Constellations Visible in North America

Constellations

• Patterns found in stars.
• Used by astronomers to find objects in the night sky.
• Used for navigational purposes before technological advancements.

Orion (Orion the Hunter)

• Represents a hunter holding a bow.
• Belt of the hunter (three stars) form the waist, visible throughout most of the year, especially in winter.
• Betelgeuse and Rigel are two of the brightest stars in the sky within this constellation.
• The stars Betelgeuse and Rigel, along with the stars of the belt, allowed navigators and travelers to judge their direction for travel.

Ursa Major (Big Bear)

• Visible throughout most of North America.
• Contains the Big Dipper in the upper left portion.
• Drawing a line through the two stars that form the far edge of the cup of the Big Dipper leads to the North Star (Polaris).
• Polaris does not change position in the night sky; all other stars appear to revolve around it.

Cygnus (The Swan/Northern Cross)

• Flies across the sky with a bright star, Deneb, at one end.

Scorpius

• Looks like a scorpion.
• Brightest star is Antares, which has a reddish hue and is nicknamed the rival to Mars.

Cassiopeia (The Queen)

• Named after an Ethiopian queen from Greek mythology.
• Surrounded by constellations associated with the legend of Perseus, including Pegasus.
• Appears close to the North Star and is visible year-round from North America.
• Appears as either a W or an M depending on the time of night and year.