Lyra, the Summer Triangle, and Northern Cross
East of Hercules, you’ll find an extremely bright star, Vega, which is often the brightest in the summer sky. Vega is one of the three stars that make up the summer triangle; it is also part of the constellation Lyra, which is in the shape of a lyre, or a small harp. Lyra can be hard to find, but using Vega as a starting point, you can see a small parallelogram composed of four stars, with Vega a part of the handle. Looking south from Vega, one can find the second star in the summer triangle, Altair, part of the Aquila (eagle) constellation. North of Vega is another bright star, Deneb, which makes up the final point in the summer triangle. Together, they form an almost perfect right triangle. Denab is part of the constellation Cygnus (the Swan), which is in the form of a “T” and is commonly known as the Northern Cross. The top of the cross is the tip of the summer triangle.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Sagittarius (the Archer) and Scorpius (the Scorpion)
Low on the horizon is Sagittarius, the Archer. This constellation is supposed to be a torso of a man riding a horse, pointing his arrow at another summertime constellation, Scorpius. The entire constellation can be hard to make out, but the top, which resembles a tea pot with handle and spout, is easier to see. Moving west, look for Antares, an extremely bright star that often glows red, which resides in the heart of the Scorpius, the Scorpion. This constellation does actually resemble a scorpion, with a curved tail and head, but is missing the pinchers.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Casseopia
If you’re lucky, you’ll see the Milky Way, the white swath of stars that spans from the northern to southern sky. At the top, it’s usually easy to see Cassiopeia, which forms a “W” in the winter and an “M” in the summer.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
These are just a few of the constellations you’ll be able to make out during the summer months and it’s tough enough to find these amidst the other stars. But getting outside and gazing is all part of the fun.
Updated June 25, 2010
