Four Seasons of Starry Sky - A Guide to Stargazing in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter! 1. Spring night starry sky. Observers at different geographical latitudes can see different starry skies. The further south they go, the more stars they see in the southern sky. The geographical latitude of Sanya City, Hainan Island, my country is close to 18°, where you can see all the stars north of -72° declination; while the geographical latitude of Beijing is about 40°, and you can only see stars with declination greater than -50°. Because the earth rotates and revolves at the same time, it causes seasonal changes in the starry sky. At the same time at night in different seasons, the constellations in the starry sky are different. Therefore, people often divide the starry sky into four seasons according to the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. ppppBut it must be pointed out that the so-called starry sky in four seasons refers to the starry sky at dusk in each season. In fact, in any season, you can see almost all the constellations in the sky overnight, if you are willing to stay up all night. Spring Night Starry Sky The Big Dipper hanging high in the northern night sky is the most familiar star to people. Let’s start with it to learn to recognize the spring constellations. The Big Dipper is part of the Ursa Major constellation. It consists of 5 bright 2nd magnitude stars and 2 3rd magnitude stars forming a spoon shape, which is like the "dou" used by ancient people to hold wine, hence its name. As for calling it the Big Dipper, it is also different from the six Southern Dipper stars that are also arranged in a bucket shape in the Sagittarius constellation that hangs low in the summer night sky. pppp The Big Dipper is equivalent to the waist to the tail of Ursa Major. Four of the stars form the spoon, and the other three stars form the handle, as shown in Figure 39. At dusk in spring, the dipper of the Big Dipper is pointing east. Connect a straight line between the two stars Tianxuan and Tianshu at the front of the Big Dipper, and then extend the distance by 5 times, and you will encounter a bright 2nd magnitude star, which is the Polaris. This is the easiest way to find the North Star. Therefore, the two stars Tianxuan and Tianshu are also called "Zhiji stars". Since the Big Dipper is constantly orbiting around the North Star and its altitude and position change from time to time, you should practice being able to quickly find the North Star through the Big Dipper at any time. The handle of the Big Dipper is slightly curved. If you follow the arc of the three stars on the handle, you will encounter a bright orange-red star. It belongs to the constellation Boötes, and its Chinese name is Dajiao. Boötes is a larger constellation, but its structure is scattered and difficult to identify. However, it is not difficult to find it by guiding the way through the Big Dipper. If you continue to follow this arc, you will encounter another 1st magnitude star that emits bluish-white light near the ecliptic. The Chinese name of this star is Spica, and its bright and clear brilliance has been impressive since ancient times. Spica is the main star of Virgo. It is clear but not cold, beautiful but not showy, just like a dignified and beautiful girl. In ancient constellation books, Virgo appears as the image of a goddess. The stars belonging to the constellation Virgo are scattered and can be identified in stages. First, learn to identify Spica, and then from part to all, gradually become familiar with the constellation Virgo through regular observations. In the sky to the west of Spica, a white first-magnitude star shines brightly. This is the main star of Leo. Its Chinese name is Regulus. Like Spica, it is one of the nine navigation stars. In addition to Regulus, Leo also includes 2 2nd magnitude stars and 4 3rd magnitude stars, making it an easily identifiable constellation. In addition to the above, the constellations that can be seen in the spring evening include Cancer, Hydra, Corvus, etc. But these constellations are not easy to identify. Among them, the constellation Hydra is seen as a long snake formation. When the snake's head has risen due south, the snake's tail has not yet completely emerged from the eastern horizon. 2. Summer Night Starry Sky To learn to identify the summer constellations, it is best to start with Scorpio, which shines near the southern horizon. Scorpio is a powerful constellation composed of 1 fiery red 1st magnitude star, 3 2nd magnitude stars, and 10 3rd magnitude stars. It is the most magnificent constellation on the ecliptic. Among all the constellations, Scorpio is the most well-named. A long string of stars on the lower left forms a curled scorpion tail, a few stars on the upper right form a scorpion head, and two stars on the side of the head. A poisonous needle, except that the waist is rounded and the face looks like a scorpion with teeth and claws, and there is no second thought. I am in the heart of the scorpion with the ancient Antares (also known as the Great Fire). When you see the bright constellation Scorpius in the southern night sky in the evening, it tells you that the long summer has arrived. In the summer night sky, the unusually bright Milky Way is particularly eye-catching, but the brightest part of the Milky Way is still the area around the constellation Scorpius and the constellation Sagittarius to the east. There are no 1st magnitude bright stars in Sagittarius, but there are 2 2nd magnitude stars and 8 3rd magnitude stars. Although their arrangement is relatively compact, it is not easy for beginners to recognize stars. However, Sagittarius is a famous constellation in astronomy. constellation. Centaurs are also called archers. In ancient constellation books, Sagittarius is described as a monster with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse, with a bow and arrow fully drawn, aiming at the neighboring constellation Scorpio to the west. When we observe the stars in Sagittarius today, we will never come up with such a monster shape. The rich imagination of ancient people is really astonishing to today's people. The six stars from the right side of Sagittarius to the upper end of the bow are arranged in a spoon shape, called the South Dipper. Although the Southern Dipper is not as famous and brilliant as the Big Dipper, it still has the beautiful shape of the Big Dipper. The Milky Way stretches from the east side of Scorpius to the north, across the sky, and is majestic. Along the way, exactly halfway up from the eastern horizon, two crystal-clear white first-magnitude stars face each other across the Milky Way. Among them, the bright star with a lower height and located on the east bank of the Milky Way is Altair in the constellation Aquila. It is the Cowherd in Chinese folklore who looks forward to meeting the Weaver Girl on the Tangram Festival.

The higher star located on the west bank of the Milky Way is Vega in the constellation Lyra, which is just out of reach of the Cowherd and makes him suffer from lovesickness. Altair and Vega each have distinct characteristics, and it is not difficult to recognize them even if they accidentally appear from the clouds. Let’s talk about identifying Altair first. There is a fainter star on each side of Altair, and the three stars are nearly in a straight line. This is the most obvious sign to identify Altair. Then look at Vega. There are two small stars on the east side of Vega. They form an equilateral triangle with Vega. These are the two maids of Vega. According to legend, the Weaver Girl is the Jizi of the Emperor of Heaven. It is quite consistent with her identity to be followed by two maids behind Jizi. Going up the Milky Way north from the constellation Aquila, there is a white first-magnitude star about above our heads. This bright star is called Deneb. It has bright eyes and white teeth, and it shines brightly in the constellation Cygnus. If you observe carefully, Cygnus looks like a large cross, Deneb is located at the top of the cross, and the feet of the cross are facing the direction of Aquila. This cross is called the Northern Cross, corresponding to the Southern Cross in the southern sky. However, the Northern Cross is not as charming as the Southern Cross, nor is it as famous as the latter. If the feet of the cross are regarded as the head and neck of a white bird, the crossbar of the cross is regarded as the wings, Deneb is the tail of the bird, and some hazy dark stars gathered around the crossbar constitute the bird's wings, then on the moonless day At night, it looks like a big white bird soaring over the Milky Way, hence the name Cygnus. According to Chinese folklore, when it rains on the night of the Qiqiao Festival, the Cowherd will fly across the Milky Way on a big bird to meet the Weaver Girl. Cygnus should be the auspicious bird of adult beauty. In addition to the above-mentioned constellations, you can also see the small and exquisite Corona Borealis and large constellations such as Wuxian and Ophiuchus in the starry sky on summer nights. However, these four constellations are not prominent enough, so we will wait for the second issue to identify them. Tianzhong is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac, but it is also a small and faint constellation, so it will be identified later. 3. Autumn night starry sky To learn to identify the constellations on autumn nights, it is best to start with Cassiopeia, which shines brightly in the Milky Way in the northeast. Cassiopeia is composed of three 2nd magnitude stars and two 3rd magnitude stars forming a W shape. Due to its unique shape, it is easy to identify, and once you know it for the first time, you will never forget it again. Once you know Cassiopeia, you can easily find Polaris. The method is to connect the two stars on both sides of W respectively, and extend the connection until they intersect, and then connect the lead line from the intersection point a to the star in the center of W, and then extend the distance forward about 5 times to find the position of the North Star. See Figure 43. No other constellation is as easy to spot on an autumn night as Cassiopeia. Half of Perseus occupies the Milky Way, and it resembles the shape of a person's right hand making a fist with the thumb and index finger spread out. This shape is relatively abstract, and you have to observe it repeatedly to remember it. Andromeda is the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus in Greek mythology. Andromeda, Cassiopeia, and Perseus are arranged in an equilateral triangle, which can be used as a clue to identify it. To the southwest of Andromeda is the constellation Pegasus. Pegasus is a large constellation, but it is not easy to identify because of the lack of a bright star that can dominate it. One 2nd magnitude star at the western end of Andromeda and three 3rd magnitude stars on the east side of Pegasus roughly form a square, called the Pegasus Square or the Pegasus Quadrilateral. This quadrilateral is quite large. If the full moons are arranged on one side of it, it can accommodate about three full moons. Such a huge square is obviously not easy to escape our sight, so if we find this square through Andromeda, we can follow the clues and identify Pegasus. Cassiopeia's western neighbor is Cepheus, which is shaped like a chess piece, so it is a relatively easy-to-recognize constellation. The starry sky in the south on an autumn night is lonely and desolate. Scorpio is sinking, and Sagittarius is sinking in the southwest sky. Although the constellations of the zodiac such as Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries stand next to each other, they are all dim and difficult to see clearly. The true face of Mount Lu. So for beginners, making friends with them should be the next step. But amid all the darkness, there is an arrogant star that stands out, standing tall and lonely in the low sky in the south. It is Fomalhaut in the constellation Pisces Australis. Fomalhaut is dazzling, like a beautiful white gem set in the dark sky. Because there are no bright stars in the vast area around it, it is clearly visible. When you get out of school in the evening and see Fomalhaut rising in the southern sky, it means autumn is deep. And in the eyes of some people who are good at sadness, seeing the once prosperous starry sky now only a cold star staring at the shadow and feeling sorry for themselves may cause the sad mood of "the autumn is so cold that the red lines of melancholy are fading away". p 4. Winter night starry sky Winter is the busiest season of the year for the starry sky, with all the constellations competing to shine, as if a meeting of heroes in the starry world is taking place. Let’s start with the constellation Orion in the southern sky. The majestic Orion has been famous since ancient times for its three bright stars lined up in the center. These famous "Betelgeuse three stars" have shown their existence before the name Orion has even appeared. . Regardless of ancient and modern times, people at home and abroad praise and value it as a symbol of victory and glory. Because the three stars are so eye-catching and memorable, it is very easy to identify Orion. To the east and west of Betelgeuse, there are two bright first-magnitude stars distributed roughly symmetrically. The red first-magnitude star in the east is called Betelgeuse, and the blue first-magnitude star in the west is called Betelgeuse. seven. Rigel's surface temperature is about 12,000°, and its radius is about 50 times the radius of the sun. It is very huge, but compared to Betelgeuse, it can only be regarded as a dwarf.

The temperature of Betelgeuse is only 3000°, but its minimum radius is 700 times that of the sun, and its maximum radius is 1000 times. It should be called a super giant. Betelgeuse is constantly contracting and expanding irregularly. To the southwest of Betelgeuse, there is another three smaller stars winking at you, this is the Little Star. Please observe these three small stars carefully (without a telescope) on a clear, moonless night. You will find that the star in the center is different from ordinary stars. It does not have a clear outline, but only looks like a fog-like spot. , the fuzzy light spreads all around, this is the famous Orion Nebula. Orion is the name of a brave hunter. In ancient star maps, we can see a burly hunter with a stick and a shield in his hand; a sword hanging from his waist, fighting against the ferocious Taurus coming from the north. Extending the line connecting Betelgeuse to the north about 8 times, we encountered an orange 1st magnitude star, which is Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus. Aldebaran forms the right eye of Taurus. Near Aldebaran, more than ten dimmer stars form a V-shape with Aldebaran. This is the famous Hyades star cluster, one of the twenty-eight constellations in ancient China. Not far from the Hyades, six or seven mixed stars form another group called the Pleiades, also known as the Six Stars and the Seven Sisters. People with excellent eyesight can see nine stars. Notice that the stars in the Pleiades are all bluish-white. On cold days in mid-winter, the Pleiades star cluster emits a cool light near our heads, adding to the chill. Some people say that the coldness in winter is released by these stars. Do you believe it? Looking eastward from Taurus, the two brightest stars stick together affectionately and complement each other. The particularly bright 1st magnitude star to the south is called Castor, and the slightly dimmer one to the north is a 2nd magnitude star called Castor. According to Greek mythology, Pollax (the Latin name of Pollux) and Castor (i.e. Castor) were twin brothers born to the god Zeus and the nymph Leda, from which the name Gemini comes. To the north of Taurus is the constellation Auriga, whose leader is the golden second-magnitude star Capella. There are several small stars forming an elongated triangle southwest of Capella. They are reliable introductions to Capella. Extending about seven times southeast from the Rigel line in Orion, you will encounter the brightest star in the sky, called Sirius. The blue brilliance reminds people of the eyes of wild wolves flashing in the dark, hence the name. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky. The only stars brighter than it are Venus (the familiar evening star and morning star) and Jupiter. In addition, Mars is sometimes brighter than it. Sirius is in the constellation Canis Major, and correspondingly, there is Canis Minor in the south of Gemini. Canis Major is indeed small. Except for the main 1st-magnitude star Procyon, which burns the lights to fight at night, there is only one 3rd-magnitude star waving the flag for it. According to Greek mythology, the Big Dog and the Little Dog were two hounds that followed the hunter Orion. In addition, the constellations that can be seen in the winter starry sky include Eridanus, Lepus, Columba, Puppis, Sailfish, etc. But these constellations are relatively obscure and dim, so let’s get to know them in the next step. The starry sky is like a book, which is always displayed in front of you. Whoever knows how to read it can get infinite knowledge from it. Follow-up question: What about Polaris? Answer: Polaris is a single star. Please see the introduction above. Follow-up question: I want to hear your answer... Answer: Polaris is a very important indicator for outdoor activities and ancient navigation directions. It is also an important indicator for identifying direction constellations for beginners in stargazing, and for astronomical photography and the accuracy of equatorial mounts in observation rooms. Positioning, etc. are all very important. Polaris is located in the constellation Ursa Minor, about 400 light-years away from the earth. It is a star with a relatively stable brightness and position that can be seen in the night sky. Because Polaris is closest to true north, people on earth have relied on its starlight to navigate for thousands of years.