View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Eridanus, the River, is a large constellation that begins just west of Orion’s brightest star, Rigel. From Rigel, it stretches about 60° southwest before...
Constellations
Cassiopeia
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Cassiopeia lies high in the northern sky in December. Like Cepheus, our target constellation last month, Cassiopeia is a circumpolar constellation. It...
Cepheus
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Cepheus, the King, sits high in the northern sky between Polaris and the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia. It lies near enough to Polaris that it is...
Delphinus, Sagitta, and Vulpecula
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive The Summer Triangle, a large triangle of bright stars (Deneb, Vega, and Altair), lies straight overhead on September evenings in the United States....
Corona Borealis and Serpens Caput
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive A little semicircle of stars known as Corona Borealis sits high overhead in the early summer sky. Corona Borealis, or the Northern Crown, lies just west...
Virgo
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Virgo is a sprawling constellation that lies high in the southern sky during late spring. This constellation is easy to find thanks to the presence of its...
Gemini
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive M35 and NGC 2158. Photo © Scott Rosen. Gemini, the twins, lies northeast of Orion along the band of the Milky Way. The most obvious part of Gemini is the...
Orion
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Horsehead Nebula. Photo © Kevin & Adrian Shank. Orion, the Hunter, is one of the most well-known constellations in the night sky. Most of its...
Perseus
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Double Cluster, NGC 869 & NGC 884. Photo © Boris Stromar|Dreamstime.com. To the ancient Greeks, the stars of Perseus represented a hero. To me, this...
Andromeda
Andromeda Galaxy, M31. Photo © Shaphan Shank. Andromeda is one of those ideal constellations that is easy to find, and that contains a wide variety of outstanding telescopic targets. The main part...
Lacerta
Lacerta, the Lizard, is a small and little-known constellation that lies along the band of the Milky Way right between the constellations Cygnus and Cassiopeia. Although its stars are all rather...
Oatmeal-Box Planetarium
Cylindrical cardboard boxes, of the type at least one brand of oatmeal comes in, can be used for projecting beautiful images of star constellations on the wall or ceiling. Copy the constellation you...
Coma Berenices
M64 On May evenings, our planet is turned so that we are looking out the side of the Milky Way instead of looking edgewise through its arms. This orientation means that there are few star clusters...
Leo
View the April 2023 Nature Friend Study Guide Leo Triplet. Clockwise from left: NGC 3628, M65, M66. Photo © Shaphan Shank. Leo, the Lion, is high in the evening sky during April. Leo lies about 40°...
Canis Major
Canis Major, the Great Dog, lies in the southern sky just southeast of Orion. Like Orion, many of the stars that make up Canis Major are bright. The constellation’s brightest star, Sirius, is the...