Learn to spot one new constellation a month

As this is visible to me all year I think I’ve got the hang of this one now.

Draco the dragon is a circumpolar constellation, which means it revolves around the North pole. It can be seen all year round. Draco is only present in the Northern Hemisphere, so those living in the Southern Hemisphere will never see this long constellation.

The easiest way to spot Draco is by finding his head. It consists of four stars in a trapezoid, burning brightly just north of Hercules. From there, the tail slithers through the sky, ending between the Big and Little Dippers. The end of the constellation is held by Thuban, which was the pole star over 4,000 years ago.

Several galaxies and even one nebula is found within the constellation. The Cat’s Eye Nebula is a favorite among astronomers.

Many myths revolve around this chaotic dragon. It is said in Greek myth that a serpent named Ladon guarded the golden apple tree. One of the twelve labors of Hercules was to steal apples from this well-guarded tree.

I’ve found this one really easy to spot. I can see it now after I’ve found Orion’s belt (those 3 bright stars in a row).

The constellation Orion is a hunter. He is really easy to find in the sky! Look for the three bright stars that make up his belt. From there, you can find one of his legs, which is the star Rigel. One of his shoulders is the red star Betelgeuse. You should also find a shield in one hand, and a club in the other. Have you seen Orion in the sky before?

There are many myths about Orion. In Greek mythology, Orion was a great hunter. He thought that no animal could hurt him. So Hera sent a scorpion to sting Orion. Orion smashed it with his club, but not before he was poisoned. They are both in the night sky, but you can never see them at the same time.

A really famous nebula called the Orion Nebula is in this constellation. Look for the shape of a sword hanging from Orion’s belt. If you see a fuzzy patch of light, that’s the Nebula! Use a telescope or binoculars to see some cool colors inside it!

Now we’re living out in the country the sky is filled with stars every night (at least when it’s not cloudy!). There was no point in this goal for me when living in central London as the most that could be seen were about 4-5 stars if we were lucky. Now is a different story and I would like to be able to look up and know more about what’s there

I can see the Little Bear every night and I find it a little comforting when I get home late. Thought this would be the perfect place to start.

Ursa Minor, also called the Little Dipper, is a circumpolar constellation. This means it never sets in the northern sky. The true figure represented by the stars is the Little Bear. Its counterpart is Ursa Major, or the Great Bear.

There are several mythological stories behind these famous constellations. In Greek myth, Zeus was having an affair with the lovely Callisto. When his wife, Hera, found out she changed Callisto into a bear. Zeus put the bear in the sky along with the Little Bear, which is Callisto’s son, Arcas. In other myths, the constellation is not a bear at all, but is in fact a dog.

Unfortunately, there aren’t as many interesting objects in Ursa Minor as there are in Ursa Major. Probably the most important of all is the last star in the tail. This spot is held by the North Star, Polaris. Many think it is called the North Star because it is very bright. But actually, it is quite dim. Instead, the name comes from the fact that it doesn’t move from its spot in the night sky.

There aren’t any nebulae or star clusters present in Ursa Minor. There is a unique circle of stars called the “engagement ring” slightly below Polaris. They can be viewed with binoculars or a telescope. An easy way to find Polaris is by using the pointer stars. Dubhe and Merak make up the right edge of the “bowl” in the Big Dipper. Connect them with a straight line and continue north. You will run right into the North Star.