Meade ETX-70AT Junior Manuel D'instructions page 70

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A Roadmap to polaris
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. The Big Dipper is
usually easy to locate year round in North
America.
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
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 most observed
deep-sky objects by amateur astronomers.
Extending from the "pointer stars" of the
Big Dipper's cup is Polaris, the North Star.
Extending from Polaris is the Great Square
shared by the constellations Pegasus and
Andromeda. .
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.
star locator
The chart below lists bright stars with their R.A. and Dec coordinates, along with the Northern
Hemisphere season when these stars are prominent in the night sky. This list aids the observer
to find alignment stars at various times of the year. For example, if it is a midsummer evening
in the Northern Hemisphere, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus, would be an excellent align-
ment star, while Betelgeuse could not be used because it is in the winter constellation Orion
and thus, below the horizon.
season star Name
Spring Arcturus
Spring Regulus
Spring Spica
Summer Vega
Summer Deneb
Summer Altair
Summer Antares
Fall Markab
Fall Fomalhaut
Fall Mira
Winter Rigel
Winter Betelgeuse
Winter Sirius
Winter Aldebaran
Andromeda
pegasus
Deneb
"Summer
Cygnus
Triangle"
Vega
lyra
Altair
Aquila
Antares
Constellation R.A.
Bootes 14h16m
Leo 10h09m
Virgo 13h25m
Lyra 18h37m
Cygnus 20h41m
Aquila 19h51m
Scorpius 16h30m
Pegasus 23h05m
Pisces Austrinus s22h58m
Cetus 02h19m
Orion 05h15m
Orion 05h55m
Canis Major 06h45m
Taurus 04h35m
Rigel
orion
Betelgeuse
Gemini
Pollux
Castor
Polaris
"Sickle"
Regulus
leo
"Big Dipper"
Boötes
Arcturus
Virgo
Spica
scorpius
dec
19° 11"
11° 58"
-11° 10"
38° 47"
45° 17"
08° 52"
-26° 26"
15° 12"
-29° 38"
-02° 58"
-08° 12"
07° 25"
-16° 43"
16° 31"
Basic Astronomy 34