The three layers of the sky: easy asterisms, complete constellations and the mythological figures they represent.Two asterism are shown, the Big Dipper and the Lozenge, which forms the head of Draco ...

The stars Cor Caroli (bottom left) and Chara (top right) in Canes Venatici, with the bright galaxy Messier 94 at top left. Cor Caroli is a bright double star but is not resolved here. If you’re ...

Once, the sky was full of stories. Ancient cultures filled the heavens with heroes and monsters, and spent nights telling epics and memorizing patterns in the stars. These days, the stars are a little ...

It's easy to get lost in a clear night sky full of stars. It can feel like a random mess of lights without a little guidance. Once you're able to identify a few constellations though, the sky starts ...

Some of my earliest stargazing memories involve the same seven stars. Whether you call it the Plough or the Big Dipper – or even the saucepan, the panhandle or the wagon – the stars that form this ...

Anyone who enjoys gazing at the night sky probably has a few favorite star patterns they like to look for: The Big Dipper, for example, or Orion’s belt. But those familiar shapes that many of us ...