The horizon line is curved in order to preserve the geometry of objects in the sky. As you turn your head from side to side, you will be looking in the compass direction indicated by those numbers. The numbers along the white “Your Horizon” curve at the bottom of the map are compass points, shown on degrees. When getting your bearings under the stars, it’s often easiest to spot an asterism and use it as a guide to finding the parent constellation. These are distinctive star patterns that lie within constellations. The items labeled in green on the sky map are known as asterisms. If you are substantially south of these areas, everything on our map will appear higher in your sky. If you are located substantially north of these areas, objects on our map will appear lower in your sky, and some objects near the horizon will not be visible at all. states, southern Canada, central and southern Europe, central Asia, and Japan. The map is accurate for any location at a so-called “mid northern” latitude. For example, if the map legend says “Looking Southeast,” you should face southeast when using the map. The legend on the map always tells you which direction you should facing, based on midnight viewing. Instead, the map focuses on a particular region of the sky each month where something interesting is happening. Our monthly sky map does not show the entire sky which would be almost impossible. Sky map produced using Chris Marriott’s Skymap Pro Note: How to Read the Sky Map With that, we’ll leave you to explore and enjoy the May night sky!Ĭlick here or on map below to enlarge ( PDF). The Summer Triangle will be prominent in the sky from now well into autumn. These two stars, plus brilliant Altair, comprise the three corners of the large asterism known as the Summer Triangle, marked in purple on our Sky Map below. We’ve already mentioned that Vega and Deneb can help you to find two lovely asterisms. Yes, it’s a lopsided house, but no more lopsided than the ones we all drew as children. The left side of our sky map features The House, an asterism within the constellation Cepheus, the King. The name “Deneb” is derived from the Arabic word for “tail,” and indeed Deneb sits at the tail of the Swan. Deneb and the Northern Cross are part of the large constellation Cygnus, the Swan. To the lower left is the bright star Deneb, marking the tip of the Northern Cross, which lies on its side at this time of year. Its exquisite and geometrically perfect shape is a wonder. Beneath Vega is a small but beautifully symmetrical asterism, the Parallelogram. The star Vega in the small constellation Lyra, the Lyre, achieved notoriety as home to the fictional aliens who sent a message to Earth in the 1997 Jodie Foster film Contact. The Dragon’s Headīetween the Little Dipper and The Kite slithers the body of Draco, the Dragon, which culminates in the Dragon’s Head, a four-sided asterism that shows up well when viewed from a dark location.īelow the Dragon’s Head, look for two very bright stars that point the way to a great pair of asterisms, one small and the other quite large. From brightly lit suburbs, you’ll see only Polaris and the brighter stars of the dipper’s bowl. At the end of the dipper’s handle is Polaris, the North Star. Off to the left, look for the Little Dipper asterism, part of the constellation Ursa Minor, the Lesser Bear. The bright star Arcturus anchors the tail of The Kite. It’s a sloppy-looking kite, to be sure, but the shape is certainly suggestive of one-enough so that it can help you to get your bearings and find Boötes. Higher in the sky lies Boötes, the Herdsman, whose main stars form an asterism known as The Kite. In my opinion, this semicircle of stars looks far more like a tiara than a crown, so The Tiara it is, at least for me. Hercules is a sprawling constellation, the fifth largest in the sky, but the distinctive shape of the Keystone really stands out.Ībove and to the right of the Keystone is the constellation Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. Who knows? Your names might catch on! The Keystoneįor a fine example of an asterism, look near the center of this month’s star map for the Keystone, a compact pattern of four stars that lies within the constellation Hercules, the Hero. If you wish, feel free to identify and name your own asterisms. Their names have come into popular usage because they are a convenience-an easy way to navigate the sky. Unlike constellations, asterisms are entirely “unofficial.” There is no international organization or governing body that assigns names to asterisms. Advertisement Just click here or on the image below to open the printable map-then bring outside!Īn asterism is an easily recognized star pattern that lies within a constellation.
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