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How to Find a Constellation

Constellations are groupings of stars that form a pattern to an observer on Earth. There are 88 constellations, most of them named in ancient times by civilizations such as the Greeks and the Romans. Some constellations are familiar to many people and easy to find, while others are more obscure, with their locations in the sky difficult to locate. You can find every constellation by using different methods; some involve the constellations themselves and others involve star charts and maps of the sky.

Things You'll Need

Star charts
Flashlight

Instructions

- 1
  Purchase star charts of the night sky and learn how to use them. The typical star chart has a feature that allows you to set it to the date and time, which in turn shows you what stars are visible in the sky from your area. By going outside and trying to match what you see on the charts to what is in the heavens, you can discern most of the constellations. Use a compass to let you know where north, south, east and west are, which is important when using a star chart since you must align the chart to coincide with these directions for it to be useful.
- 2
  Familiarize yourself with the shapes of certain prominent constellations. Once you can easily recognize these constellations, you can them distinguish the ones on the charts next to them. For example, Cassiopeia is in the shape of a ̶0;W̶1; or ̶0;M̶1; depending on the time of year, while Pegasus has an almost perfect square shape. Leo the Lion contains a backward question mark within its borders, and Bootes the Herdsman resembles a great kite. Learn the constellations with recognizable shapes and you can negotiate your way around the sky more easily.
- 3
  Identify the Big Dipper and use it as a guide to other stars and constellations. No constellation is more useful to know when it comes to the skies. Look to the north and you will find the seven stars that form what looks like an enormous dipping ladle. By following an arching imaginary line from the handle downward, you will come to the brilliant star Arcturus in Bootes. Drawing a line through the ̶0;Pointer̶1; stars in the end of the bowl of the Dipper leads you to Polaris, the North Star, in the end of the Little Dipper. Tracing downward through the other two stars that form the bowl guides you to the bright star Regulus in Leo.
- 4
  Find Orion the Hunter in the southwestern winter sky and you will be able to locate several important constellations. Orion is an unmistakable pattern of a standing rectangle with luminous stars in the left upper corner and right lower corner. Three close diagonal stars form a ̶0;belt̶1; on Orion; following a line through them from right to left brings you to the brightest star in the nighttime sky, Sirius, in Canis Major. Beneath Orion is Lepus the Hare and Columba the Dove, while to his upper right is the ̶0;V̶1; shaped Taurus the Bull. Study the star charts and see where other constellations such as Auriga the Charioteer and Gemini the Twins are in relation to Orion, and you will easily find them in the crisp clear winter air.
- 5
  Stargaze with someone with experience and knowledge of the heavens and constellations. Ask questions and allow her to show you different constellations. Take notes about the time of night, the date and where the pattern is in the sky. You can learn the location of many tough-to-find constellations in this manner and someday perhaps pass on your knowledge.

Astronomy