Star Hopping

~by Chris Curwin, Astronomy by the Bay

“Star Hopping”…using familiar patterns to help you find unfamiliar objects in the night sky, is a great method used by most amateur astronomers like me. You don’t need a telescope… a pair of binoculars or your eyes will be just fine. Check the photos for some familiar patterns and some easy “new” targets. 🙂 (All illustrations courtesy earthsky.org).

Star Hopping– An Easy Way to Learn the Night Sky

 Photograph of the Big Dipper pointing to Polaris.
The “Big Dipper”… perhaps the most familiar pattern of stars in the night sky, and the stars Merak and Dubhe in the pot, which point to Polaris, our North Star… and the first star in the handle of the asterism known as the Little Dipper. This picture shows star hopping from Dubhe to Polaris.

Photograph of Cassiopeia, Polaris, and Ursa Major
Ursa Major (containing the Big Dipper asterism) also allows us to find the constellation of Cassiopeia. Follow the “pointer stars” in the Big Dipper to find Polaris, and then star hop on to Cassiopeia.

Photograph of West, Winter Evening Sky showing Constellation Andromeda and Great Square of Pegasus
The Great Square of Pegasus, now high in the west on winter evenings. Start from the star on the top left of the square, star hop two stars to the left to the star Mirach, then above Mirach to the star Mu, and then the same distance again above Mu to the Andromeda Galaxy.

Photograph of the Southern Winter Sky late at night showing Constellation Orion while Star Hopping from Sirius to Aldebaran
The belt in the Orion constellation is also another great sign post… with the three stars pointing down, star hop going in a straight line to the left to the bright star Sirius, then reverse direction upward through Orion’s Belt and hop to the right to the red supergiant Aldebaran in Taurus.


Questions?  You can contact me on Facebook at Astronomy by the Bay.  Thanks.

More from Astronomy by the Bay~

Learning the Night Sky
Favourite Binocular Targets
“Sign Posts” for Navigating the Night Sky

Astronomy by the Bay (web)
Astronomy by the Bay (Facebook)


 

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