Clues to Finding Constellations in the Sky

• The North Star Polaris is due North, 36 degrees above the horizon (if you are in Johnson City).
• The two stars on the spout of the Big Dipper point to Polaris, the brightest star in the Little Dipper.
• Follow the first star in the handle of the Big Dipper through Polaris, and you will hit Cassiopeia, which looks like a big W.
• Cepheus is shaped like a house, which almost points to Polaris.
• Draco the Dragon winds around the Little Dipper.
• Hercules has his foot on the head of Draco the Dragon. He looks like the body of a man.
• Leo is directly underneath the bowl of the Big Dipper. His mane and neck form a backwards question mark.
• `Arc to Arcturus, then spike to Spica': follow the curve of the Big Dipper down to hit Arctaurus, then keep going to hit Spica.
• The Summer Triangle consists of:
  • Vega, which is in Lyra. It is the most western star in the triangle.
  • Altair, which is in Aquila, the Eagle. It is the most southern star in the triangle.
  • Deneb, which is in Cygnus, the Swan (the Northern Cross).
• Orion is a winter constellation. He looks like the body of a man. Betelgeuse is the star marking his eastern shoulder.
• Orion is fighting Taurus, the Bull, whose head is marked by the Hyades (a `V'), and whose shoulder is marked by the Pleiades.
• Follow the stars in Orion's belt down towards the southern horizon, and find Sirius, the Dog Star. This is the brightest star in the sky, and it is part of the constellation Canis Major, the Big Dog.
• Scorpius is never up when Orion is up, so it is a summer constellation.
• Canis Major is chasing Lepus the Hare, which is directly under Orion.
• The constellation representing the horoscope signs lie along the ecliptic, therefore they are high in the winter and near the southern horizon in the summer. They appear best seven months after the dates that correspond to the sign. They follow in their proper order from west to east.
• To find Andromeda, follow from the star in the Big Dipper which is closest to the handle through Polaris. You will hit her head, which is one of the stars in the Great Square of Pegasus, the Winged Horse.
• Perseus is rushing to save Andromeda. He is just east of her.
• Directly underneath (south) of Pegasus, you will find Circlet, a circle of stars. This is one of the fishes of Pisces. The rope goes around Pegasus and the other fish is south of Andromeda.