Orion is an exceptional constellation to see in the nightime sky and has some fine objects in its belt and sword region.
Tag Archives: Constellations
Sagitta and Vulpecula
Sagitta the Arrow and Vulpecula the Fox present an observing challenge, but these two faint constellations contain a couple of nice Messier objects.
Ophiuchus – Bearer of the Serpent
Ophiuchus is the thirteenth “unofficial” sign of the zodiac who shares a large portion of the sky with the constellation, Serpens. See if you can spot this dim constellation and his slithery companions.
Sagittarius – the Centaur
The center of the Milky Way Galaxy is located just off the spout of the Sagittarius teapot. Dozens of faint fuzzies reside in this region of the summer sky for the recreational astronomer.
Libra – The Scales of Justice
Is your life out of balance? Go outside and look to the south after dark and look for Libra the Scales.
The Summer Triangle
Exploring the Summer Skies is intimately linked to the Summer Triangle; summer’s most distinctive asterism.
Draco the Dragon
Look for Draco the Dragon in the northern summer sky as he snakes his way around the north celestial pole.
Visible Stars with Planets
On any give night an observer can see several thousand stars from a dark site. How many of those stars contain planets and can you see those stars in your night sky?
Cancer the Crab
Cancer the Crab lies in an inconspicuous part of the spring sky, but can be easily found if you find Leo the Lion. Within Cancer is a very nice open star cluster easily visible to the unaided eye.
Star-hopping to Leo the Lion
We begin our spring tour of the night sky by locating a couple of the season’s most recognizable constellations – Ursa Major and Leo the Lion. Find out how to simply starhop your way to Leo by navigating through the stars of Ursa Major.