APPENDIX
D
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25
Appendix D: ROADMAP TO THE STARS
The night sky is filled with wonder and intrigue. You too can
enjoy exploring the universe simply by following a few pointers
on a roadmap to the stars.
First, find the Big Dipper, which is part of the constellation Ursa
Major. (It is in the center of Fig. 38.) The Big Dipper is usually
easy to locate year round in North America due to its proximity
to the North Star, Polaris.
Extending directly out from the far side of the Big Dipper’s cup
is the constellation Orion. One of the most exquisite areas of
the winter sky, Orion is distinguished by two bright stars, Rigel
and Betelgeuse, and Orion’s belt, which is marked by three
stars in a row. The Orion Nebula is located south of the belt
and is one of the deep-sky objects most observed by amateur
astronomers.
Extending from the pointer stars (end stars) of the Big Dipper’s
cup is Polaris, the closest star to the northernmost point of the
celestial sphere. Extending from Polaris is the Great Square
shared by the constellation Pegasus and Andromeda. Within
Andromeda is the Andromeda Galaxy, the closest large galaxy
to our solar system at about 2.2 million light-years away.
The Summer Triangle is a notable region in the sky to the left
of the handle of the Big Dipper. The triangle is made up of three
very bright stars: Vega, Deneb, and Altair.
By drawing an imaginary line outward from the handle of the
Big Dipper you reach the southern constellation Scorpius.
Scorpius curves to the left like the tail of a scorpion in the sky,
or like letter “J.”
Amateur astronomers commonly use the phrase “Arc to
Arcturus and spike to Spica” to refer to the area directly off
the arc in the handle of the Big Dipper. Follow the arc to
Arcturus, the second brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere,
then spike down to Spica, the 16th brightest star in the sky.
Now follow the arc in the handle of the Big Dipper in the
opposite direction and you reach another famous arc called
The Sickle, in the constellation Leo.
Fig. 38: Road Map to the Stars.
