These pictures are taken with Stellarium as though we were in Dryden, on March 6th at 8:30pm. Keep in mind that as time goes on what you see at 8:30 will gradually shift as all the constellations will rotate around Polaris, the North Star.
Last time we talked about using Orion as a signpost, specifically his distinctive three-star belt, to locate Canis Major, Taurus and the Pleiades (if you’d like to read the first astronomy post click here for a refresher!) Today we’re going to be using the hunter’s shoulders to pinpoint Gemini and Auriga.First, locate Orion. He should still be somewhat lower, though fully visible, in the southern skies at 8:30. Anytime before 8 should be fine as well once the sun has set; past 8 he’ll begin to sink into the west.
To start we’re going to locate the Gemini twins. Two of the brightest stars in Orion are Rigel, Orion’s foot, and Betelgeuse, the right shoulder of his upraised arm. Use these two stars to travel ‘upwards’ to the stars Castor and Pollux. They might be difficult to identify at first so it might help to familiarize yourself with the shape of the twins (see pictures): they have brighter stars at their heads, long bodies, two legs each and a row of stars just below their heads represents their arms. They have often been visualized as holding hands, which you can notice in the image below.
