How to Explore the Constellations of the Northern Hemisphere
Constellations are groups of stars that resemble people, animals or objects. Knowing where to start looking in the nighttime sky will help you begin your search for constellations, and having resources on hand, such as star charts and a telescope, will enable even the amateur to explore and map the skies.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Find the "Big Dipper" in the northern hemisphere. Though the Big Dipper is not a constellation, it is easily recognized by any amateur. The Big Dipper resembles a spoon, or dipper, with three stars creating the handle. Constellations can be located around the Big Dipper.
-
2
Draw an imaginary line from the line of the bowl of the Big Dipper toward the last star in the handle of the Big Dipper. This star is the North Star. Continue past the North Star and you will see a star combination that seems to form the letter "M" or "W." This formation is known as Cassiopeia, an Ethiopian Queen.
-
-
3
Track stars by the seasons. Winter, autumn, summer and spring will all have different constellations. Orion, the hunter can be found in winter skies; his three-star belt is easily spotted. Also look for Leo the Lion in spring; his trademark is a cluster of stars that resembles a backwards question mark. In summer, locate Lyra the Lyre, which contains Vega, the brightest of the three stars that make up that constellation. Andromeda the Princess is home to the Andromeda Galaxy in autumn. There are other smaller constellations that can also be found in each season.
-
4
Use astronomy resources to see the constellations as they would look with lines drawn between the stars. This makes it easier to find them in the sky and then imagine the lines yourself. The Hubble website provides a look at the viewable constellations for every night of the year, as well as the star names in the constellations. Charts are also handy. According to NASA, star charts are maps of the sky. Just hold up the chart to see where constellations are located.
-
5
Use a telescope to help you locate hard-to-see stars. Some stars are dimmer than others because they are farther away, or perhaps sky pollution makes them harder to spot. A telescope can also help you zoom in to one particular area of the sky. This is very useful when looking for constellations.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Couple and night sky image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com
