The Summer Triangle consists of three bright stars – Vega, Deneb and Altair – in three separate constellations. If you can find the Summer Triangle, you can use it to locate three of the sky’s smallest constellations: Vulpecula the Fox, Delphinus the Dolphin and Sagitta the Arrow.
EarthSky’s meteor shower guide for 2012
All three would be impossible to see from the city. And personally – true confession ahead here – I’ve never managed to identify Vulpecula in my 30+ years of stargazing. It’s just so faint and so small!
Sky chart of the Summer Triangle and small constellations
Once you're familiar with the Summer Triangle, star-hop from there to the nearby small constellations. Clic here for a larger chart
July 2012 guide to the five visible planets
On the other hand, the little constellations Delphinus and Sagitta are very distinctive. They’re easy to see in a dark country sky, because both actually look somewhat like the objects/creatures for which they’re named. Delphinus is supposed to be the Dolphin that carried a Greek poet – Arion – safely away from his enemies. Sagitta is sometimes considered to be an arrow shot from the bow of Hercules.
Summer Triangle: Vega, Deneb, Altair
Our Summer Triangle series includes:
Part 1: Vega and its constellation Lyra
