First published in the January 2023 edition of the West Dorset Magazine
When I was a kid, there were no smartphones, no sky map apps, no local stargazers that I knew of, and no-one to ask about the night sky. My dad pointed out the Plough, Orion’s Belt and the Seven Sisters, but that was it. They were all he knew. Despite being fascinated by the night sky, as most kids were and are (it was the time of the Apollo moon landings, after all), I knew no way of finding out about the night sky.
These days there’s really no excuse for not recognising constellations, we all carry smartphones around with us all the time, and there’s a plethora of sky map apps available.
But, I hear you say, why should I? What’s the point in being able to name/recognise constellations? Well, the simple answer is knowledge brings its own rewards. Plus, being able to answer a child’s question about the name of a particular pattern of stars is priceless. Likewise, pointing out a constellation or asterism to a friend or partner during an evening stroll.
Although I’ve always had an interest in astronomy, it was only when my daughter was young and asking such questions as ‘What’s that star called?’ or ‘Is that the Big Dipper?’ that I became determined to be able to answer her questions.
Once you start to recognise a few constellations they become like old friends; reliably popping up at the same time every year, regular as clockwork. And when they do reappear, the sense of familiarity, the awareness of our place in the solar system’s calendar they impart, and the knowledge that a particular constellation can herald the arrival of spring, for example, gives a warm, fuzzy feeling that unites us with humanity down the ages. The fact that stone-age people who painted Orion the hunter and Taurus the bull on cave walls tells us of their importance to early people … a connection lost to many of us these days.
Then there’s knowing the astronomical objects within the constellations: open and globular star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, etc. This takes things to another level. For example, and as I’ve mentioned in the past, just being able to point out the Andromeda galaxy to people never gets old.
For a start, why not spend an hour scanning the dark winter sky with just the naked eye, or better yet with a pair of 10×50 binoculars. Start with Draco in the north, and work your way through Ursa Major in the northeast, Gemini, Auriga and Orion in the south, through Pisces, Andromeda, Pegasus in the east, and finish up with Cygnus setting in the northwest?
Becoming familiar with the constellations is so worthwhile and rewarding, and you’re bound to spot something that piques your interest/curiosity … be it a richly coloured star, a dazzling star cluster, or even an oddly intriguing fuzzy smudge.
One last thing to look out for: Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is binocular visible low in the northwest just after sunset, but rises again just after midnight, and will be nicely positioned for observing pre-dawn.
The astro guy 