Appendix D: ROADMAPzTO THE STARS
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The night sky is filled with wonder and intrigue. You too can enjoy exploring the universe simply by following a few pointers on a roadmap to the stars .
First, find the Big Dipper, which is part of the constellation Ursa Major. (It is in the center of Fig. 38.) The Big Dipper is usually easy to locate year round in North America due to its proximity to the North Star, Polaris.
Extending directly out from the far side of the Big Dipper’s cup is the constellation Orion. One of the most exquisite areas of the winter sky, Orion is distinguished by two bright stars, Rigel and Betelgeuse, and Orion’s belt, which is marked by three stars in a row. The Orion Nebula is located south of the belt and is one of the
Extending from the pointer stars (end stars) of the Big Dipper’s cup is Polaris, the closest star to the northernmost point of the celestial sphere. Extending from Polaris is the Great Square shared by the constellation Pegasus and Andromeda. Within
Andromeda is the Andromeda Galaxy, the closest large galaxy to our solar system at about 2.2 million
The Summer Triangle is a notable region in the sky to the left of the handle of the Big Dipper. The triangle is made up of three very bright stars: Vega, Deneb, and Altair.
By drawing an imaginary line outward from the handle of the Big Dipper you reach the southern constellation Scorpius. Scorpius curves to the left like the tail of a scorpion in the sky, or like letter “J.”
Amateur astronomers commonly use the phrase “Arc to Arcturus and spike to Spica” to refer to the area directly off the arc in the handle of the Big Dipper. Follow the arc to Arcturus, the second brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere, then spike down to Spica, the 16th brightest star in the sky. Now follow the arc in the handle of the Big Dipper in the opposite direction and you reach another famous arc called The Sickle, in the constellation Leo.
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Fig. 38: Road Map to the Stars.
