To the east are the three bright stars that make up the Summer Triangle. To ancient civilizations it may have looked like a mythical centaur holding a bow and arrow, but to modern stargazers it looks a lot more like a teapot. Just to the east of Scorpius is Sagittarius the Archer. The red star Antares marks the scorpionвЂ™s heart. Look to the southeast for the hook-shaped constellation Scorpius the ScorpionВ low in the south. Even under dark skies away from city lights, itвЂ™s hard to imagine these mythological figures just by connecting the dots. Neither of these constellations has any other bright stars. Then speed on to Spica, the single bright star in Virgo the Maiden.

Go back to the Big Dipper once more and follow its curved handle to trace an вЂarcвЂ™ to Arcturus, the orange colored star in BoГ¶tes the Herdsman. The вЂњdotвЂќ at the bottom of the question mark is Regulus, the brightest star in Leo.

Other stargazers imagine the top hook of a coat hanger, or a sickle in this group of stars. The head and mane of the lion are represented by a group of stars that looks something like a backwards question mark. The water falls onto the back of Leo the Lion. Imagine poking a hole in the bottom of the Big Dipper to let the water drip out. This group of stars is also officially known as Ursa Minor the Little Bear. Polaris is at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. When you face the North Star, youвЂ™re facing due north. Polaris is not a particularly bright star, but it does remain fixed in the sky throughout the night and throughout the year. Use the two stars at the end of the DipperвЂ™s bowl to lead you to Polaris, also known as the North Star. Ursa Major the Great BearВ is the official constellation here, but youвЂ™ll need dark skies to see its fainter stars. ItвЂ™s a familiar name for this pattern of stars, especially used by observers in the United States, but itвЂ™s not one of the 88 constellations recognized by astronomers worldwide. The Big Dipper is not officially a constellation itвЂ™s what astronomers sometimes call an asterism. Connect the dots to imagine a big spoon or ladle high above.

In the late spring, the Big DipperВ is easy to find, high in the northwest after sunset.

Old skychart andromeda