How to Find Constellations Around the North Star

Find the Big Dipper, which looks like a pot made of four stars with a curved handle made of three stars. The Big Dipper is very bright. Depending on the time of year, it may appear to be upside down.

Look at the two stars at the end of the pot. These two stars are called the Pointer Stars. Draw an imaginary line between these stars, and continue on until you get to a rather faint star that does not appear to move during the night. This star is Polaris or the North Star, and it marks the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. The Little Dipper looks like a smaller pot pouring into the pot of the Big Dipper.

Follow the line made by the Pointer Stars and Polaris. You will come to a constellation shaped like the letter "W." This is Cassiopeia, the Queen. The Milky Way galaxy goes through this constellation.

Go back to the Big Dipper and look at the handle. The handle forms a small triangle. Follow the direction the triangle is pointing through the middle star until you come to two stars close together in a line. These two stars are the beginning of a constellation called Draco, which winds in between the two Dippers.

Go back to the handle of the Big Dipper and follow the handle stars away from the pot until you come to the bright star Arcturus in an ice cream cone shaped constellation called Bootes, the Hunter.

Continue following this path to a bright blue star. This is Spica, which is the middle of a Y-shaped constellation called Virgo, the Maiden. Curve the path around to the right to come to a square-shaped constellation called Corvus. A fun way to remember this path is: "Arc to Arcturus, speed to Spica, curve to Corvus."