Surely each of you has experienced a great trip in nature. But what about camping out? Fun, singing, fragrant sausages, friends. The last time I experienced it myself, it was at Gýmeš, and it involved sleeping directly under the stars, just in ordinary sleeping bags. According to my abilities at the time, I was able to recognize the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. If I had known then what I know today, I would definitely have shone like a star. Let's take a look together at how easily you can find the most well-known constellations in the sky.
Have you ever thought about what the night sky shows? Did you have the peace of mind to enjoy a moment of that beautiful moment under the stars? I'll tell you a secret, star constellations can amaze more than one woman, so gentlemen, you have something to learn. Of course, ladies too.
The easiest shape for complete beginners
As I already mentioned, the easiest and at the same time most well-known shape is the Big Dipper, and it is best seen in April. It's very simple, you find four stars that form a kind of „bowl“, and three more stars that draw the „handle“. If you have found it, you have found the ideal guide, your springboard for locating other nearby constellations.
At the end of this „bowl“ of the Big Dipper you will find the stars Dubhe and Merak; if you draw a line between them and extend it about five times the distance between them, you will discover Polaris, the brightest star. It is also the most prominent star in the constellation of the Little Bear, forming the end of the handle of the Little Dipper shape. It looks very similar to the big one, just a bit smaller, and its stars do not shine as brightly. That is why it can happen that when the sky is not completely clear, there is a good chance you won't find it.
Big Dipper
Little Dipper
The vain queen, Cassiopeia
If you would like to find the queen of Ethiopia, Cassiopeia, you must continue from the Big Dipper, past Polaris, in the same distance beyond it, and you will come to a group of stars. From them you can make out a clear letter W. And that is her, Cassiopeia, or in other words, the vain queen. She is most often one of the first constellations that small children learn to recognize in the sky.
The most famous Orion's Belt
The largest and most well-known constellation visible around the world is Orion. It is named after the mythological Greek hunter, who was a giant, supernaturally gifted hunter, and also the son of Poseidon. He was mentioned by Homer, Virgil, and even the Bible. Orion's Belt consists of three stars. So the easiest thing for you will be to find the brightest individually shining stars Rigel (bottom right) and Betelgeuse (top left). Two other corners form a rough quadrilateral, from which sometimes his head and bow are also visible. Orion is also exceptional in that you can use it to find various other constellations in the winter sky.
Orion's enemy
On the other hand, we have Scorpius, of which it is said that it is never visible when Orion is in the sky. It has many bright stars, which means it is relatively easy to spot. Especially once you become familiar with its shape. The brightest star, which you will notice first in this constellation, is Antares. Sometimes we can also call it the heart of the scorpion. Other signs that will help you find this constellation more easily are the 3-5 stars that form the winding tail and head of the scorpion. Together they form a reversed „?“ symbol.
Northern Cross, Cygnus
This beautiful constellation got its name from the tale of Phaethon and Cycnus. Phaethon was the son of the Sun God; one day he took his solar chariot but could not control it, so Zeus killed him. Cycnus, as his brother, spent many days mourning and collecting bones. This act touched the Gods so much that they turned him into a beautiful swan and gave him an honorable place in the sky. It is most often visible in September. Deneb, which is actually the swan's tail and also the top point of the cross, is in this case one of the brightest stars in the night sky. You can find Cygnus in the Milky Way. In the night sky, it looks as though it is looking down with its wings spread parallel to the horizon.
Orpheus's Lyre
It forms a slanted square in the sky with a small tail, at the end of which is its brightest star Vega. This constellation is very small, but despite that, it is almost always above our heads during the summer months. The bright Vega helps us identify the whole lyre every time.
Interesting facts about constellations
- a person with good eyesight can see up to around 3000 stars at night in clear weather, but us laypeople consider them all to be the same - names of groups, constellations, were created to distinguish them
- the International Astronomical Union officially recognizes 88 constellations to this day. If you want to test how many of them you know, you can try this quiz and get to know other constellations as well.
- it was only in 1935 that world astronomers established the boundaries of constellations
- not all constellations are visible from the territory of Russia, only 54 out of 88
- travelers have been using the North Star/Polaris for navigation in the field for many years; it is constantly located above the northern point of the horizon of the northern hemisphere, and thanks to this it forms a great point of orientation. In Russia, it was even called the Savior Star, because it helped „save“ and find the right direction
- several constellations can be observed on the flags of some countries, for example on the flag of Australia or New Zealand. On the Brazilian flag there are as many as 9 constellations at once: Canis Minor, Canis Major, Carinae, Virgo, Hydra, Southern Cross, Octans, Southern Triangle, and Southern Cross. The Alaskan flag depicts the constellation Ursa Major and Polaris.
