How to Find the Pegasus Constellation

The Pegasus constellation appears in the northern sky in the autumn. It can be seen best in the month of October. It is visible between zero degrees N and 60 degrees N latitudes.

Things You'll Need

• Star chart in your latitude
• Binoculars

Instructions

1. Fine Perseus, Cygnus and Pisces on your star chart. Pisces is in the zodiac band. In the late fall or early winter night sky use Orion and Cygnus as guide posts.

2. Go outside and locate Polaris and the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) in the sky. These are two of the easiest sky marks to find. Take a sighting from the pointer stars of the Big Dipper and follow it through Polaris and you will find on the other side about the same distance away from Polaris the Constellation Andromeda. If you continue further on the same line you will find Pegasus. Andromeda and Pegasus have one star in common.

3. View beyond Pegasus and you will find Pisces. Pegasus lies in the V shape of Pisces and Andromeda forms an outside boundary to the V. Looking to the left you will see Cygnus and to the right will be Perseus.

Tips & Warnings

• Common coordinates for finding stars in the night sky are Declination and Right Ascension.

• Find the direction North in the night sky without a compass. It is the direction pointed to by a line drawn from your point in the sky to the North Star. The two stars that form the far end of the cup on the Big Dipper point to the North Star (Polaris).