How to Identify the Zodiac Constellation Aquarius

Instructions

1. • 1
     Wait for a dark autumn evening. Aquarius is comprised of very dim stars and is hard to find on even the darkest of nights. If the moon is out or you go outside at dusk, you have little chance of identifying Aquarius.
   • 2
     Find the Great Square of Pegasus first. The Great Square is a staple of the autumn night sky. It rises in the east in northern latitudes and can be plainly seen. It comes up like a giant kite or baseball diamond and is, of course, in the shape of a huge square. Aquarius is to the east, or the right, of this shape.
   • 3
     Look at the area to the right of what would be first base if the Great Square were a baseball diamond. If you have a keen eye and a clear view of this space, you will see what looks like a small triangle with a star not quite in the center. This is the head and arms of Aquarius, which is supposed to be a man pouring water from a great jar. Other constellations that border Aquarius include Capricornus and Aquila the Eagle. Aquila contains the bright star Altair. If the Great Square is one corner of a triangle, with Altair as another, then Aquarius is in the vicinity of what would complete the triangle.
   • 4
     Glance downwards from this triangle and try to make out the "legs" of Aquarius. The Water Bearer is bowlegged for sure. The legs branch out underneath him like a pair of parenthesis. The stars that make them up are not bright by any means, but if you have the right conditions you will see them and be able to discern their shape.
   • 5
     
     

     The brightest star in Aquarius is just to the right of the triangle that forms his head and arms. It is estimated to be almost 100 times larger than our own sun. There are now more modern and alternative connections of the stars in Aquarius. In the modern version of the February Zodiac constellation, that particular star is located in the neck of the Water Bearer. The newer way astromomers connect the stars in this region does look like a man with a water jug, but the stars they connect are so faint it is difficult to jump to that conclusion.

Aquarius

The constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer represents the eleventh sign of the Zodiac. It is one of the oldest constellations recognized by the ancients. It takes a sharp eye to find Aquarius, and an even sharper one to make out its shape in the heavens

How to Identify the February Zodiac Constellation Capricornus

Instructions

1. • 1
     Smile when you look for Capricornus. This constellation is comprised of dim stars and in no way looks like a goat. However, it does look very much like a smile--a grinning outline of a mouth to be exact. It also could be construed as a triangle or even a winged bird, but never a goat.
   • 2
     Look for Capricornus in the autumn months. Just because the sea-goat is the January constellation doesn’t mean that’s the best time to observe it. There are 12 Zodiac constellations and 12 months in the year, so the ancient astrologers associated a constellation with each month. Look towards the southern horizon in autumn; you will be able to make out the outline of Capricornus.
   • 3
     Discover the Northern Cross to find Capricornus. Cygnus the Swan, also called the Northern Cross, is a great “T’ shape in the sky. It contains the bright star, Deneb. If you can find this constellation, you can use it to locate Capricornus. Simply look downwards from Cygnus. Eventually, if Capricornus is far enough above the horizon, you will see it. Delphinus the Dolphin is also just above Capricornus. The dolphin is a diamond shaped group of stars with a small tail.
   • 4
     Wait for a dark moonless evening to seek Capricornus. Your chances of spotting this collection of faint stars increases the darker it is out. Capricornus is not too bright. Its brightest star is in the northeast corner of the “mouth,” with the next brightest holding up the other corner.
   • 5
     The Archer can point the way. Capricornus is to the west of Sagittarius the Archer in the Zodiac. Sagittarius is in the midst of the Milky Way, and is in the shape of a teapot. If you can find it, then you can also find Capricornus.

     
     

Capricornus

The year-long path of the sun against the background of fixed stars is known as the ecliptic. Any constellation (a group of star that forms a pattern in the sky) given a name by the ancients that contains the ecliptic is known as a Zodiac constellation. Capricornus is one such constellation. Capricornus is associated with January in astrology and represents a sea-goat, the mythological Pan who transformed himself into a fish to escape trouble one day. Capricornus is not an easy constellation to find.

How to Find and Identify the Zodiac Constellation Sagittarius

Instructions

Difficulty:

 

Moderately Challenging

1. • 1
     Travel to a location outside a city where the sky is darker. Locate the Milky Way overhead in the night sky.
   • 2
     Trace a line from the Milky Way down to the southern horizon. Look for a formation of stars that vaguely resemble a teapot.
   • 3
     Locate the spout of the tea kettle, made up of a small triangle of stars, with one star at the bottom and two above.
   • 4
     Look for the lid of the tea kettle, to the left upper lip of the spout. The lid is composed of another triangle of stars.
   • 5
     Find the handle of the teapot, located to the left of the bottom of the lid. The handle of the teapot is a quadrilateral made up of four stars.

Sagittarius

You can see the constellation Sagittarius at different times of the year depending on where you are in the world. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you can see it during the summer months; if you live in the Southern hemisphere, then it's visible during the winter months. The Greeks and Romans thought the constellation resembled a centaur shooting an arrow into the nearby constellation Scorpius. People nowadays often recognize it as resembling a teapot and consider it easier to find when looking for that figure.

How to Find and Identify the Zodiac Constellation Scorpius

Instructions

Difficulty:

 

Moderately Easy

1. • 1
     Venture outside and look to the southwest horizon late on a summer’s evening. This is the optimum time to view Scorpius. Scorpius lies in the Milky Way, the part of our galaxy thick with stars. You will need to be able to get a clear look at the horizon to see all of Scorpius.
   • 2
     Focus your attention on the reddish star Antares. This is the heart of Scorpius. It will be above the horizon and extremely obvious. Antares is what is called a red giant star and is many times larger than our own sun. Antares dominates this area of the sky, with no other stars nearly as luminous anywhere close to it. It is 500 light years from Earth and shines with a steady red hue. Antares means “rival of Mars,” which is a reference to how red it appears in comparison to the red planet.
   • 3
     Glance to the right of Antares to see the head of Scorpius. Five stars make up the head. The constellation Libra is beyond these stars and once was included as the “scorpion’s claws.” The top of Scorpius is like a small curve of stars, with the curve coming back toward Antares.
   • 4
     Look to the southwest of Antares for the rest of the scorpion’s body. The whole of Scorpius has the appearance of a fish hook or a wavy letter “J.” From Antares and down, the stars complete this shape, culminating in the tail of the scorpion. There is a small triangle of stars that form the stinger.
   • 5
     Use binoculars to see the many notable objects in Scorpius. There are several globular clusters, or groups of stars, many light years away held together by gravity. Train your binoculars to the northwest of Antares and you will see a myriad of stars that the naked eye does not see. This part of the Milky Way is rich in stars.