier 5 108
dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship
in the arts, sciences, and history. Review route two 64 Review route four 110
Find the constellations 66 Find the constellations 112
FOREWORD BY DR. MAGGIE ADERIN-POCOCK, MBE

On a clear night in the Northern Hemisphere, you can see

some 3,000 stars with the naked eye alone. When you look
up at the stars, you are following a tradition that goes back
thousands of years. As they tried to understand what they
were seeing, people of ancient cultures looked up at the night
sky and searched for patterns in the stars, eventually creating
the ultimate “dot to dot.” They formed characters, animals,
and objects from these patterns and made up stories about
them that have been passed down through generations.

By creating these patterns, called constellations, the stars were

transformed from random dots into recognizable shapes that
can be used to help us navigate our way through the night sky
and down here on Earth.

With this book, you can follow in the footsteps of your

ancestors by discovering the constellations and using
them to hop from star to star and appreciate the beauty
of the heavens.

Enjoy.
THE NIGHT SKY
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO MEMORIZE EVERY STAR IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE
THE NIGHT SKY. INSTEAD, ASTRONOMERS LEARN SOME RECOGNIZABLE
PATTERNS AND THEN FOLLOW STAR-HOPPING ROUTES ACROSS THE SKY.

A sea of stars
This stunning photograph
reveals the thousands of
stars that are visible in the
night sky above Mono Lake
in California.
 THE NIGHT SKY : CONSTELLATIONS

10 When you look up into the night sky on a clear night, you can see hundreds
of seemingly tiny pinpricks of light sprinkled across the sky. For
thousands of years, stargazers have looked for patterns among these
lights, joining together the brightest ones to form shapes and stories.
CONSTELLATIONS
PATTERNS IN THE NIGHT SKY

1 In this patch of night sky, the larger dots represent

the brightest stars and the smaller dots represent
fainter stars. Thousands of years ago, astronomers
2 The bright stars in this area of sky can be joined
together to form the shape of a man. We call this
shape an asterism. An asterism is any pattern of prominent
3 Astronomers imagined the patterns they found to be the people,
gods, creatures, and objects that were told of in their stories.
Ancient Greek astronomers decided that this pattern of a man
4 A constellation is an area of sky. The International Astronomical
Union recognizes 88 altogether. Every star that lies within this
orange outline around Orion is part of the constellation Orion. The official
began to describe patterns from the brightest stars stars, and the night sky is full of asterisms that have represents the hunter Orion, who holds a club in one hand and boundaries of the constellations create a map of the sky, which is used
in the night sky. been recognized for millenia. the head of a lion in the other. by astronomers around the world.
 THE NIGHT SKY : THE CELESTIAL SPHERE 1 Each of the 88 constellations
in the night sky is mapped
4 All of the stars, galaxies,
and other space objects
that can be seen in this area
5 All of the deep-sky
objects that lie within
this section of the sky are
on the celestial sphere. Their of the sky are given a position considered to be part of
jigsaw-like shapes fit together on the celestial sphere. the constellation Orion.
to form the entire visible sky.
12 Earth is surrounded by hundreds of thousands
of visible stars, galaxies, and other objects. To help
astronomers chart and pinpoint the location of
these deep-sky objects, they are imagined on
the surface of a sphere that envelops Earth.
THE CELESTIAL SPHERE
A SPHERE OF STARS

We call this the celestial sphere.

THE STARRY SPHERE

Except for the Sun and the planets
within the Solar System that move
across the sky, every known
object in space has been
assigned a position on the
surface of the celestial
sphere that is more or
less fixed.

STAR DISTANCES ORION’S STARS

Although it is helpful to imagine the stars Betelgeuse—498 light-years
to be fixed on a sphere around Earth, Bellatrix—243 light-years
they are actually scattered through Rigel—860 light-years
space, and the stars in a constellation Alnitak—736 light-years
are not all the same distance from Earth. Mintaka—691 light-years

2 The celestial sphere is

an imaginary bubble
that surrounds Earth.

3 Earth lies at the center

looking out at the objects,
such as stars, that are imagined 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
to lie on the celestial sphere. DISTANCE (LIGHT-YEARS)
 THE NIGHT SKY : STAR MOVEMENT

14
OUR VIEW OF THE STARS
STAR MOVEMENT

You can stargaze all year round and will be able This time-lapse YOUR VIEW
to see different constellations as Earth orbits photograph traces the Where you stand on Earth affects
movement of the stars your view of the path of the stars.
the Sun and faces a different part of space over over the course of an
the year. Earth spins as each day and night hour. The stars seem to
This is because the stars appear
passes, so the stars appear to move across the
sky from east to west throughout the night.
rotate around Polaris, a
nearly fixed point above
to rotate around the north celestial
pole, a point that sits directly above
1 At the North Pole, the
north celestial pole is
overhead, so stars circle
2 At midlatitudes, the
north celestial pole is a
distant point in the northern
3 At the equator, the north
celestial pole lies on the
horizon, so stars cross the sky
the North Pole. Earth’s North Pole. around directly overhead. sky, so stars cross at an angle. from east to west.
 THE NIGHT SKY : STARGAZING TIPS STARGAZING TIPS
Light
pollution
16 The best time to stargaze is on a clear, dark night. Your location will affect
how many stars you can see. An open space, like a field, lets you view more
Get as far away
from artificial light as
of the sky. Places with bright lights can make it difficult to find some stars. possible and try to find
The less light there is at your location, the more stars you will be able to see. an open space to get a
larger view of the sky.
STARGAZING TIPS
ADVICE FOR STARGAZERS

Lunar
phases
Find out the
phase of the Moon—
a full moon gives off so
much light that it will be
hard to see the stars.

Weather
Check the
weather
because thick clouds
will block your view of
the stars. The air cools
down quickly at night,
so dress in warm layers
to stay comfortable
while stargazing.

Adjust to
the dark
It can take at
least 10 minutes for
your eyes to adjust to
the darkness, so be
patient. Use a red light
to see your star charts,
because red light does
not disturb your vision
like white light does.

Seeing
farther
The naked eye
can identify patterns
in the stars, but a pair
of binoculars or a
telescope will enhance
the detail of the night
sky and allow you to
find amazing sights
such as double stars,
galaxies, and nebulas.

1 The bright lights of cities give the sky a hazy glow

called light pollution. In a city sky you will only see
the brightest stars, but by looking carefully you can find
2 Surburban towns have less light pollution than cities,
so you will be able to see a few more stars and can
start picking out the constellations.
3 Rural areas have very little light pollution and
are good spots for stargazing. You will be able
to see lots of stars and many of the constellation.
4 Dark-sky locations are far from any light and are
the best places to stargaze. You will be able to
see constellations, thousands of stars, and the band
some familiar asterisms. of our galaxy, the Milky Way.
 R O U TE
THE BIG DIPPER
1 TO LEO
STARHOP FROM THE BIG DIPPER TO A FURTHER SEVEN PATTERNS
IN THE NIGHT SKY, INCLUDING POLARIS (THE NORTHERN POLE
STAR), AND SPOT TWO GALAXIES ALONG THE WAY. SPRING IS
THE BEST TIME TO VIEW THIS ROUTE.

THE BIG DIPPER

URSA MAJOR
POLARIS
URSA MINOR
BOÖTES
CANES VENATICI
CORONA BOREALIS
LEO

The Big Dipper

The most recognizable
pattern in the night sky, the
Big Dipper (top, center in this
photograph), is where you
will begin route one.
 THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO : THE BIG DIPPER

20 IF YOU LOOK NORTH, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE

SEVEN BRIGHT STARS THAT MAKE UP THE BIG DIPPER.

2 This star and the

one below it are
THE BIG DIPPER
THE PLOUGH

The Big Dipper is Double stars

called pointer stars
a shape called an A double star is a pair of because they can
asterism. It makes stars that look very close point us to other
together in the sky. constellations.
up part of the large
However, the two stars may
constellation Ursa not actually be near each
Major. The Big Dipper other in space. The Plough
is known as the has a double star made up
Plough in the UK. of the stars Mizar and Alcor,
which appear right next to
each other but are trillions
of miles apart. 3 The handle of the
Big Dipper is made
up of three bright stars.

THE STAR ALCOR’S ORIGINAL

ARABIC NAME MEANT
“THE FORGOTTEN ONE”

MIZAR AND
ALCOR

THE BIG DIPPER 4 This star is called

Mizar, but if you
look closely with a pair
of binoculars you will be
This group of stars makes the shape of a ladle or dipper, able to see two stars—
but may be recognized by some as a simple farmer’s plow. Mizar and Alcor.
The Big Dipper is found by looking north.
1 This group of four stars
forms the pan of the
Big Dipper. Look north to
spot the group in the sky.

THE BIG
YOUR DIPPER
ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO : URSA MAJOR 2 The two bright stars
that branch off from
the top of the pan form the
head of the great bear.

22 URSA MAJOR IS FOUND BY LOOKING FOR THE BRIGHT

STARS THAT BRANCH OUT FROM THE BIG DIPPER.
URSA MAJOR
THE GREAT BEAR

Ursa Major means “great Zeus’s nymphs

bear” and is the name we use Ursa Major represents
to describe the third largest the nymph Adrastea
from Greek mythology.
3 The three bright stars
that branch off from
the bottom of the pan
constellation in the sky. Zeus placed Adrastea form the bear’s front leg.
The Big Dipper forms part of the
constellation, with branches
and a nymph named 1 To find Ursa
Major, first
locate the Big Dipper.
Ida in the sky among
of bright stars making up the the stars as the great
rest of the bear’s shape. bear and the little bear.

ANCIENT GREEKS USED URSA

MAJOR TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE
THE OCEANS AT NIGHT
4 If you look for the
bright stars below the
back of the pan, you will
find the bear’s back legs.

URSA MAJOR
5 In this view, the bear is
tipped at an angle. This
is because the stars rotate
The stars of Ursa Major can be linked to make the shape in the sky through the night.
of a bear. The Big Dipper makes up the body and tail, with
stars branching out that make up the legs. The stars in
the sky rotate around the north celestial pole
throughout the night, so the constellation
will not always appear this way up.
URSA MAJOR
YOUR THE BIG DIPPER

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 24 THE CIGAR GALAXY CAN BE FOUND ABOVE THE
NECK OF URSA MAJOR USING A TELESCOPE.
CIGAR GALAXY
MESSIER 82

This starburst galaxy is one of more than Visible and infrared light Finding the Cigar Galaxy CIGAR
captured by the Hubble GALAXY
100 objects in the night sky catalogued by To spot the Cigar Galaxy, first locate
Space Telescope show Ursa Major, then the branch of stars
French astronomer Charles Messier in the clouds of red hydrogen that form its neck. The galaxy looks like
late 18th century. His list was designed to map blasting out from the a smudge in the sky. Using a telescope,
the fixed objects in the night sky so that he center of the Cigar Galaxy it can be spotted just above the middle
could easily detect comets among them. (Messier 82). star that marks the bear’s neck.
 4 The bright star at
the end of this line
THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO : POLARIS is called Polaris.

26 POLARIS IS EASILY FOUND BY TRACING A LINE

FROM THE POINTER STARS IN THE BIG DIPPER.
POLARIS THE NORTHERN POLE STAR

Polaris, also known as the Finding north

northern pole star or For hundreds of years,
North Star, sits almost navigators have looked
directly above Earth’s North
Pole. As Earth spins, the stars
to Polaris to help them
on their travels. Because 3 Continue the line
five times farther
through the sky.
it lies above Earth’s
appear to rotate around North Pole, travelers
Polaris, but Polaris itself knew that heading
seems to stay in one place. toward Polaris would
take them north.

IN 1,000 YEARS POLARIS

WILL NO LONGER BE THE
NORTHERN POLE STAR
Polaris is a bright 2 Trace a line in
the sky between
the two stars.
star in the northern
POLARIS sky that is useful for
navigation. You can
find Polaris by
tracing a line
through the Big 1 Find the two
pointer stars
at the edge of
Dipper’s pointer
the Big Dipper.
stars and following
it until the first bright
star you come to.
The star is part of a
simple constellation
called Ursa Minor.

THE BIG DIPPER

POLARIS
YOUR THE BIG DIPPER URSA MAJOR

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO : URSA MINOR
3 The two stars that
branch off at an
angle from Polaris
form the bear's tail.

28 URSA MINOR CAN BE FOUND BY LOOKING FOR

THE STARS THAT BRANCH OFF FROM POLARIS.
2 Continue the line
five times farther
through the sky to
reach Polaris.
URSA MINOR
THE LITTLE BEAR

Ursa Minor, also Ida the nymph

known as the Little According to Greek
Dipper, is the closest mythology, Ursa Minor
represents a nymph
constellation to the named Ida. Alongside
north celestial pole Adrastea, depicted by
and includes the star Ursa Major, Ida nursed
Polaris. You can Zeus as an infant when
always see Ursa he was hiding from
Minor in the northern his evil father. Zeus
thanked the nymphs by
sky, as it appears to spin transforming them into
around the northern bears among the stars.
pole star, Polaris.

POLARIS IS A STAR
THAT SHINES WITH THE
BRIGHTNESS OF 2,500 SUNS
4 This group of four stars
forms the shape of the
body of the bear. Ursa Minor
POLARIS does not have as many
bright stars as the Big Dipper.
1 Trace a line
between the
pointer stars of
the Big Dipper.
Ursa Minor
is Latin for
“little bear.”
Shaped a little like
the Big Dipper
found in Ursa Major,
Ursa Minor is depicted as
the body and tail of a
small bear.
URSA MINOR
URSA MINOR
YOUR THE BIG DIPPER URSA MAJOR POLARIS

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO : BOÖTES

30 A SWEEPING ARC THROUGH THE SKY FROM 1

Find the handle
of the Big Dipper.
THE HANDLE OF THE BIG DIPPER LEADS TO BOÖTES.
BOÖTES THE HERDSMAN

Boötes contains
one of the brightest
stars in the night
sky, called Arcturus.
The kite-shaped
constellation
represents a
herdsman who
chases the bears,
Ursa Major and
Ursa Minor,
around the north
celestial pole.
TAU
BOÖTIS
2 Trace an arc
through the sky
twice the length of
the Big Dipper’s handle.

Boötes’s planet
The faint star at the ARCTURUS
left knee of Boötes
is called Tau Boötis.
It is orbited by one of BOÖTES
the first planets
discovered beyond Boötes is depicted as
our Solar System, a man holding a staff
in one hand and a sickle in
Tau Boötis b.
the other. A kite-shaped 3 The star this arc reaches is
called Arcturus. It is the
fourth brightest star in the sky
group of stars makes up
and quite red in color. Remember
the herdsman’s body. it this way: “Arc to Arcturus.”

ARCTURUS RELEASES 100 TIMES

MORE ENERGY THAN THE SUN
BOÖTES
YOUR THE BIG DIPPER URSA MAJOR POLARIS URSA MINOR

ROUTE 4 Look to the side

of Arcturus to

ACROSS find a star called Tau

Boötis. This star is
orbited by a planet.

THE SKY
 THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO : CANES VENATICI

CANES VENATICI IS MADE UP OF TWO STARS

5 Extend the line from
Cor Caroli to this star

32 THAT ARE FOUND TO THE SIDE OF BOÖTES.

to mark the constellation
Canes Venatici.
CANES VENATICI
THE HUNTING DOGS

Lying between Boötes Heart of

and Ursa Major, Canes the king
Canes Venatici’s
4 The bright star
this line reaches
Venatici represents is called Cor Caroli.
brightest star is called
Boötes’s hunting dogs.
Cor Caroli, which
They seem to chase the means “Charles’s
bears, Ursa Major and heart.” It was named
Ursa Minor, around the after King Charles I
north celestial pole. of Britain, who was
executed in 1649.
3 Continue the line
three times
farther through the
sky at a slight angle.

THE MILKY WAY IS THOUGHT

TO CONTAIN MORE THAN 2 Trace a line
between the

100 BILLION STARS

two stars.

Canes Venatici is a simple

constellation made up
of just two stars alongside
Boötes. The constellation
represents the herdsman’s
two hunting dogs.

COR CAROLI

CANES VENATICI
BOÖTES
CANES
YOUR THE BIG DIPPER URSA MAJOR POLARIS URSA MINOR BOÖTES VENATICI
ROUTE 1 Find Arcturus
and the bright

ACROSS star to its left.

THE SKY
 34 THE WHIRLPOOL GALAXY LIES BETWEEN CANES
VENATICI AND THE HANDLE OF THE BIG DIPPER.
WHIRLPOOL GALAXY
MESSIER 51

The Hubble Space Telescope captured this Taken by the Hubble Space Finding the Whirlpool Galaxy
spectacular image of a vast, sweeping spiral Telescope, this visible and The the easiest way to spot the Whirlpool
infrared light image of the Galaxy is by looking for the Big Dipper. Using
galaxy connected by a delicate strand of gas Whirlpool Galaxy shows a binoculars or a telescope, the galaxy can
to a smaller, irregular galaxy. As it slowly passes small yellow galaxy (named be seen just below the tip of the handle
behind the Whirlpool Galaxy, the irregular galaxy NGC 5195) at the tip of the and looks like a smudge in the night sky. WHIRLPOOL
triggers the birth of new stars. larger Whirlpool Galaxy GALAXY
(Messier 51).
 THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO : CORONA BOREALIS
4 This arc of seven stars
forms the constellation
Corona Borealis.

36 CORONA BOREALIS IS MADE UP OF A SIMPLE 3 Look to the side of

the shoulder to find
ARC OF SEVEN STARS TO THE SIDE OF BOÖTES. the bright star beside it.
CORONA BOREALIS
THE NORTHERN CROWN

The constellation Corona Jewels in

Borealis is one of the the sky
original 48 constellations After his wedding
to Princess Ariadne,
recognized in ancient
the god Dionysus
Greece. It represents the threw Ariadne’s
beautiful wedding crown into the sky
crown worn by the so its stunning jewels
mythical Princess could be preserved
Ariadne of Crete. forever as stars.

ON A CLEAR NIGHT, AS
MANY AS 3,000 STARS CAN
BE SEEN IN THE SKY BY THE
NAKED EYE ALONE
2 Trace a line in the sky
from Arcturus through
the next two bright stars
The seven stars of to the shoulder of Boötes.
Corona Borealis
form a distinctive
horseshoe-shape 1 Find Arcturus, the
bright red star at
the base of Boötes.
of stars in the
night sky alongside
the constellation
Boötes. Each star
in the constellation
represents a jewel
in Ariadne’s
crown.

CORONA BOREALIS
CORONA
YOUR THE BIG DIPPER URSA MAJOR POLARIS URSA MINOR BOÖTES CANES VENATICI BOREALIS
ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO : LEO 1 Trace a line in the sky
between the pointer
stars in the Big Dipper.

38 LEO CAN BE FOUND BY TRACING A LINE DOWN

FROM THE POINTER STARS IN THE BIG DIPPER.
LEO THE LION

Leo is a zodiac The zodiac

constellation that As Earth orbits the
represents the lion slain by Sun each year, the Sun
Heracles of Greek mythology.
Heracles wrestled with and
appears to pass in front
of a band of sky where 2 Continue the line
six times farther
below the Big Dipper.
12 constellations lie. We
defeated the lion as the first call these constellations
of his 12 labors. the zodiac constellations.

REGULUS, LEO’S BRIGHTEST 3 The star this line

reaches marks
the base of Leo’s neck.

STAR, IS 79 LIGHT-YEARS
AWAY FROM EARTH. THAT’S
MORE THAN 464 TRILLION MILES 4 This group of
stars represents

(747 TRILLION KM) AWAY. Leo's body.

6 The string of six

stars that mark the
neck and chest of Leo
The stars of Leo is called the Sickle.
form the shape of a
lion. A central group
of stars represents the
body, with branches
for the lion’s legs. Six
stars form the lion’s
head and chest in a
REGULUS shape that looks like a
backwards question
mark, which is an
asterism called
5 This bright
star, Regulus,
represents the
the Sickle. heart of the lion.

LEO
LEO
YOUR THE BIG DIPPER URSA MAJOR POLARIS URSA MINOR BOÖTES CANES VENATICI CORONA BOREALIS

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 POLARIS
THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO : REVIEW ROUTE ONE
URSA MINOR
40 THE CONSTELLATIONS IN ROUTE ONE CAN BE
FOUND CLOSE TOGETHER IN THE SPRING SKY.
REVIEW ROUTE ONE
THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO

Here’s what the constellations of route one look

like when we zoom out to see them all together.
The best time to look for these constellations is CIGAR GALAXY
in spring, when they are found higher in the sky.
At other times of year, when they are lower in the
sky, you may not be able to see them. URSA MAJOR

THE BIG DIPPER

MIZAR

CORONA WHIRLPOOL
BOREALIS GALAXY

COR CAROLI CANES

VENATICI
BOÖTES

LEO
ARCTURUS
TAU BOÖTIS

REGULUS
 THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO : FIND THE CONSTELLATIONS

42 CAN YOU USE THE ROUTE WE HAVE LEARNED TO

NAVIGATE YOUR WAY THROUGH THIS NIGHT SKY?
FIND THE CONSTELLATIONS
THE BIG DIPPER TO LEO

Use the path you have learned for route

one to practice finding your way around this
view of the night sky before heading outside to
try it for yourself. Remember, the constellations
rotate around Polaris through the evening,
so they may appear at different angles and in
different areas of the sky.

YOUR THE BIG DIPPER URSA MAJOR POLARIS URSA MINOR BOÖTES CANES VENATICI CORONA BOREALIS LEO

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 R O U TE
ORION TO
2 THE PLEIADES
FROM THE FAMOUS CONSTELLATION ORION, STARHOP TO SEVEN
PATTERNS OF STARS, INCLUDING THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN
THE NIGHT SKY AND A STAR CLUSTER CALLED THE PLEIADES.
FOLLOW THIS ROUTE IN WINTER.

ORION
CANIS MAJOR
CANIS MINOR
WINTER TRIANGLE
GEMINI
TAURUS
THE PLEIADES

Orion rising
This image shows Orion
(center) coming into view
in New Mexico. When a
constellation rises, it is seen
to move up from a spot low
on the horizon.
ORION TO THE PLEIADES : ORION

46 FIND THE CONSTELLATION ORION BY LOOKING FOR

THE THREE BRIGHT STARS THAT MAKE UP HIS BELT.
5 To the right of Orion’s Belt is
a fainter chain of stars. Some
images depict this chain as Orion’s
outstretched arm holding the head
4 If you look above the star at
ORION THE HUNTER

Holding a club of the left of Orion’s Belt, you of a lion that he has slain.
bronze in one hand BETELGEUSE reach a star called Betelgeuse
and the head of a (pronounced “beetle-juice”).
It glows a bright red color
lion in the other, and marks Orion’s shoulder.
Orion represents a
mythical hunter.
Depicted facing the
charging bull, Taurus,
Orion is one of the
most recognizable
constellations in the
winter night sky. RIGEL

The mighty hunter

ORION
3 This area is made up of
stars and nebulas (clouds
of gas and dust), including the
Son of the god Poseidon,
stunning Orion Nebula. It is
Orion was a great hunter
depicted as Orion’s sword
who slayed many ferocious that hangs from his belt.
beasts. After boasting
that he could slay every
beast on Earth, Orion was
killed by a giant scorpion, The stars of Orion can be joined
which became the to form the shape of a hunter.
constellation Scorpius. A line of three stars at the center
makes up Orion’s Belt, with stars
branching off to create his body.

THE BRIGHT RED STAR 1 The simplest way to find Orion

is by looking for Orion’s Belt.

BETELGEUSE IS ABOUT 1,000

It is made up of three stars that
form an almost-straight line in
the sky. They are very prominent,
TIMES THE SIZE OF THE SUN so they should be easy to spot.

ORION
YOUR
ROUTE
2 Looking below the star at

ACROSS the right of Orion’s Belt

takes you to a bright bluish
star called Rigel. It represents

THE SKY one of Orion’s feet.

 48 THE ORION NEBULA LIES BENEATH ORION’S
BELT AND MAKES UP PART OF HIS SWORD.
ORION NEBULA
MESSIER 42

Lying 1,300 light-years away from Earth, the Orion This image, captured Finding the Orion Nebula
Nebula is an immense cloud of gas and dust in 2016 by the HAWK-I To spot the Orion Nebula, look for the large, bright
infrared camera on the smudge that appears below Orion’s Belt. This is ORION
in the constellation Orion. It is one of the brightest Very Large Telescope in NEBULA
the Orion Nebula and it represents part of Orion’s
nebulas in the night sky, a place where Chile, reveals the Orion sword. It appears as a smudge to the naked eye,
thousands of baby stars are being formed Nebula (Messier 42) but binoculars or a telescope will begin to reveal
as the gas and dust clouds within it collapse. in more detail than magnificent clouds of gas and dust.
ever before.
 ORION TO THE PLEIADES : CANIS MAJOR

50 FOLLOW THE LINE OF ORION’S BELT TO 4 The stars that branch

out from either side of
REACH THE STAR SIRIUS IN CANIS MAJOR. Sirius represent the dog’s
front leg and head.
CANIS MAJOR
THE GREATER DOG

One of the constellations Laelaps

identified by the ancient Canis Major represents
Greeks, Canis Major Laelaps of Greek
mythology, a dog so 5 This star marks the
dog’s back, with
(pronounced can-iss quick that no prey could
stars extending out to
make up its legs and tail.
may-jer) represents one escape him. When
of Orion’s hunting dogs. Laelaps failed to catch
The constellation contains the Teumessian Fox,
Sirius, the brightest Zeus turned him to
star in the night sky. stone and placed him in
the sky as Canis Major.

THE NAME OF THE

STAR SIRIUS COMES
FROM A GREEK WORD
MEANING “SCORCHING”
The brightest star in
the night sky, Sirius,
SIRIUS
represents the jaw of the
dog Laelaps. Stars extend
out from either side to
1 To find Canis Major,
first locate Orion’s
Belt and trace a line
mark the dog’s ears and between the three stars.
front leg. Below Sirius are
several other bright stars
that can be linked up to
mark the dog’s back, tail,
and hind legs. 2 Follow the line
five times farther
than the length of
Orion’s Belt.

CANIS MAJOR
3 This line will lead you
to Sirius, or the Dog
Star. It is the brightest star
in the night sky and marks
CANIS MAJOR the jaw of Canis Major.

YOUR ORION

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 ORION TO THE PLEIADES : CANIS MINOR
4 Trace a straight line eastward
from the base of Orion’s club
until you reach two bright stars.

52 CANIS MINOR LIES ABOVE CANIS MAJOR AND

JUST TO THE SIDE OF ORION’S RAISED HAND.
CANIS MINOR
THE LITTLE DOG

One of the smallest Early riser

of the original Greek The name Procyon
constellations, Canis means “before the
dog.” The star is
Minor (pronounced can-
so-called because
iss my-ner) represents the it rises in the sky at
smaller of Orion’s two night before the star
hunting dogs. The bright
star Procyon makes it
Sirius, or the Dog
Star, in Canis Major.
3 Find the group of
four fainter stars
above Betelgeuse that
mark Orion’s club.
easy to pick out in the sky.

IN CHINESE ASTRONOMY, 2 Next, look above

Orion’s Belt to

PROCYON FORMS PART OF 5 These two stars

can be joined
together to make
the bright red star
called Betelgeuse.

A LARGE CONSTELLATION the constellation

Canis Minor. The

CALLED NANHE, THE brighter of the two

is called Procyon.

SOUTHERN RIVER
Formed of just
CANIS MINOR two stars, the
pattern of Canis
PROCYON Minor is one of
the simplest in the 1 To find Canis Minor,
first locate the three
stars of Orion’s Belt.
night sky. Procyon,
the brighter of the
two stars, represents
the dog’s body,
while the other star
marks the dog’s neck.

CANIS MINOR
YOUR ORION CANIS MAJOR

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 ORION TO THE PLEIADES : WINTER TRIANGLE
2 Trace a line from Betelgeuse
to Procyon in Canis Minor.
Procyon is the second star of
the Winter Triangle.

54 THE WINTER TRIANGLE IS MADE FROM THE BRIGHTEST

STARS IN ORION, CANIS MAJOR, AND CANIS MINOR. 1 To identify the Winter
Triangle, first find the red
star Betelgeuse that sits above
Orion’s Belt. This is the first
star of the three.
WINTER TRIANGLE
A WINTER ASTERISM

The Winter Triangle Light-years

is not a constellation, Distances in space are so
but a pattern of stars vast they are expressed in
a unit called light-years
known as an asterism, to make them easier to
consisting of stars measure. One light-year is
from more than the distance that light can
one constellation. travel in one year, which
It is formed of three is about 5.9 trillion miles
stars—Betelgeuse, (9.5 trillion km). Sirius is
8.6 light-years from Earth.
Sirius, and Procyon.

THE LIGHT EMITTED BY

THE STAR SIRIUS TAKES
8.6 YEARS TO REACH EARTH
The shape of the PROCYON
Winter Triangle is a
simple triangle. It has
no story or picture like BETELGEUSE
those that exist for
other star patterns
in the sky. Instead,
it is just three 3 Next, find Orion’s Belt and
use it to trace a line to Sirius
in the constellation Canis Major.
bright stars from
This marks the third and final
three prominent
point of the Winter Triangle.
constellations.

SIRIUS WINTER TRIANGLE

WINTER TRIANGLE
YOUR ORION CANIS MAJOR CANIS MINOR

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
ORION TO THE PLEIADES : GEMINI 6 This star is
named Castor
and it marks the head
of the twin Castor.

56 GEMINI IS FOUND BY TRACING A LINE THROUGH

THE SKY FROM RIGEL AND BETELGEUSE IN ORION. 5 This star, called
Pollux, represents the
head of the twin Pollux.
GEMINI THE TWINS

Gemini is one of the The Castor system

most recognizable of Castor looks like just one star
the constellations of the to the naked eye, but using a
telescope reveals a closely-spaced
zodiac. It is pictured
in the night sky as the
double star. Those two stars are 4 This star marks
the foot of the
twin Pollux.
actually bound together by gravity
twins Castor and and are orbiting each other, which
Pollux of Greek makes them a binary pair. Each of
mythology, sons of those stars is itself a binary pair,
Queen Leda of Sparta. and there is a third pair nearby.
So, Castor is really a system of
six stars, not just one.

CASTOR AND POLLUX HAD THE

POWER TO PROTECT SAILORS
WHO WERE IN TROUBLE AT SEA 3 Continue the line
you have traced
the same distance
farther to reach
The stars of Gemini POLLUX CASTOR the next bright star.
are depicted as
the twins Castor
and Pollux. The
constellation is
roughly rectangular
in shape—its two
brightest stars
2 Next, trace a
line from Rigel
to Betelgeuse, the
mark the twins’ bright red star
heads, with a above Orion’s Belt.
chain of stars
to depict their
bodies and feet.

GEMINI
GEMINI
YOUR ORION CANIS MAJOR CANIS MINOR WINTER TRIANGLE

ROUTE
ACROSS 1 First, find Rigel,
the bluish star
that lies below

THE SKY Orion’s Belt.

ORION TO THE PLEIADES : TAURUS 3 Trace a curved line
through the sky along
Orion’s outstretched arm
and continue the line a
little farther beyond.

58 FIND THE EYE OF TAURUS BY TRACING A

CURVED LINE ALONG THE ARM OF ORION.

Open clusters
TAURUS THE BULL

The constellation
Taurus depicts a bull A star cluster is a group
of stars. Some, called
charging at Orion. It has
globular clusters, are
been recognized since tightly packed together
Babylonian times, more like a blob, while others
than 2,500 years ago. are grouped loosely to
It is easily recognized form an open cluster.
by the V-shaped star
cluster that marks
The Hyades, the face of
Taurus, is an open cluster 5 This V-shaped
group of stars is
an open star cluster
containing about 200 stars. known as the Hyades.
its head. It is depicted as
Taurus’s head.

ANCIENT GREEKS BELIEVED

TAURUS WAS THE GOD ZEUS
IN DISGUISE AS A BULL TO
ATTRACT A MAIDEN 1 Find Orion by
looking for
the three stars
marking his belt.
The stars of Taurus can
be linked together to TAURUS
depict an angry bull
that faces Orion. A
prominent cluster
of stars, called the
Hyades, forms
the V-shape that
represents Taurus’s 4 The line reaches a bright
star that is reddish in
color, called Aldebaran. It
head, with two
bright stars above
ALDEBARAN
2 Look for the star
that lies above the
right of Orion’s Belt.
marks the eye of the bull.

marking the tips

of his horns. Two
branches of stars
from his nose form
the bull’s two legs.
TAURUS
YOUR ORION CANIS MAJOR CANIS MINOR WINTER TRIANGLE GEMINI

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 60 THE CRAB NEBULA IS FOUND VERY CLOSE
TO THE TIP OF TAURUS’S LEFT HORN.
CRAB NEBULA
MESSIER 1

Lying within the constellation Taurus, the Crab This image of the Finding the Crab Nebula CRAB
Nebula was formed in 1054 CE from the enormous Crab Nebula (Messier Located just to the side of the tip of NEBULA
1), captured by the Taurus’s left horn, the Crab Nebula
explosion of a dying star. At the center lies the Hubble Space appears as a faint blotch through
core of the exploded star, called a pulsar. The cloud Telescope, reveals the binoculars. A good telescope will
of gas and dust it has left behind is known as a strands of gas and dust reveal some of the detail of the strands
supernova remnant. that have been ejected that extend out from the center.
by the stellar explosion.
 ORION TO THE PLEIADES : THE PLEIADES 3 Trace a line through the
sky to the side of Taurus’s
4 This cluster of stars is
called the Pleiades. With
the naked eye, you should be
eyes, until you reach a very
able to make out six bright
bright cluster of stars.
stars, but binoculars will
reveal even more.

62 THE PLEIADES IS AN OPEN STAR CLUSTER

REPRESENTING THE SHOULDER OF TAURUS.
THE PLEIADES
THE SEVEN SISTERS

The Pleiades The missing Pleiad

(pronounced plee-a-dez) Only six of the seven
is a 100 million-year- sisters are easily seen in
the Pleiades. One myth
old open star cluster says that Merope, the
in Taurus. While six youngest of the sisters,
stars are easily visible shines less brightly
to the naked eye, the because she married
Pleiades contains a mortal, Sisyphus,
hundreds of stars. rather than a god.

2 Next, look to the star that

marks the bull’s other eye
at the other side of the V-shape.

THE PLEIADES WERE THE

SEVEN DIVINE DAUGHTERS
OF ATLAS AND PLEIONE
The Pleiades is an open
star cluster found within the
constellation Taurus, marking THE
the bull’s shoulder. The PLEIADES
cluster is made up of
six stars that are visible
to the naked eye, but
binoculars reveal nine
bright stars in the cluster—
the seven divine sisters
and their two parents.
1 To find the Pleiades
star cluster, first
locate Aldebaran, the
eye of Taurus the bull.

TAURUS
THE PLEIADES
YOUR ORION CANIS MAJOR CANIS MINOR WINTER TRIANGLE GEMINI TAURUS

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 ORION TO THE PLEIADES : REVIEW ROUTE TWO
POLLUX CASTOR

64 STARGAZING IN WINTER MONTHS WILL REVEAL

THE CONSTELLATIONS OF ROUTE TWO.
GEMINI
REVIEW ROUTE TWO
ORION TO THE PLEIADES

When we zoom out a little this is what all the

constellations of route two look like. The best
time to look for these constellations is during
the winter when they appear high in the
sky. At other times of the year, they are not
visible in the night sky.
CANIS
MINOR
CRAB
NEBULA
TAURUS
THE PLEIADES

PROCYON

WINTER ALDEBARAN
TRIANGLE
BETELGEUSE

ORION’S BELT

CANIS MAJOR ORION NEBULA

SIRIUS RIGEL
ORION
 ORION TO THE PLEIADES : FIND THE CONSTELLATIONS

66 TRY TO FIND YOUR WAY THROUGH THIS SKY

USING THE ROUTE YOU HAVE LEARNED.
FIND THE CONSTELLATIONS
ORION TO THE PLEIADES

Here you can practice route two before

heading outside to try it out with the real night
sky. Remember, light pollution can make it
hard to see fainter stars, so find a dark spot
for stargazing.

YOUR ORION CANIS MAJOR CANIS MINOR WINTER TRIANGLE GEMINI TAURUS THE PLEIADES

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 R O U TE
CASSIOPEIA
3 TO ARIES
STARHOP FROM CASSIOPEIA TO FIVE MORE SHAPES IN THE STARS,
INCLUDING THE WINGED HORSE PEGASUS, AND SPOT OUR CLOSEST
GALAXY, ANDROMEDA, ON THE WAY. VIEW THIS ROUTE IN FALL.

CASSIOPEIA
CEPHEUS
PERSEUS
ANDROMEDA
PEGASUS
ARIES

La Palma telescopes
Cassiopeia (far right) is
pictured above the Roque de
Los Muchachos Observatory
in the Canary Islands, home
to some of the most powerful
telescopes in the world.
 CASSIOPEIA TO ARIES : CASSIOPEIA

70 CASSIOPEIA IS A RECOGNIZABLE PATTERN FOUND ON

THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF POLARIS FROM THE BIG DIPPER. 1 You can use the Big Dipper to
help you to find Cassiopeia, but,
with practice, you will be able to
find Cassiopeia’s clear W-shape in
the sky without using pointer stars.
CASSIOPEIA
QUEEN OF ETHIOPIA

Representing Greek A vain queen

mythology’s Queen Queen Cassiopeia was
Cassiopeia of Ethiopia, renowned for her vanity.
Boasting of her beauty,
2 Find the two pointer stars
in the Big Dipper and
trace a line between them.
the constellation Cassiopeia
she infuriated the Nereids,
(pronounced cass-ee-oh- daughters of Poseidon.
pee-uh) has a distinctive To punish her, Poseidon
W-shape of five bright sent a terrifying sea
stars that makes it easy monster, called Cetus,
to spot in the night sky. to destroy her kingdom.

GAMMA CASSIOPEIAE ROTATES 3 Extend a line through the sky

from the pointer stars to find
AT MORE THAN 625,000 MPH Polaris, like you did in route one.

(1 MILLION KM/H) AT ITS EQUATOR

The constellation
Cassiopeia does
not much resemble
a queen. Instead, the
constellation’s five 6 This star is called Gamma
Cassiopeiae and marks the waist
of Queen Cassiopeia. It is a variable
brightest stars are
star, which means that it varies
GAMMA linked to form a in brightness. At times, it is the
CASSIOPEIAE W-shape, where two brightest star in the constellation.
stars marking her legs
are joined to the two
4 Continue the line through the
sky beyond Polaris for the
same distance with a slight curve.
stars marking her
CASSIOPEIA shoulders by a star
called Gamma
Cassiopeiae.

CASSIOPEIA
YOUR 5 The bright star that this
line reaches marks the

ROUTE shoulder of Queen Cassiopeia.

ACROSS
THE SKY
 CASSIOPEIA TO ARIES : CEPHEUS 6 This star marks
Cepheus’s right knee.
5 Look for the shape of a tall
house made out of bright
stars to identify the rest of the
constellation Cepheus.

72 FIND CEPHEUS BY TRACING A LINE FROM

THE THREE BRIGHTEST STARS IN CASSIOPEIA.
CEPHEUS KING OF ETHIOPIA

The constellation Cepheid variables

Cepheus (pronounced Stars that vary in
sef-ee-us) is depicted as the brightness are called
Cepheid variables,
mythical King Cepheus
because the first identified
of Ethiopia, husband of was the star Delta Cephei.
Queen Cassiopeia. Looking Even at more than 800
a little like a church in shape, light-years away, it can be
Cepheus lies to the side of seen to vary in brightness
his queen. every five days by the
naked eye.
2 Next, trace a line
between these
three bright stars.

CEPHEID VARIABLES
PULSATE: THEY BRIGHTEN
AND DIM REGULARLY OVER 4 This star is called Delta
Cephei. Its brightness

A PERIOD OF TIME varies every five days.

Said to represent King

DELTA CEPHEI Cepheus of Ethiopia, the
constellation Cepheus looks
more like a tall house than
the king. The star at the tip
of the roof marks the knee
of Cepheus and the base
represents his head and
shoulders. So, if the house
shape looks rightside-up in
your sky, King Cepheus is
actually upside down.

CEPHEUS
3 Continue the line that you
have traced with a gentle
arc through the sky until you
CEPHEUS reach the next bright star. This

YOUR
star marks the head of Cepheus.
CASSIOPEIA

ROUTE 1 To find Cepheus, first

look for the second,

ACROSS third, and fifth star in the

W-shape of Cassiopeia.

THE SKY
 CASSIOPEIA TO ARIES : PERSEUS
1 Trace a line through
Cassiopeia’s three
2 Continue the line
in a gentle arc
brightest stars, as you
did to find Cepheus, but

74 PERSEUS CAN BE FOUND BY TRACING A LINE through the sky the

same distance again.
in the opposite direction.
FROM CASSIOPEIA’S THREE BRIGHTEST STARS.
PERSEUS THE VICTORIOUS HERO

Perseus is a bright
constellation depicted 5 Two simple
branches of stars
as the hero from PERSEUS mark Perseus’s legs.

ancient Greek
mythology. Known for
his heroic defeat
of the snake-haired
Gorgon Medusa,
Perseus is pictured
in the sky holding the
monstrous Medusa’s
severed head.

ALGOL
Andromeda’s hero
On his return from defeating
Medusa, Perseus saw
Princess Andromeda,
daughter of King Cepheus
and Queen Cassiopeia,
chained to a rock as a
sacrifice to a sea monster. Depicted as a Greek hero, the
He killed the monster and
freed Andromeda, taking
major stars of Perseus can be
joined to form the two legs and 3 The bright star that
this line reaches marks
Perseus’s sword-holding hand.
her as his bride. They lie two arms of a man. He holds a
side by side in the sky. sword high in one hand and
the head of Medusa in the other.

THE PERSEID METEOR SHOWER 4 This star, Algol, marks

Medusa’s head. It is a
double star that dips in brightness

RADIATES FROM NORTHERN

every three days as the fainter
star eclipses the other.

PERSEUS EACH AUGUST

PERSEUS
YOUR CASSIOPEIA CEPHEUS

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 CASSIOPEIA TO ARIES : ANDROMEDA 1 To find Andromeda,
first pick out the star
that marks Perseus’s
sword-holding hand.

76 ANDROMEDA IS FOUND BY FOLLOWING THE END

OF PERSEUS’S SWORD TO ANDROMEDA’S HIP. 2 Now trace a line to the
fainter star that marks
the end of Perseus’s sword.
THE CAPTIVE PRINCESS
ANDROMEDA
Andromeda is a mythical A shared star
princess, daughter of The bright star Alpheratz,
King Cepheus and Queen which marks Andromeda’s
head, is also part of an
Cassiopeia of Ethiopia. When asterism in Pegasus
their kingdom was ravaged
by the sea monster Cetus,
called the Great Square
of Pegasus. However,
3 Continue the line that
you have traced the
same distance again, making
the king and queen were Alpheratz is officially a gentle arc through the sky.
ordered by the gods to designated as part
sacrifice their daughter of the Andromeda
constellation only.
to appease the beast.

AFTER ANDROMEDA’S DEATH,

THE GODDESS ATHENA PLACED
HER IN THE SKY TO HONOR HER
Similar in shape to the
constellation Perseus, ALPHERATZ
the bright stars of
Andromeda can be
joined to form the shape
of the body of Princess
Andromeda. Chains of
stars branching out from the
center mark her arms, legs, and the 4 The line that you
trace will reach a
bright star that marks
chains that restrained her when
the hip of Andromeda.
she was offered as a sacrifice to
the sea monster Cetus.

ANDROMEDA 5 This star, called

Alpheratz, marks
Andromeda’s head.
ANDROMEDA
YOUR CASSIOPEIA CEPHEUS PERSEUS

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 78 THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY IS FOUND BETWEEN
THE OUTSTRETCHED ARM AND LEG OF ANDROMEDA.
ANDROMEDA GALAXY
MESSIER 31

The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy visible This 2008 image of Finding the Andromeda Galaxy
in the constellation Andromeda. It is the nearest the Andromeda Galaxy The Andromeda Galaxy lies beside the
(Messier 31), taken right leg of Andromeda. To the naked eye,
and brightest spiral galaxy to our own, the Milky using a telescope in it looks like a smudge of light as wide as a
Way, and looks like a smudge when seen from a France, shows the full moon. Binoculars or a telescope will
dark-sky location. At 2.5 million light-years away, beautiful natural reveal more of the spiral galaxy’s detail,
ANDROMEDA
GALAXY
it is the most distant object that can be seen colors of our nearest like the brighter bulge at its center.
with the naked eye. spiral galaxy.
 CASSIOPEIA TO ARIES : PEGASUS

80 THE CONSTELLATION PEGASUS BRANCHES OFF

THE STAR THAT MARKS ANDROMEDA’S HEAD. 4 Two more chains of
bright stars represent
Pegasus’s front legs.
PEGASUSTHE WINGED HORSE

Pegasus represents A hero’s horse

a mythical flying Pegasus was ridden by the
horse. He was born mythical hero Bellerophon
on his mission to slay the
from the body of the
Chimaera, a monstrous
Gorgon Medusa fire-breathing creature.
when she was killed by Full of his success,
Perseus. Pegasus was Bellerophon tried to ride
tamed and ridden by Pegasus to Olympus to
the mythical hero join the gods. He fell back
to Earth while Pegasus
Bellerophon.
made it to the top.

MORE THAN 30 FULL MOONS

WOULD FIT INTO THE GREAT 1 Find Pegasus by first

SQUARE OF PEGASUS
looking for the star that
marks Andromeda’s head.
This star belongs to the
Andromeda constellation.

Representing the mythical

flying horse, the stars of
Pegasus can be easily
picked out in the sky.
The constellation
contains a prominent
asterism, named the
Great Square of
Pegasus, and has
three branches to
make up the 2 Three more bright stars
nearby create a square.
This asterism is called the
horse’s legs
and head. Great Square of Pegasus.
GREAT SQUARE OF PEGASUS

PEGASUS
3 This simple chain of
stars marks the head
and neck of Pegasus.
PEGASUS
YOUR CASSIOPEIA CEPHEUS PERSEUS ANDROMEDA

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 82 STEPHAN’S QUINTET IS A GROUP OF FIVE GALAXIES
FOUND BELOW THE LEGS OF PEGASUS.
STEPHAN’S QUINTET
COMPACT GALAXY GROUP

The first compact group of galaxies discovered, Images taken by Finding Stephan’s Quintet STEPHAN’S
the Hubble Space QUINTET
Stephan’s Quintet includes five galaxies. Four of Stephan’s Quintet is located in Pegasus.
Telescope and Subaru To find the group, look for the star at the top
the galaxies lie very near each other in space, while Telescope have been right of the Great Square of Pegasus, then
the bluish one at the top of the image is actually combined to create this find the bright star above it to the right. With
much closer to Earth. The two galaxies in the center image of the visible and a telescope you may see a small smudge in
are passing through each other. infrared light emitted the sky, but the five separate galaxies can be
by Stephan’s Quintet. seen only through an observatory telescope.
CASSIOPEIA TO ARIES : ARIES
1 To find Aries, first find the
star at the corner of the
Great Square of Pegasus

84 FIND ARIES BY TRACING A LINE FROM where the horse’s legs join.

THE GREAT SQUARE OF PEGASUS.

2 Next, find the star that the
Great Square of Pegasus
shares with Andromeda and
4 This bright star
represents the trace a line between them.
ARIES THE RAM

Aries represents The Argonauts head of Aries the ram.

a mythical ram The Argonauts were
whose beautiful a group of Greek
heroes. Sailing on a
golden fleece was
ship called the Argo
sought by the with Jason, they
ancient Greek searched for the
hero Jason and Golden Fleece—the
the Argonauts. magnificent ram’s
Aries is one of coat that was
guarded day and
the 12 zodiac
night by a dragon.
constellations.

ARIES HAS BEEN

DEPICTED AS A RAM
SINCE ANCIENT TIMES
The brightest stars found
in the constellation Aries
ARIES
can be linked together to
form a crooked line in the
night sky. It is a faint
constellation, so it is
not always easy to
see. One end of
the line is the
body of the ram,
while the other
end makes up its
head and horns. 3 Continue this line one and
a half times farther until
you reach another bright star.

ARIES
YOUR CASSIOPEIA CEPHEUS PERSEUS ANDROMEDA PEGASUS

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 CASSIOPEIA TO ARIES : REVIEW ROUTE THREE
CEPHEUS
86 FALL IS THE BEST TIME TO SEARCH THE SKIES
FOR THE CONSTELLATIONS IN ROUTE THREE.
REVIEW ROUTE THREE
CASSIOPEIA TO ARIES

When you look at all of the constellations of route

three, you can see that they are closely grouped
together. Look for them during fall months
when they lie high in the sky. You will be able CASSIOPEIA
to see some of them at other times of the year too.

GAMMA
CASSIOPEIAE
DELTA
CEPHEI

PERSEUS

ALGOL
ANDROMEDA
GALAXY

STEPHAN’S QUINTET

ARIES
ANDROMEDA
PEGASUS

GREAT SQUARE
OF PEGASUS
 CASSIOPEIA TO ARIES : FIND THE CONSTELLATIONS

88 SEE IF YOU CAN PICK OUT THE CONSTELLATIONS OF

ROUTE THREE IN THIS VIEW OF THE NIGHT SKY.
FIND THE CONSTELLATIONS
CASSIOPEIA TO ARIES

Try finding the route three constellations

in this view of the stars, before looking at the
real night sky. This view of the sky does
not include the Big Dipper, so start by
looking for Cassiopeia.

YOUR CASSIOPEIA CEPHEUS PERSEUS ANDROMEDA PEGASUS ARIES

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 R O U TE
CYGNUS TO
4 SERPENS CAPUT
IN THE SUMMER, STARHOP FROM CYGNUS TO SIX OTHER STAR
PATTERNS, INCLUDING THE THREE BRIGHT STARS THAT MAKE UP
THE SUMMER TRIANGLE, AND FIND THE STUNNING RING NEBULA.

CYGNUS
LYRA
AQUILA
SUMMER TRIANGLE
OPHIUCHUS
SERPENS CAUDA
SERPENS CAPUT

Aquila
The eagle constellation
Aquila can be spotted high
in the sky in the center of
this image. Its brightest star,
Altair, stands out in the
summer sky.
CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT : CYGNUS
4 The bright star at the
end of this line is called
Deneb. It is the brightest

92 CYGNUS IS FOUND BY TRACING A LINE FROM star in the constellation and

THE THREE BRIGHTEST STARS IN CASSIOPEIA. represents the tail of Cygnus.

2 Look for the three

brightest stars in
3 Continue this line
CYGNUS THE SWAN

Stretching out along the Star colors Cassiopeia and trace

four times farther
a line between them.
path of the Milky Way, The star that marks through the sky in the
Cygnus (pronounced sig- the head of Cygnus direction shown.
is Albireo, which is
nus), or the northern
actually a double star.
cross, is a cross-shaped Using a telescope, you
constellation depicting a can see that one of the
flying swan from ancient stars is blue, while
Greek mythology. the other is golden.

THE FIRST CONFIRMED

BLACK HOLE LIES IN CYGNUS
Depicting a swan in
CYGNUS flight, Cygnus is a large
cross-shaped constellation
near Cassiopeia. The
constellation’s brightest
star, Deneb, marks the
swan’s tail, with three
stars representing the
swan’s neck and
head. Two more
strings of stars lie
across the middle of
Cygnus to mark the swan’s
DENEB outstretched wings,
so it seems to fly along
the Milky Way.

1 Cassiopeia is a helpful
starting point for finding
Cygnus in the night sky. 5 Look for the three bright stars
that extend from Deneb. The
last star, Albireo, is a double star
CYGNUS 6 This area of the sky is
rich in faint stars because
that marks the head of the swan.

YOUR it is where the Milky Way

stretches across the sky.

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT : LYRA 3 Trace a line through
the sky perpendicular
2 Next, find the star
that marks the tip
of Cygnus’s wing.
to the tip of Cygnus’s wing,
past some faint stars. 4 The very bright star that
this line reaches is called

94 LYRA CAN BE FOUND JUST ABOVE Vega. It lies in line with the tip
of Cygnus’s wing and beak.
THE TIP OF CYGNUS’S LEFT WING.
LYRA THE LYRE

Lyra, or the lyre, is Orpheus and

depicted as the musical Eurydice
instrument of the poet Lyra represents the
instrument played by
and musician Orpheus
Orpheus. He used his
of Greek mythology. The lyre to charm Hades,
constellation’s brightest Greek god of the
star, Vega, is the fifth Underworld, so that
brightest in the night sky. Orpheus could rescue
his wife, Eurydice.

ARAB ASTRONOMERS SAW

THE SHAPE OF LYRA AS 1 To find Lyra, first
locate the star Deneb
AN EAGLE OR VULTURE that marks Cygnus’s tail.

Lyra depicts a
stringed musical LYRA
instrument called
a lyre. It is a small
and unusual
arrangement of
stars, most easily
identified if you
first look for the
star Vega, the VEGA
brightest star in
the constellation.
From Vega, other
strings of stars 5 Stars branching off
from Vega make up
the strings of the lyre.
branch out at
random to mark
the strings of
the lyre.

LYRA
YOUR CYGNUS

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 96 THE RING NEBULA IS FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO
BRIGHT STARS THAT LIE BELOW VEGA IN LYRA.
RING NEBULA
MESSIER 57

The Ring Nebula is a planetary nebula, formed This image of the Finding the Ring Nebula
4,000 years ago when a Sun-like star began to Ring Nebula (Messier The Ring Nebula is found between
57), captured by the two bright stars in Lyra. It is faintly
run out of hydrogen fuel and swelled up into a large, Hubble Space visible through binoculars, but a
cool star known as a red giant. Its outer layers Telescope, shows the telescope will start to reveal its
were ejected into space, leaving the star’s hot magnificent colors shape as a fuzzy ring.
core exposed as a white dwarf that continues of its different gases.
to illuminate the beautiful shells of gas around it. RING NEBULA
CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT : AQUILA
1 To find Aquila, first look
for Deneb, the bright
star at Cygnus’s tail. 2 Follow the chain
of bright stars from

98 THE TIP OF AQUILA’S TAIL CAN BE FOUND Deneb to the star that
marks Cygnus’s beak.
BY FOLLOWING THE LINE OF CYGNUS’S NECK.

3 Next, trace a line

from this star the
AQUILA THE EAGLE

The constellation Aquila Thunderbird

length of Cygnus’s neck.
is depicted as the eagle One ancient Greek
of the Greek god Zeus. myth tells that Aquila
was the bird of the god
The constellation seems to
Zeus. Aquila’s job was
soar through the night to collect and carry the
sky along the bright path thunderbolts that Zeus
of the Milky Way. threw at his enemies.

4 The star this line

reaches marks
the tip of Aquila’s tail.

THE BRIGHT STAR ALTAIR

FORMS ONE CORNER OF
THE SUMMER TRIANGLE
Aquila is a simple
constellation that is
depicted as a flying
eagle. Its brightest star,
Altair, marks the base
of the eagle’s neck.
The other stars in the
constellation can be
linked together to form
ALTAIR the shape of a wing, 5 This star, Altair, is
the brightest star in
Aquila. It is easily identified
with a branch that
because two fainter stars
represents the
lie on either side of it.
eagle’s tail.

AQUILA
AQUILA
YOUR CYGNUS LYRA

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT : SUMMER TRIANGLE
1 To identify the Summer
Triangle, first find the
bright star Deneb at the tail
of Cygnus. This is the first
point of the Summer Triangle.

100 THE SUMMER TRIANGLE IS MADE FROM THE

BRIGHTEST STARS IN CYGNUS, LYRA, AND AQUILA.
SUMMER TRIANGLE
A SUMMER ASTERISM

The Summer Triangle Twinkling stars

is an asterism that can be
seen in the northern night
Stars in the night sky
appear to twinkle
2 Trace a line through the
sky from Deneb to the
bright star Vega in Lyra.
when we view them
sky. It is a simple triangle Vega forms the second point
from Earth because of the Summer Triangle.
formed from three of the light that they
the brightest stars in emit gets distorted
the summer night sky— as it passes through
Deneb, Vega, and Altair. Earth’s atmosphere.

CYGNUS’S STAR DENEB

IS 60,000 TIMES MORE
LUMINOUS THAN THE SUN
VEGA SUMMER
TRIANGLE
DENEB

The shape of
the Summer
Triangle is a long
triangle. The brightest stars
from each of three northern sky
constellations form this asterism that
is very easy to find in the summer sky.
ALTAIR

SUMMER
YOUR CYGNUS LYRA AQUILA 3 Trace a line from Vega to
the bright star Altair in
Aquila. This star marks the final
TRIANGLE
point of the Summer Triangle.

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT : OPHIUCHUS
4 The bright star this
line reaches marks
Ophiuchus’s head.

102 OPHIUCHUS IS FOUND BY FOLLOWING THE TAIL OF

AQUILA TO THE STAR THAT MARKS OPHIUCHUS’S HEAD.
OPHIUCHUS
THE SERPENT HOLDER

Ophiuchus (pronounced
off-ee-you-cus) is a large 3 Continue this line for
double the distance
constellation that beyond Aquila’s tail.
depicts Asclepius,
a mythical healer
who was said to
have the power
to revive the
dead. Asclepius is
shown holding a
serpent, a traditional
symbol of healing, which
is represented by the
constellation Serpens.
2 Next, trace a line from
Altair to the star that
marks the tip of Aquila’s tail.

Kepler’s Star
Ophiuchus is the site of the
most recent star explosion to OPHIUCHUS
occur in the Milky Way. When it
exploded in 1604, this previously The stars of Ophiuchus can
faint star outshone every other be joined together to form the
star in the sky and stayed visible
for more than a year. The star
shape of a man holding a
snake. A ring of stars marks
5 This branch of
the constellation
marks Ophiuchus’s
was named after the man who
observed the supernova
the body of Ophiuchus, with
two branches coming off the
1 To find Ophiuchus, first
find the bright star Altair
in the constellation Aquila.
outstretched arm.

explosion, Johannes Kepler. ring that represent one of his

legs and one of his arms.

EVEN THOUGH THE SUN PASSES

THROUGH OPHIUCHUS, IT IS NOT
AN ASTROLOGICAL ZODIAC SIGN
OPHIUCHUS
YOUR CYGNUS LYRA AQUILA SUMMER TRIANGLE

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT : SERPENS CAUDA

104 THE THREE STARS OF SERPENS CAUDA ARE FOUND ON 1 To find Serpens Cauda, first
look for the bright star that
EITHER SIDE OF OPHIUCHUS’S OUTSTRETCHED HAND. marks Ophiuchus's head.
THE SERPENT'S TAIL
SERPENS CAUDA
Serpens Cauda
is one half of the
constellation Serpens.
Unlike any other
constellation, Serpens
is split into two
separate areas.
Serpens Cauda is
formed of three stars
and depicts the tail of
the huge snake held
by the constellation
Ophiuchus.
SERPENS
Divided stars CAUDA
Even though it appears to be
a constellation of its own,
Serpens Cauda is actually 2 Trace a line through
the four bright stars
that mark Ophiuchus's
just one half of a larger
Serpens Cauda is made head, shoulder, and arm
constellation called to reach his hand.
Serpens. The snake is split up of three stars, which
so that its tail lies on one are joined together to
side of the constellation depict the tail of a snake.
Ophiuchus, while its head, The rest of the snake's
known as Serpens Caput, body lies in the other
lies on the other. half of the constellation,
known as Serpens Caput.

4 Look for the two bright

SNAKES ARE A SYMBOL

stars that lie either side
of Ophiuchus's hand. Join
3 This bright star marks the them together, along with the
OF REBIRTH BECAUSE hand of Ophiuchus that
holds the tail of the serpent.
faint star in between them,
to make up Serpens Cauda.

THEY SHED THEIR SKINS

SERPENS CAUDA
YOUR CYGNUS LYRA AQUILA SUMMER TRIANGLE OPHIUCHUS

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT : SERPENS CAPUT 3 Continue to follow the
line that you traced for
half the distance again
beyond the base.

106 FIND SERPENS CAPUT BY TRACING A LINE BEYOND

THE BASE OF OPHIUCHUS TO THE NECK OF THE SNAKE.
5 This group of three
stars makes up the
head of the serpent.
SERPENS CAPUT
THE SERPENT’S HEAD

Serpens Caput is
the larger of the two 2 The final star of the four
represents the hand of
Ophiuchus that holds the
asterisms that make
up the constellation 4 The two bright
stars that this line
reaches represent the
head of the snake.

Serpens. Lying on SERPENS neck of the serpent.

the other side of
Ophiuchus from CAPUT
Serpens Cauda, Serpens
Caput depicts the head
of the huge snake
that is held by Asclepius
in the constellation
Ophiuchus.

Healing the dead

1 To find Serpens Caput, first
trace a line through the four
stars that make up the base of
Ancient Greek myths suggest the constellation Ophiuchus.
that Asclepius learned how
to revive the dead by
watching two snakes.
Having killed a snake, Serpens Caput is a
Asclepius watched as simple chain of seven
another snake placed a stars that depict the head
herb on it, restoring it to full of a snake. The other half
health. Asclepius tried the of the snake’s body lies
same technique on people in Serpens Cauda, on
and discovered he could heal the other side of the
the dead in this way too. constellation Ophiuchus.

SERPENS IS THE ONLY

CONSTELLATION TO BE
SPLIT INTO TWO PARTS
SERPENS CAPUT
YOUR CYGNUS LYRA AQUILA SUMMER TRIANGLE OPHIUCHUS SERPENS CAUDA

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
 108 THE GLOBULAR STAR CLUSTER MESSIER 5 IS FOUND
AT THE SIDE OF THE NECK OF SERPENS CAPUT.
MESSIER 5
GLOBULAR STAR CLUSTER

Messier 5 is a globular star cluster, a tightly The Hubble Space Finding Messier 5
Telescope took this MESSIER 5
packed ball of hundreds of thousands of stars The globular cluster Messier 5 is found
image of Messier 5, in Serpens Caput, to the side of the
that lies in the halo of our galaxy, the Milky Way. which lies nearly neck of the snake. The cluster is hard
Along with other globular clusters, Messier 5 is 25,000 light-years to pick out with the naked eye, but
one of the oldest objects in our galaxy, at away from Earth. binoculars will show a faint smudge
about 13 billion years old. where Messier 5 lies.
 MESSIER 5
CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT : REVIEW ROUTE FOUR

110 THE CONSTELLATIONS OF ROUTE FOUR

CAN BE SEEN IN SUMMER SKIES. SERPENS
CAPUT
REVIEW ROUTE FOUR
CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT

Here is a view of the night sky showing where

the constellations of route four lie. You
can use the route we have learned to find
these constellations during summer evenings,
when they are high up in the sky.

OPHIUCHUS

LYRA
VEGA
RING
NEBULA

DENEB
SERPENS
CAUDA

SUMMER
CYGNUS TRIANGLE ALTAIR

AQUILA
 CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT : FIND THE CONSTELLATIONS

112 USE THIS VIEW OF THE NIGHT SKY TO PRACTICE

THE PATH YOU HAVE LEARNED FOR ROUTE FOUR.
FIND THE CONSTELLATIONS
CYGNUS TO SERPENS CAPUT

The path for route four along the bottom

of these pages will guide you through this
view of the sky. Cassiopeia cannot be seen in
this view. Practice stargazing here before
heading outside to try it for yourself.

YOUR CYGNUS LYRA AQUILA SUMMER TRIANGLE OPHIUCHUS SERPENS CAUDA SERPENS CAPUT

ROUTE
ACROSS
THE SKY
AMONG THE STARS
STARS ARE NOT THE ONLY OBJECTS THAT LIGHT UP THE NIGHT SKY.
AS WELL AS THE CONSTELLATIONS, ASTRONOMERS VIEW PLANETS,
GALAXIES, AND MANY OTHER DEEP-SKY OBJECTS IN ORDER TO
DEVELOP A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR UNIVERSE.

Evening star
This image reveals the Moon’s
stunning surface detail. To its
left lies the planet Venus,
sometimes incorrectly called
the “evening star”, and
Mercury can be seen below.
 AMONG THE STARS : THE MOON SOLAR ECLIPSE
A solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, the Moon, and Earth
are directly aligned so that the Moon blocks sunlight from
reaching Earth. A shadow is cast on Earth by the Moon,
116 The Moon is the largest object in the night sky.
While it appears to be bright, the Moon emits no light.
plunging that part of Earth into darkness for several minutes.

Instead, it reflects the light of the Sun.

1 A solar eclipse
occurs when the 2 A shadow is cast
on Earth by the
THE MOONLUNAR PHASES AND SOLAR ECLIPSES

Moon lies directly Moon. Anyone within The stage of a solar eclipse when
MOVEMENT OF THE MOON 1 The Moon orbits in an
counterclockwise direction. This
between the Sun
and Earth, blocking
the umbra, this darker
area of the shadow,
the Sun is completely blocked by the
Moon is called totality. This photograph
The Moon orbits Earth over a period
of 27.3 days. As it does so, sections
of its face are lit up by the light of the
means it appears to move against the
star background from west to east. 4 The Moon rotates
at roughly the same
rate that it orbits Earth,
the Sun’s rays. will see a total eclipse. reveals the Sun’s outer atmosphere,
the corona, during totality.
Sun, making it visible in the night sky. so you always see the
same side of the Moon.

LAST QUARTER

NEW MOON FULL MOON

FIRST QUARTER
3 The amount of the
Moon’s lit side that
3 Viewers within
the lighter area of 4 The Sun is much too bright
to view with the naked eye,
binoculars, or a telescope, even
this shadow, called the
during an eclipse. Never look
2 The Sun’s rays
always light up half
of the face of the Moon.
you see on Earth depends
on where the Moon is in
its orbit.
penumbra, will see a partial
eclipse, because some of
the Sun’s rays reach Earth.
directly at the Sun because its glare
can permanently damage eyesight.

PHASES OF THE MOON

As it orbits Earth, the shape of the Moon
appears to change. These different shapes,
called lunar phases, occur because each day
1 When the Moon
is on the opposite
side of Earth from the
2 The Moon is said
to be “waning”
when it appears to
3 When the Moon lies between
Earth and the Sun, the side
that faces Earth is not lit by the
4 The Moon is said
to be “waxing”
when it appears to
5 Only half of the
Moon is visible
when it lies at a right
the Moon is in a different position relative Sun, its face is fully lit. be shrinking. Sun and the Moon cannot be seen. be growing. angle to the Sun.
to the Sun. The full cycle takes 29.5 days.

Full moon Waning gibbous Last quarter Waning crescent New moon Waxing crescent First quarter Waxing gibbous
 AMONG THE STARS : THE MILKY WAY

118
THE MILKY WAY
VIEWING OUR GALAXY

Looking into the sky on a clear, dark night, you may In this photograph
of the Milky Way, dark
YOUR VIEW
be able to see a beautiful milky glow lighting clouds of dust and gas Earth lies within one of the arms of the Milky
up the night sky. This glow that stretches across within the galaxy can Way, about two-thirds out from the galaxy’s EARTH
the sky is made by the stars of the Milky Way, be seen blocking the center. When we see the Milky Way in the
the huge disk-shaped spiral galaxy in which light from the stars night sky, we are looking at the edge of
our Solar System lies. that shine behind. the Milky Way’s disk.
 AMONG THE STARS : PLANET SPOTTING NAKED-EYE PLANETS
Because of their distance
from Earth, we cannot see
120 Ancient astronomers noticed several
bright starlike lights that moved gradually
all of the planets in the
Solar System with the
naked eye, but we are
through the sky against the background of able to spot Mercury,
stars. They named these lights “planets,” Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn
meaning “wanderers.” All of the planets
PLANET SPOTTING
NIGHT SKY WANDERERS

Saturn (shown right, not Mercury is very difficult Venus is an easy planet For much of the time, Jupiter appears brighter Saturn looks like a
to see because it is to spot. Known as the Mars appears like a than the brightest star creamy-colored star
in our Solar System travel along roughly the to scale). The two most always low in the sky brilliant evening or reddish star. Every two in our night sky, Sirius. and moves very slowly
same path, which runs through the twelve distant planets in the Solar and close to the Sun. morning “star,” it is the years and two months, Using a pair of binoculars, through the sky. Through
constellations of the zodiac. Most of the System, Uranus and It is best observed just brightest object in the however, there is a you can even see four of a telescope, you will be
Neptune, can be seen before sunset or just night sky after the Moon. two-month window Jupiter’s moons, which able to see its rings.
planets can be seen with the naked eye. with a telescope. after sunrise. The best time to look for where it is the second- look like faint stars on
Venus is just before sunset brightest planet in the either side of it.
or just after sunrise. sky, after Venus.

WHERE TO FIND THE PLANETS

URSA MAJOR
1 This imaginary line, called the ecliptic, roughly
traces the path of the Sun and the planets
through our sky. The planets, including Earth, all
orbit the Sun on much the same plane, so they
all cross our sky along the same path.
CASSIOPEIA
PEGASUS
2 The ecliptic runs through the constellations of
the zodiac—Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo,
Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus,
Aquarius, and Pisces. So, the planets will always be
found moving through one of these constellations. ANDROMEDA
3 If you see something that looks like a very
bright star along this line that doesn’t belong in
a constellation, you are probably looking at a planet.
PERSEUS
GEMINI
4 There are many helpful websites and cell
phone apps that list when planets will be LEO
crossing our skies and which constellation they
will be moving through. ARIES

ECLIPTIC

TAURUS
CANIS MINOR
SUN

The ecliptic, the yellow line in this image, ORION

traces the path of the Sun and the planets
in our Solar System through our sky.
 AMONG THE STARS : SHOOTING STARS

122
SHOOTING STARS
METEOR SHOWERS

ANNUAL METEOR SHOWERS

Name Date Constellation
Quadrantids January 1–6 Boötes
Lyrids April 19–24 Lyra
Eta Aquarids May 1–8 Aquarius
When specks of dust enter Earth’s atmosphere, The Perseid meteor
shower (above) occurs
METEOR SHOWERS Delta Aquarids July 15–August 15 Aquarius
they burn up to create stunning streaks of light Shooting stars can occur any night of the
every year in mid Perseids July 25–August 18 Perseus
called shooting stars or meteors. They often August. As many as year, but at certain times of year they are Orionids October 16–27 Orion
last less than a second and are best seen between 80 meteors per hour more common. During these so-called Taurids October 20–November 30 Taurus
midnight and dawn, when Earth is facing away appear to fly out of the “meteor showers,” many specks of dust Leonids November 15–20 Leo
from the Sun and out into space. constellation Perseus. burn up in the atmosphere each hour. Geminids December 7–15 Gemini