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Pleiades star cluster, aka Seven Sisters

By in Astronomy Essentials | Clusters Nebulae Galaxies | Favorite Star Patterns | 2 weeks ago

Halloween originated in part from an old Druid rite connected with the Pleiades. They thought the veil between life and death was thinnest when the Pleaides reaches its highest point in the sky at midnight, around October 31 every year.

Find the Teapot, and look toward the galaxy’s center

By in Favorite Star Patterns | 3 months ago

With the moon waning now, it’s time to go out in the country to witness the glorious Milky Way. Want to locate the direction to the galaxy’s center? This post points the way.

Northern Cross: Backbone of Milky Way

By in Astronomy Essentials | Favorite Star Patterns | 4 months ago

On summer evenings, look for this star pattern in the east, sideways to the horizon.

Find the Summer Triangle

By in Astronomy Essentials | Favorite Star Patterns | 5 months ago

The Summer Triangle is a large star pattern made of 3 bright stars in 3 separate constellations. Look for it ascending in the east on these June evenings.

Come to know the Big and Little Dippers

By in Astronomy Essentials | Favorite Star Patterns | 8 months ago

The Big Dipper is easy. And, once you find it, you can find the Little Dipper, too.

Hyades star cluster: Face of Taurus

By in Favorite Star Patterns | 10 months ago

The bright star Aldebaran is part of a V-shaped pattern of stars called the Hyades. This easy-to-find star cluster represents the face of Taurus the Bull.

How to see the Great Square of Pegasus

By in Astronomy Essentials | Favorite Star Patterns | 12 months ago

It’s easy! The Great Square of Pegasus consists of 4 stars of nearly equal brightness in a large square pattern. Once you find it, you can star-hop to other well-known sights in the sky.

Coathanger: Looks like its name

By in Favorite Star Patterns | 1 year ago

The star Albireo – part of the Summer Triangle – is your ticket to finding the Coathanger star cluster. It resembles its namesake and is easy to spot through binoculars.

Find the Crown of the Scorpion

By in Favorite Star Patterns | 1 year ago

Here’s another cool asterism, or noticeable pattern of stars. The Scorpion’s Crown consists of just 3 stars.

Northerners’ guide to Southern Cross

By in Constellations | Favorite Star Patterns | 2 years ago

The Southern Cross climbs highest – due south – in the evening around now. Latitudes like Hawaii can see it. It’s possible to see from latitudes like the far-southern contiguous U.S., but difficult.

Use Southern Cross to find due south

By in Constellations | Favorite Star Patterns | 2 years ago

From the Northern Hemisphere, a fairly bright North Star marks the direction north. From the Southern Hemisphere, the Southern Cross points the way south.

Winter Circle, or Hexagon, made of bright stars

By in Favorite Star Patterns | 2 years ago

Whether you call it the Winter Circle or Hexagon, it’s a big circular pattern of stars in the night sky. Its stars are some of the brightest up there.