December to February
Winter Constellations
Braving the cold to stargaze in winter is worth it. Here are seven constellations you can observe in the Northern Hemisphere during this season:
- Gemini
- Orion
- Perseus
- Taurus
- Ursa Major
Gemini is a constellation in the northern sky and one of the constellations in the zodiac, which is the area of the sky that includes the apparent paths of the sun, moon and planets. The Gemini constellation has been described by cultures since ancient times and remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
Gemini is Latin for “twins,” although the twins identified with the constellation depend on the culture. In Egyptian astrology, the constellation was identified with twin goats, while Arabian astrology said it was twin peacocks. The Western world tends to identify these twins as Castor and Pollux from Greek myth. But other twin pairs identified with Gemini in the Western world include the older and younger Horus and the mythical founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.
Orion, known as the Hunter, is thought to be the most famous of the winter constellations because it’s the brightest and easiest to recognise. Orion constellation is one of the brightest and best known constellations in the night sky. It lies on the celestial equator. Orion has been known since ancient times.
The constellation is also known as the Hunter, as it is associated with one in Greek mythology. It represents the mythical hunter Orion, who is often depicted in star maps as either facing the charge of Taurus, the bull, pursuing the Pleiades sisters, represented by the famous open cluster, or chasing after the hare (constellation Lepus) with his two hunting dogs, represented by the nearby constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor.
The constellation Orion contains two of the ten brightest stars in the sky – Rigel (Beta Orionis) and Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis) – a number of famous nebulae – the Orion Nebula (Messier 42), De Mairan’s Nebula (Messier 43) and the Horsehead Nebula, among others – the well-known Trapezium Cluster, and one of the most prominent asterisms in the night sky – Orion’s Belt.
Perseus constellation lies in the northern sky, next to Andromeda. It was named after the hero Perseus in Greek mythology.
Perseus is one of the larger northern constellations. It was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The constellation is best known for its annual Perseid meteor shower.
It is also home to the famous variable star Algol, Beta Persei. Perseus also contains a number of famous deep sky objects, among them Messier 34, the Double Cluster, the California Nebula (NGC 1499) and the Little Dumbbell Nebula (Messier 76).
Taurus is one of the Zodiac Constellations, first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The constellation’s history, however, dates back to the Bronze Age.
Taurus constellation lies in the northern sky. Its name means “bull” in Latin. The constellation is symbolized by the bull’s head, .
Taurus is a large constellation and one of the oldest ones known. In Greek mythology, the constellation is associated with Zeus, who transformed himself into a bull in order to get close to Europa and abduct her.
Taurus is known for its bright stars Aldebaran, Elnath, and Alcyone, as well as for the variable star T Tauri. The constellation is probably best known for the Pleiades (Messier 45), also known as the Seven Sisters, and the Hyades, which are the two nearest open star clusters to Earth.
Ursa Major constellation lies in the northern sky. Its name means “the great bear,” or “the larger bear,” in Latin.
The smaller bear is represented by Ursa Minor . Ursa Major is the largest northern constellation and third largest constellation in the sky. Its brightest stars form the Big Dipper asterism, one of the most recognizable shapes in the sky, also known as the Plough. Ursa Major is well-known in most world cultures and associated with a number of myths. It was one of the constellations catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. In Greek mythology, it is associated with Callisto, a nymph who was turned into a bear by Zeus’ jealous wife Hera. To find Polaris, The North Star, from Ursa Major draw a line between Merak and Dubhe (the last two stars in the ‘pan’) and extend it up to the next bright star. You are now facing North.
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