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page 46
A Roadmap to the Stars
The night sky is filled with wonder and
intrigue. You too can enjoy exploring
the universe simply by following a few
pointers on a roadmap to the stars.
First, find the Big Dipper which is part of
the constellation Ursa Major. The Big
Dipper is usually easy to locate year
round in North America.
Extending directly out from the far side
of the Big Dipper’s cup is the
constellation Orion. One of the most
exquisite areas of the winter sky, Orion
is distinguished by Orion’s belt, which is
marked by three stars in a row. The
Orion Nebula is located South of the
belt and is one of the most observed
deep-sky objects by amateur
astronomers.
Extending from the “pointer stars” of the
Big Dipper’s cup is Polaris, the North Star. Extending from Polaris is the Great Square
shared by the constellations Pegasus and Andromeda.
The Summer Triangle is a notable region in the sky to the left of the handle of the Big
Dipper. The triangle is made up of three very bright stars: Vega, Deneb, and Altair.
By drawing an imaginary line outward from the handle of the Big Dipper, you reach
the southern constellation “Scorpius.” Scorpius curves to the left like the tail of a
scorpion in the sky, or like letter “J.”
Amateur astronomers commonly use the phrase “Arc to Arcturus and spike to Spica”
to refer to the area directly off the arc in the handle of the Big Dipper. Follow the arc
to Arcturus, the second brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere, then spike down to
Spica, the 16th brightest star in the sky.
Star Locator
The chart below lists bright stars with their R.A. and Dec coordinates, along with the
Northern Hemisphere season when these stars are prominent in the night sky. This
list aids the observer to find alignment stars at various times of the year. For example,
if it is a midsummer evening in the Northern Hemisphere, Deneb in the constellation
Cygnus would be an excellent alignment star, while Betelgeuse could not be used
because it is in the winter constellation Orion and thus, below the horizon.
Season Star Name
Constellation
R.A. Dec
Spring Arcturus Bootes 14h16m 19° 11"
Spring Regulus Leo 10h09m 11° 58"
Spring Spica Virgo 13h25m -11° 10"
Summer Vega Lyra 18h37m 38° 47"
Summer Deneb Cygnus 20h41m 45° 17"
Summer Altair Aquila 19h51m 08° 52"
Summer Antares Scorpius 16h30m -26° 26"
Fall Markab Pegasus 23h05m 15° 12"
Fall Fomalhaut
Pisces Austrinus s
22h58m -29° 38"
Fall Mira Cetus 02h19m -02° 58"
Winter Rigel Orion 05h15m -08° 12"
Winter Betelgeuse Orion 05h55m 07° 25"
Winter Sirius Canis Major 06h45m -16° 43"
Winter Aldebaran Taurus 04h35m 16° 31"
Orion
Gemini
Andromeda
Pegasus
Aquila
Lyra
Cygnus
Boötes
Virgo
Scorpius
Leo
“Big Dipper”
“Summer
Triangle”
Polaris
Betelgeuse
Rigel
Pollux
Castor
“Sickle”
Regulus
Deneb
Vega
Antares
Altair
Arcturus
Spica
Fig. 37: Roadmap to the stars.