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How to Find and Identify the Constellation Auriga

Auriga the Chariot Driver is an interesting constellation in the northern hemisphere skies. In myth, Auriga was lame and invented the four-horse chariot, which earned him a place in the heavens. There are some open star clusters in Auriga worth viewing with your binoculars and one of the brightest stars in the sky as well. Here is how you can view Auriga and identify the constellation of the Chariot Driver.

Things You'll Need

  • Lawn chair or blanket
  • Flashlight
  • Binoculars
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Instructions

    • 1

      Bundle up and head outside in the winter. Auriga is best viewed in the colder months in the northern hemisphere. It can be seen in its entirety at 9:00 p.m. during the month of December.

    • 2

      Look for the shared star. Auriga “shares” a star with the Zodiac constellation, Taurus the Bull. Taurus is to the southeast of Auriga, a “V” shaped star grouping that represents the head of a bull. If you extend a line from the top of the V outwards, like the horns of a bull, you will come to the “bottom” of Auriga. Auriga is also directly above the easily recognized Orion, an impossible-to-miss constellation with several bright stars, three of them forming a straight line.

    • 3

      Find the brilliant star Capella. This is the sixth brightest star in the night sky, eclipsed in magnitude by only a handful. Capella is 46 light years from earth, meaning that the light you see from it now started out towards this planet 46 years ago. Capella is in the upper right corner of Auriga, which has the shape of a pentagon or a house with a roof.

    • 4

      Draw an imaginary line from Capella to the star Auriga shares with Taurus. Halfway down this line, if you have excellent eyesight and there is no moon out, you will see the first of two open star clusters within the boundaries of Auriga. This is M36, an open cluster that is over 4,000 light years away. Train your binoculars on it and you should see it as a fuzzy patch. Good telescopes can separate the stars, which number about 60.

    • 5

      Glance just a little to the left of M36 to view M37. This open cluster is even further from earth, at 4,600 light years. It contains 500 stars and is a bit brighter than M36. Another open cluster, the dimmer M38, is found within the “house” section of Auriga and forms a short curved line with M37 and M36.


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