A field guide

Finding your way among the constellations

You don't need a telescope to start. Just a clear night, a few minutes for your eyes to adjust, and a sense of which shapes to look for first.

Start with the Big Dipper

It isn't a constellation on its own, but part of Ursa Major, and it's the easiest shape to spot in the northern sky. Look for seven bright stars forming a ladle. Once you can find it reliably, everything else gets easier.

Let it point you to Polaris

Follow the two stars at the end of the Dipper's cup, the ones farthest from the handle, and extend a line about five times their distance. That brings you to Polaris, the North Star. It won't move through the night, which makes it a steady anchor for finding everything else.

Then look for Orion

Best seen in the winter sky, Orion is unmistakable once you know it: three stars in a tight, even row form his belt, with a rough hourglass of bright stars around them. It's one of the few constellations that actually looks like what it's named for.

Before you head out

  1. Give your eyes fifteen to twenty minutes to adjust to the dark. Avoid checking your phone.
  2. Get away from streetlights if you can. Even a short walk from a porch light makes a difference.
  3. Start with one constellation a night. Trying to learn the whole sky at once is how people give up.