By February Fortescue
Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved looking up at the stars at night and dreaming about them. How far away are they? How long would it take to get there? What would life be like if I lived on a different planet? I still do that today, but for different reasons now. Today, the stars help me put my life into perspective. I feel so small in comparison with the universe! I also enjoy identifying constellations and consider them old friends. On cloudless nights, my favorites will always be there to greet me and to share their brilliance. If I’m ever feeling lonely, I know these same constellations will also be above the person I miss the most, and that helps lessen the pain. At other times, when the night sky is particularly clear, it feels as if the stars are putting on a show, just for me!
With only one exception, my favorite constellations are considered to be “circumpolar.” Circumpolar Constellations are eight major groups of stars which are always visible above the horizon, no matter what time of year it is. In the northern hemisphere, the 5 constellations are Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Draco, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor; in the southern hemisphere, they are Carina, Centaurus, and Crux. I live in the northern hemisphere, so my focus will be on 4 of the first 5, what they look like, and how to spot them. You may not be able to see them all, especially depending on where you live and whether or not you have lots of man-made light outside, but they are worth looking for.
Probably the easiest of the 5 to spot is Ursa Major (the Big Bear), which is more commonly known as the Big Dipper, because the man-made light has made it very difficult to make out much of the constellation but what we can see appears to be a dipper and it is also the largest northern constellation.
If you locate the two stars on the outside edge of the Big Dipper, they will lead you straight to Polaris. Polaris actually isn’t the brightest star in the sky, but it is important because it seems to remain stationary at its northern point in the sky, and is therefore known as the “North Star.” All of our circumpolar constellations circle Polaris. This star is also located at the end of the tail of Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Dipper, but this constellation can be very difficult to see. I have heard that the dippers of both the Little Dipper and Big Dipper are angled so that their contents will pour into each other. How amazing is that!
Another constellation which is easy to locate is Cassiopeia. If you begin from Polaris, you should see a constellation which looks like the letter W or M, but if you look closely at the middle star you should see an additional star, and that may help you view this constellation as a chair or a throne. Cassiopeia was a beautiful mythological queen and she knew it, offended a god, and for her punishment was placed on her throne throughout eternity.
And how could I possibly leave out how to locate the Constellation Draco? If you locate the 2 pointer stars in Ursa Major, go up just a little and you’ll locate the end of Draco, the Dragon. Draco is one of the largest constellations, but not especially prominent, probably because of its shape. It’s wrapped around Ursa Minor and its tail is between the two Dippers.
My favorite constellation, however, is only clearly visible from November through February, which I suppose is what makes it extra special to me. This constellation is called Orion, and is probably easiest spotted by looking for the 3 stars of its belt. It’s the first constellation I spotted as a child, and I look forward to the Hunter’s return every year. He never fails to put a smile on my face.
I hope this adds to your enjoyment of the stars. Happy star gazing!