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How to Use the Big Dipper to Spot Andromeda

Whether you glance at the stars occasionally or watch them for hours, knowing how to follow the constellations like a map is a rewarding skill. Like any map, there are keys, and the Big Dipper can be considered a key to finding and identifying other constellations. You can easily spot the Andromeda galaxy if you can identify a few other constellations along the way.

Instructions

How to Use the Big Dipper to Spot Andromeda
- 1
  Locate the Big Dipper in the sky, then follow the handle down to the opposite side. There are two stars that form the side of the bowl.
- 2
  
  Polaris is the brightest star in the sky.
  
  Follow the two stars on the edge of the bowl until you reach Polaris, or the Northern Star, which is the brightest star in the sky.
- 3
  Use Polaris as a guideline, and continue on in the same direction until you reach Cassiopeia, the W-shaped constellation.
- 4
  Follow the bottom-right star of Cassiopeia's W until you reach The Square of Pegasus.
- 5
  Look between Cassiopeia and The Square of Pegasus to spot the Andromeda galaxy and constellation.

Astronomy