The Big and Little Dipper: How to find them

How to find the Big and Little Dipper in the nighttime sky. From the Northern Hemisphere the Big Dipper is high in the sky on spring evenings.

Spring Triangle rises late at night, heralding the season

As the Northern Hemisphere enters spring, look for the spring triangle rising in the east, made up of bright beacons from three prominent constellations.

What is the Sickle in Leo?

The Sickle in Leo is an easy-to-spot backward question mark shape made of stars that marks the head and shoulders of the constellation of the lion. The moon sometimes passes in front of the Sickle's brightest star, Regulus.

Use the Southern Cross to find due south

From the Northern Hemisphere, a fairly bright North Star marks the direction north. But there's no bright star marking the direction south, as seen from the Southern Hemisphere. Instead, the Southern Cross points the way.