15
5 CONSTELLATIONS EVERYONE CAN FIND
With 88 total constellations, searching for and identifying specific patterns can prove to be a little challenging
at first. You're sure to have beginner's luck with these five constellations that are easy to spot.
URSA MAJOR/
BIG DIPPER/
GREAT BEAR
Look to the northern sky in the
summer to see Ursa Major's
distinctive "cup" (bear's chest)
and "handle" (bear's neck and
head). Two exceptionally bright
stars, Dubhe and Merak, make
this constellation even easier
to find.
GEMINI :
THE TWINS
Just above Orion's arm,
Gemini resembles two
figures holding hands,
arms outstretched. In
late winter, look for
bright stars Pollux and
Castor, which form The
Twins' heads.
CANIS MAJOR
Every hunter needs a dog;
find Orion's by passing
a straight line along The
Hunter's belt and following
it southward until you see
Sirius, a bright star that
shapes the dog's nose.
Further down and to the
left, you'll notice a triangle
of stars that resemble a
dog's hindquarters.
ORION : THE HUNTER
Orion may be best known for
its "belt" of three bright stars
in a row, but the rest of this
constellation—which looks like
a hunter drawing a bow—also
contains the bright stars Rigel (the
hunter's left foot) and Betelgeuse
(the hunter's right shoulder).
Look for Orion from November
through February.
URSA MINOR/
LITTLE DIPPER/
LITTLE BEAR
Move northward from
Ursa Major to see another,
smaller "cup and handle."
That's Ursa Minor, a.k.a.
Little Dipper or Little Bear.
The brightest star at the
end of the "handle" is
Polaris (the North Star),
long a key navigation point.
