Autumn is a great time for stargazing; the nights are clear and it hasn’t become too chilly yet to set up camp in the backyard and stare at the sky.
Constellations change position with location and season because of the earth’s revolution around the sun. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you should be able to identify these constellations during the fall. But be patient—it might take a little practice to find them. So grab a cup of hot cocoa, a warm blanket, and a pair of binoculars and enjoy the view.
Pegasus
Facing due east, look for a large diamond of four bright stars that looks like a kite flying in the night sky. This is the Great Square of Pegasus, supposedly the body of the mythical winged horse. As the night progresses, the diamond will rise higher and higher into the sky.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Andromeda
Find the brightest star in the Great Square of Pegasus and use it to identify a “V” shape in the sky. This is the Andromeda constellation, which contains the Andromeda Galaxy, the farthest part of the universe visible to an unaided observer on earth. Using your binoculars, trace the “V” about two-thirds of the way up to find the galaxy, which appears as a bright star with a milky haze around it.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Perseus
East of Andromeda, Perseus appears as a backwards “K” through which the Milky Way galaxy flows. In Greek myth, Perseus slew Medusa and rescued Andromeda. The star Algol, which varies in brightness, is at the northeastern branch of the “K” and represents the Gorgon’s head that Perseus holds out from his body, Andromeda. Perseus is also recognizable as a dense cluster of stars; they seem too many to count.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
