By Christina Ash – Updated March 24, 2022
Stargazing from an urban environment can be challenging because street lights, car headlights, and indoor lighting dim the view of fainter stars. Choosing a dark‑sky site—far from artificial illumination—will let you appreciate constellations in their full brilliance.
During these times, the Big Dipper (Ursa Minor) shines as a reliable marker. Face due north, locate the three‑star arc that extends into a four‑star rectangle. The right‑hand stars of the rectangle point toward Polaris, the North Star. In addition, you’ll see Leo, Leo Minor, Bootes, Draco, and Virgo.
The Summer Triangle dominates the upper sky. Find the inverted triangle formed by Deneb (Cygnus), Vega (Lyra), and Altair (Aquila). Nearby, look for Aquila, Delphinus, Sagitta, and the 20‑star Hercules constellation to the right of Lyra.
Spot the Great Square, a set of four stars creating a square shape. The top star belongs to Andromeda, while the other three are part of Pegasus. From Andromeda’s upper‑left star you can identify the Andromeda galaxy. Also visible are Aries, Pisces, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus.
Orion stands out with its familiar hunter shape. Look for the four stars that outline the head, shoulders, arms, and legs, plus the three belt stars—one of which is the Orion Nebula. Westward lies Canis Minor and Canis Major; to the northwest, Gemini; northeast, Taurus; and you can also spot Lepus and Auriga.
