Constellation observation

The sky and horizon move with Earth's rotation, orbit, and simulation time.

Use your current location

Find by address

Address

Latitude

Longitude

Selected observation point

37.5665°, 126.978°

Preparing the 3D scene…

Three clues for reading the scene

Constellations are 88 addresses in the sky
The IAU constellations are not just line drawings. Their boundaries divide the entire sky without gaps, so an object being ‘in’ a constellation means it lies inside that region.
SourceIAU(opens in new tab)
Stars in the same picture can be far apart
Constellation stars only overlap along our line of sight from Earth and may sit at very different distances. From another place in the galaxy, the familiar shape would change.
SourceNASA Space Place(opens in new tab)
The starry sky runs about four minutes early each day
Stars rise about four minutes earlier than the night before. That adds up to roughly two hours in a month, gradually changing the seasonal constellations visible at the same clock time.
SourceNASA JPL(opens in new tab)

Greek, Roman, and other traditionsYear-round · highest in spring

Ursa Major

How to find it Begin with the bowl and handle of the Big Dipper, then widen your view to trace the Great Bear's body and legs around it.

In Greek tradition, Callisto and Arcas become bears placed in the sky. Across cultures, the same seven bright stars have also been read as a dipper, a plough, or hunters pursuing a bear.

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Greek traditionYear-round · high in autumn and winter

Cassiopeia

How to find it Look across Polaris from the Big Dipper for five bright stars forming a clear W or M.

Queen Cassiopeia's boast about beauty was said to anger the sea nymphs and set Andromeda's ordeal in motion. Nearby Andromeda, Perseus, Cepheus, and Cetus therefore read like one connected scene.

SourceNASA GSFC(opens in new tab)

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Greek and eastern Mediterranean traditionAutumn evenings

Andromeda

How to find it From the northeastern corner of the Great Square of Pegasus, follow two streams of stars that open into an A-like figure.

Andromeda is chained by the sea as a sacrifice to save her kingdom, then rescued from the sea monster by Perseus returning from his encounter with Medusa. The tale binds several neighboring constellations into one broad sky picture.

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Many cultures · Greek nameWinter evenings

Orion

How to find it Start with the three nearly aligned belt stars; red Betelgeuse and blue Rigel then reveal the larger rectangle around them.

Many ancient cultures saw a human figure here. Ancient Indian tradition described a king struck by an arrow, Egyptian tradition connected the belt with Osiris, and Arab observers saw a giant; today's name comes from the Greek hunter Orion.

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Babylonian astronomy · Greek traditionSummer evenings

Scorpius

How to find it Begin at red Antares low in the southern sky and follow the curving chain of stars down to its hooked tail.

This ancient zodiac constellation became the scorpion sent to punish Orion's pride in Greek tradition. In the real sky Scorpius rises as Orion sets, inspiring the idea that the two are forever kept apart.

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Greek and Arab traditionsSummer through autumn

Cygnus

How to find it Follow the Milky Way to bright Deneb and the large cross-shaped pattern known as the Northern Cross.

Its long neck and short tail were read as a bird or hen before the figure became linked with several Greek swan myths. It preserves overlapping traditions rather than one single canonical story.

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Constellation observation

The sky and horizon move with Earth's rotation, orbit, and simulation time.

Use your current location

Find by address

Address

Latitude

Longitude

Selected observation point

37.5665°, 126.978°

Preparing the 3D scene…

Three clues for reading the scene

Constellations are 88 addresses in the sky
The IAU constellations are not just line drawings. Their boundaries divide the entire sky without gaps, so an object being ‘in’ a constellation means it lies inside that region.
SourceIAU(opens in new tab)
Stars in the same picture can be far apart
Constellation stars only overlap along our line of sight from Earth and may sit at very different distances. From another place in the galaxy, the familiar shape would change.
SourceNASA Space Place(opens in new tab)
The starry sky runs about four minutes early each day
Stars rise about four minutes earlier than the night before. That adds up to roughly two hours in a month, gradually changing the seasonal constellations visible at the same clock time.
SourceNASA JPL(opens in new tab)

Greek, Roman, and other traditionsYear-round · highest in spring

Ursa Major

How to find it Begin with the bowl and handle of the Big Dipper, then widen your view to trace the Great Bear's body and legs around it.

In Greek tradition, Callisto and Arcas become bears placed in the sky. Across cultures, the same seven bright stars have also been read as a dipper, a plough, or hunters pursuing a bear.

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Greek traditionYear-round · high in autumn and winter

Cassiopeia

How to find it Look across Polaris from the Big Dipper for five bright stars forming a clear W or M.

Queen Cassiopeia's boast about beauty was said to anger the sea nymphs and set Andromeda's ordeal in motion. Nearby Andromeda, Perseus, Cepheus, and Cetus therefore read like one connected scene.

SourceNASA GSFC(opens in new tab)

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Greek and eastern Mediterranean traditionAutumn evenings

Andromeda

How to find it From the northeastern corner of the Great Square of Pegasus, follow two streams of stars that open into an A-like figure.

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Many cultures · Greek nameWinter evenings

Orion

How to find it Start with the three nearly aligned belt stars; red Betelgeuse and blue Rigel then reveal the larger rectangle around them.

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Babylonian astronomy · Greek traditionSummer evenings

Scorpius

How to find it Begin at red Antares low in the southern sky and follow the curving chain of stars down to its hooked tail.

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Greek and Arab traditionsSummer through autumn

Cygnus

How to find it Follow the Milky Way to bright Deneb and the large cross-shaped pattern known as the Northern Cross.

Its long neck and short tail were read as a bird or hen before the figure became linked with several Greek swan myths. It preserves overlapping traditions rather than one single canonical story.

SourceChandra(opens in new tab)

Constellation observation

Set observation point

Use your current location

Find by address

Constellations feel more three-dimensional when you know what you are seeing

Three clues for reading the scene

Constellations are 88 addresses in the sky

Stars in the same picture can be far apart

The starry sky runs about four minutes early each day

Every constellation carries a sky story

Ursa Major

Cassiopeia

Andromeda

Orion

Scorpius

Cygnus

Constellation observation

Set observation point

Use your current location

Find by address

Constellations feel more three-dimensional when you know what you are seeing

Three clues for reading the scene

Constellations are 88 addresses in the sky

Stars in the same picture can be far apart

The starry sky runs about four minutes early each day

Every constellation carries a sky story

Ursa Major

Cassiopeia

Andromeda

Orion

Scorpius

Cygnus