Constellations, Planets, and Astronomical Events Visible in April, 2023

Written and Compiled by Alyssa Whalen

April is Global Astronomy Month! Every April, Astronomers Without Borders encourages everyone to go out and observe. Astronomers Without Borders is a nonprofit organization that focuses on astronomy outreach. Their goal is to study and share the wonders of the universe across the borders of nations, so that everyone has a chance to experience our night sky. To learn more about Astronomers Without Borders, visit their website here.

Spring is officially here! While the weather in Ohio doesn’t always show it, the astronomical start of the spring season is behind us. The vernal equinox occurred on March 21, so from now until the autumnal equinox in September, the sun will shine more hours per day than the stars. While this does mean less time for observing every night, the nicer weather will make staying out late much more comfortable. This month the sun rises around 6:55 am and sets around 8:10 pm; although, the exact time changes slightly, since approximately 2 minutes and 30 seconds of daylight is added everyday.

The full moon rises early this month on April 6th. April’s full moon has many names, but the most popular is the Pink Moon. This has nothing to do with the moon’s color; instead, it is because this time of year is when the first flowers of spring bloom. For many Native American tribes, this was the wild ground phlox, a vibrant pink flower, hence the nickname Pink Moon. The coastal tribes nicknamed April’s full moon the Fish Moon, because this is when the American shad fish swam upstream to spawn. The new moon and darkest skies this month occur on April 20th. With a little luck with weather, the days around this time will be the best times to observe.

The Lyrids meteor shower is visible this month. This meteor shower runs annually from April 16th – 25th; this year, it peaks on the night of April 22nd with an expected 20 meteors per hour. The radiant point of the meteor shower is between the constellations Lyra and Hercules, which will be on the eastern horizon after 11:00 pm. It will be best observed after midnight, as the radiant point will become higher in the sky as the night goes on.

Mercury is at its greatest eastern elongation this month on April 11th. This means Mercury will be at its highest elevation in the sky just after sundown. Mercury is typically difficult to observe due to its proximity to the sun, but it will be in its best observing conditions during greatest elongation. It will be visible in mid-April, and it will be above the horizon from sunset until 9:45 pm. Venus is also visible after sundown for a few hours before it sets around 11:30 pm. Beside the sun and moon, Venus is the brightest object visible in our sky; it is brighter than the stars and the other planets during the intervals it is far enough from the sun to be visible

Currently, a straight line can be drawn from Earth to Jupiter through the sun. Jupiter is completely obscured, and will not be visible in the night sky this month. As the planets move through their orbits, Jupiter will eventually drift westward from the sun from our perspective on Earth, so it will creep above the horizon before sunrise, but it will not be observable again until June. But, just as we lose one gas giant, the other finds its way back into our sky. Saturn will be visible in the later part of April as it finishes its journey behind the sun. It rises at 3 am, about 4 hours before sunrise, but it will still be close to the horizon, and therefore difficult to observe until May. As the year progresses, it will rise earlier in the morning, so it will be easier to observe.

Mars can currently be found within the constellation Gemini, which will be in the western sky at sundown. It is only above the horizon for half the night, as it will set around 1:20 am, but it will be perfectly visible in that time given clear weather conditions. Uranus is already below the horizon by the time the sky is dark enough, and Neptune will rise close to Saturn, but its proximity to the sun and large distance from Earth will make it nearly impossible to observe. Both ice giants require very dark skies and clear conditions to view. Even with that, they cannot be seen with the unaided eye due to their distance from Earth.

It’s time to start saying goodbye to our favorite winter constellations. Orion and Taurus are on the western horizon around 10pm, so they will only be visible for a few hours after sunset. Without the famous hunter to guide us, we have to turn northward to the tried-and-true pointer stars in Ursa Major.

The Big Dipper, made up of a section of stars within Ursa Major, is the most popular navigational tool in the northern hemisphere’s sky. At Ohio’s latitude, it will never set below the horizon at any point throughout the year, so it is usable year round. In April, The Big Dipper will be found eastward from Polaris after sundown, and it will revolve counterclockwise around the North Star as the night goes on. Once you have found the Big and Little Dippers, Draco the Dragon weaves between the two ladles toward the northeastern horizon. Later in the night, around midnight, the constellations Hercules, Lyra and Cygnus will rise on the eastern horizon. These three constellations can be found by following Draco to the dragon’s head. This will also put you in the prime location to view the Lyrids meteor shower after midnight on April 22nd.

Pictured Below: The northeastern night sky at midnight the morning of April 15th

Sources:

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/sights-to-see.html

https://my.astronomerswithoutborders.org/home

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/@5165418?month=4&year=2023

http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2023.html

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/@5165418

https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20230423_10_100

https://stellarium-web.org/

Image credits:

Mercury: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/mercury

Venus: Brocken Inaglory: https://www.jacksonville.com/story/lifestyle/2018/05/04/looking-up-venus-and-jupiter-share-evening/12312263007/

Lyrids Meteor Shower :https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/lyrid-meteor-shower-back-here-s-how-see-april-s-ncna993891

Lyrids Radiant Point: https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20230423_10_100

Constellations: https://stellarium-web.org/

Constellations, Planets, and Astronomical Events Visible in March 2023

Written and Compiled by Alyssa Whalen

Happy spring season everyone! The astronomical start of the season is marked by the vernal equinox which occurs March 20th, but we’ll have to wait and see whether the weather will reflect the season. The vernal (spring) equinox is a special point in Earth’s orbit around the sun where the Earth’s tilt is perpendicular to the sun. The two equinoxes are most widely known for being the two days out of the year when the sun spends the same amount of time above the horizon as it does below. So from March 20th until the autumnal equinox in September, the sun will be shining more than the stars are out every day.

March’s full moon rises the night of March 7th this year. As March is the start of the spring season, classically tied to warming weather and rainfall, Native Americans named the full moon the Worm moon. This season’s changing weather softened the ground, so earthworms are commonly found on the surface. March’s new moon occurs just after the vernal equinox on the night of the 21st. The dark skies during this time are the best nights to observe fainter objects, but the best views will be found far away from city lights. 

Venus and Jupiter are at their closest approach on March 2nd! The two planets will be visible after sundown at 6:30 until the planets set around 9 pm. Weather permitting, the planets will be clearly visible with the naked eye and binoculars, but they are still too far apart to be viewed together using a telescope. The lunar occultation of Venus also occurs later this month on the 24th. A lunar occultation is when an object is obscured by the moon from our perspective on Earth. The occultation itself will not be visible from Ohio, but we will be able to see Venus approach the moon that night.

Saturn is slowly peeking out from behind the sun in the early mornings. Later in the month, Saturn rises before sunrise at around 6 am, but will vanish after the sun rises. Mercury and Neptune are currently too close to the sun from our point of view on Earth to see. Uranus will be visible in the early part of the month, but it will be difficult to spot without a telescope. Conversely, Mars will be perfectly visible to the unaided eye from sunset until it sets around 3 am. 

The γ-Normid meteor shower peaks in the morning of March 15th in the constellation Norma. The radiant point of the shower is on the horizon in the southern sky, which makes the shower difficult to view, but it is still possible to see meteors throughout the sky at a much lower rate. The constellation is below the horizon until early in the morning, and at this time of year it will not be fully above the horizon, so the best time to view the meteor shower will be between 5:00 am and sunrise at 7:45.

As we transition to the spring season, I want to take this opportunity to discuss popular guide stars that are up this season. These stars are bright enough to be seen in even Columbus’ night sky, and they can be used to orient yourself as you stargaze.

The most popular constellation this time of year is Orion the hunter, which can be found in the southern/southwestern sky at sundown. It is most often recognized by “Orion’s Belt”, the three stars in the center of the constellation. Above the belt is the bright star Betelgeuse (left shoulder), and below the belt is Rigel (right foot). Following the belt westward leads to the bright star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus, and following the belt eastward leads to Sirius in the constellation Canis Major, the brightest star in our sky. Drawing a line between Rigel and Betelgeuse, and following it further overhead will point you directly to the constellation Gemini, with its characteristic twin bright stars Castor and Pollux. Castor is the brighter of the two stars, and Pollux is the slightly dimmer star further eastward. The bright star east of Orion, between Gemini and Canis Major is Procyon in Canis Minor

The sky is constantly changing as the seasons pass, but this guide will help you navigate the bright stars of the spring sky.

Sources:

http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2023.html

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/@5165418

https://in-the-sky.org/newscal.php?year=2023&month=3&maxdiff=7

https://www.theplanetstoday.com/index.html

https://stellarium-web.org/

Image Credits:

Orbit Diagram: https://www.weather.gov/cle/Seasons

Venus/Jupiter:https://www.woodtv.com/weather/weather-news/look-up-venus-and-jupiter-in-conjunction-next-week/

γ-Normid Meteor Shower: https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20230315_10_100

Bright Stars: https://stellarium-web.org/

Constellations, Planets, and Astronomical Events Visible in February 2023

Written and compiled by Alyssa Whalen

While winter brings cold winds and slippery sidewalks, it also brings long nights to go out and observe! However, the long nights are growing shorter with each passing day. On average, approximately 2 minutes and 26 seconds of daylight is added every day this month. The sun rises around 7:30 am, and sets around 6:10 pm every evening, though it varies slightly every day.

February’s full moon occurs the night of February 5th. This full moon has two names given by Native American Tribes. The first, and most common name is the Snow moon, named for the heavy snowfall experienced during this time of year. However, the winter months also made hunting difficult, which is how it also got the nickname the Hunger moon. February’s new moon occurs later in the month on February 20th. In the lucky event that the sky is clear this winter, the best time to observe is always during a new moon, since the moon’s bright shine can make fainter objects impossible to view.

February is not a great month to view planets this year, unless Mars is your favorite. Mars continues to have perfect visibility with its iconic red glow in the sky. It will be observable from sundown until 3:00 am every night. Venus and Jupiter are also visible, though not as clearly as Mars. Venus is far enough away from the sun to be observable just after sunset in the early evenings. Jupiter is moving closer to the sun from our perspective. This month, it rises during the day, and sets a few hours after sundown at 9:30. It will continue to rise closer to sunrise and set closer to sunset, until there is a period of time where it is completely obscured by the sun. This is the reason Saturn is currently not visible; it is being obscured by the sun. Neptune and Mercury are too close to the sun to observe.Uranus is only partially illuminated by the sun and very far away. This combination makes the planet very difficult to observe with the naked eye.

With some luck and clear skies it is still possible to catch the once-in-a-lifetime comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) this month. As days pass, it will travel from the northern area of the sky near Polaris, across the zenith and fade near the south western area. The comet will be brightest on February 1st and 2nd in the constellation Camelopardalis, but the nearly full moon will make naked eye observing impossible without a perfectly dark and clear sky. In the best conditions, the comet will reach magnitude 5.0, which is equivalent to the brightness of the faintest stars that are visible with the unaided eye. Despite the obstacles to naked eye observers, the comet will be visible with a telescope until March, but with a rapidly decreasing brightness. An article on EarthSky recommends waiting until February 10th if this is your first time trying to locate a comet. It will be close to Mars and the constellation Taurus at that time (western sky at sunset), and it can be captured in a 30 second long exposure. This is a wonderful opportunity for amature astronomers, space enthusiasts and students of all kinds to explore Earth’s night sky.

(February 2, 6am)

Auriga is a lesser known constellation that is directly overhead between sundown and midnight. Auriga is Latin for Charioteer, and it is located on top of Taurus. In fact, the two constellations share the star Elnath, which is known as both Beta Tauri and Gamma Aurigae. While looking for Taurus is the easiest way to find Auriga, it can also be identified by the bright star Capella that is located to the west of the constellation Gemini.

Northwest of Auriga is the constellation Perseus, named for the mythological Greek hero. Perseus is most well known to be the home of the Alpha Persei Star Cluster. This cluster is found through the star Mirfak, the brightest star in Perseus; however, the star cluster contains many stars within the constellation.

North of Perseus is Camelopardalis. Its name translates to “spotted camel,” so despite expectations, the constellation actually depicts a giraffe. The stars outlining the constellation are extremely faint to view with the naked eye, and can only be seen in dark skies.

Sources:

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/@5165418?month=2&year=2023

http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2023.html

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/@5165418

https://www.theplanetstoday.com/

https://astronomy.com/news/videos/2023/01/comet-c2022-e3-ztf-this-week-in-astronomy-with-dave-eicher#:~:text=The%20comet%20may%20reach%20naked,late%20January%20into%20early%20February.&text=Comet%20C%2F2022%20E3%20(ZTF)%2C%20seen%20here%2C,visible%20with%20the%20naked%20eye.

https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/new-comet-might-get-bright-enough-for-binoculars/

https://stellarium-web.org/

Images:

Snow Moon: https://www.space.com/35627-february-full-moon.html Image credit: Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu Agency/Getty

Solar System Orbits: https://www.theplanetstoday.com/

Comet Location: https://stellarium-web.org/

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF): https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/new-comet-might-get-bright-enough-for-binoculars/ Image by Luke Oxlade

Constellations: https://stellarium-web.org/

Written and compiled by Alyssa Whalen

The days grow shorter and colder as we enter December, but that just means we have more nighttime to go out and observe! The winter solstice occurs on December 21st this year. The winter solstice is the astronomical start of the winter season and the shortest day of the year (for the northern hemisphere). This year, the sun will rise on December 21st at 7:51am and set that evening at 5:09pm, resulting in 9 hours and 18 minutes of daylight on the winter solstice. From that point on, the days will grow gradually longer until the summer solstice next year.

This month’s full moon occurs on December 8th. Native Americans called this moon the Cold moon as this time of year is when the cold weather comes in force. The new moon will occur near the solstice on December 23rd. This new moon provides wonderful observing conditions (weather permitting) for stargazing during the winter holidays and the meteor shower occurring later in the month.

In fact, there are two meteor showers occurring this month. The Geminids are the crown jewels of meteor showers, occurring annually from December 7-17. This meteor shower peaks December 13th and 14th with an incredible 120 meteors per hour! The nearly third-quarter moon will make the faintest meteors difficult to see, but the high rate will surely put on a show regardless. This meteor shower will radiate from the constellation Gemini, so the best viewing will be close to 10pm when Gemini is on the eastern horizon and the moon is still below the horizon. The second meteor shower is the Ursids, which run annually from December 17-25. This year, it peaks the night of the winter solstice on December 21st, producing 5-10 meteors per hour. The meteors will originate from the constellation Ursa Minor. The nearly new moon will aid in the viewing, but light pollution from cities could make the shower difficult to enjoy.

Mars is in opposition this month. On the night of December 8th, the red planet will shine brightly from sun down to sun up. Opposition means Mars will be on the exact opposite side of Earth than the sun, so it will be fully illuminated and above the horizon all night. This will be the best time to view mars with and without a telescope, although a telescope will still be needed to view the martian surface. This month also provides an opportunity to view Mercury at its greatest eastern elongation on December 21st. Greatest elongation is when a planet interior to Earth (either Mercury or Venus) is at its apparent furthest distance from the Sun. This allows decent visibility either right before sunrise (during western elongation) or right after sunset (during eastern elongation). The Sun typically makes viewing interior planets difficult, but viewing at maximum elongation provides the best conditions. Eastern elongation means Mercury will be visible for nearly an hour in the western sky after the sun has set.

Venus is close to the sun most of the month, but will be visible in the evening sky close to the horizon right after sunset. It will become easier to observe later in the month, but it will remain difficult to observe. Jupiter is visible for approximately half the night, as it sets at 1am; however, it will still be easily observed with the naked eye. Saturn continues to rise earlier and earlier, soon it will be below the horizon during the night. For this month, it rises in the late morning and sets around 9pm. Neptune is near Jupiter for much of the month, setting near midnight; however, its distance makes observing even with a telescope difficult. Uranus is up for most of the night, setting near 4:30 am this month.

The winter season officially starts this month! Therefore, it’s time to highlight the most popular winter constellation: Orion (and Taurus). The full constellation of Orion will be above the horizon around 7:30 pm, but it will be best observed after 9 pm when it is higher in the sky. The constellation Orion is most recognized by the 3 stars that make up his belt, and by the bright red star that burns on his shoulder: Betelgeuse. To find the constellation Taurus, follow Orion’s belt westward in the sky until you find the bright star Aldebaran. This star is the bull’s forehead. Drawing a line between Aldebaran and the constellation Gemini (found by the twin bright stars Castor and Pollux slightly north of Orion) will highlight the easternmost horn of the bull. While Orion is an iconic constellation, the Hunter and the Bull are also home to many celestial objects. The most notable are the Pleiades, and the Hyades, two star clusters located within Taurus, as well as M42: the Orion Nebula which is located just under Orion’s belt. This nebula is one of the brightest in our sky, and it can be seen with the naked eye if the sky is dark enough. There are many other objects of note within these two constellations: NGC 1662, Messier 78, and NGC 1647 to name a few. So get out your telescopes and see what you can find!

Happy Observing!

Sources:

http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2022.html

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/@5165418

https://stellarium-web.org/

Image Credits:

Orbit Diagram: https://www.weather.gov/cle/Seasons

Geminids Shower: https://wtop.com/the-space-place/2020/12/geminid-meteor-shower-what-to-know-for-dec-13-14/

Ursids Shower: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/spot-decembers-ursid-meteors/

Orion/Taurus: https://messengermountainnews.com/taurus-the-bull-and-the-pleiades-seven-sisters/

Constellations, Planets, and Astronomical Events Visible in November 2022; Written and compiled by Alyssa Whalen

As the weather quickly turns colder, it is time to get on your sweaters and go out to observe! Now that we are well into fall, the days are growing noticeably shorter. This month, the average duration of daylight is around 10 hours with the sun rising around 7:15 am (after daylight savings ends) and setting near 5:15 pm. Each day, an average of 2 minutes of daylight is lost as we near the winter solstice next month.

November’s full moon, known most commonly as the Beaver Moon, will occur November 8th. November is the best time to set the beaver traps, giving the full moon its nickname among Native Americans. Also on November 8th is a lunar eclipse, where the Earth passes between the moon and the sun. From our perspective, the moon turns red as the Earth’s atmosphere scatters the sun’s light onto the lunar surface. From Columbus, we will not get a great view of the eclipse, but if you want to make an attempt, the eclipse will occur near moonset on the morning of November 8th. This month’s new moon occurs November 23rd, so the best nights to observe will be later in the month.

There are two meteor showers reaching their peak this month. The first is the Taurids, which runs from September 7th to December 10th. This year, it reaches its peak on November 4th producing 5-10 meteors per hour around the constellation Taurus. Due to the light pollution in Columbus combined with the nearly full moon and low rate of meteors, it will be difficult to observe this year. You will have better luck observing the second meteor shower: the Leonids. This shower runs from November 6th through 30th, and it peaks November 17th. The shower’s peak will produce nearly 15 meteors per hour, and will be best observed in the early morning when Leo is above the horizon.

Uranus is in opposition this month. On November 9th, Uranus will be at its closest approach to Earth, and it will be fully lit by the sun. It will also stay above the horizon from sun down to sun up. Despite these advantages, it will still be very difficult to see without aid due to its distance. Mercury and Venus will be too close to the sun to see clearly for most of the month, but will begin to appear near the end of November. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will are still very clearly visible this month. Mars will rise soon after sundown and stay up past sunrise. Jupiter and Saturn both rise before sundown, and will set during the night around 2:30 am and 11:30 pm respectively. Neptune is too far to see with the naked eye or small telescopes in present conditions.

As we get closer to winter, Taurus and Orion rise earlier in the night. Taurus rises in the eastern sky around 9pm, with Orion close behind rising near 10:30pm. These constellations will continue to rise earlier and earlier as we move into the new year, and are best viewed in January-March, which is how Orion got its nickname ‘the winter constellation’. If you want to catch the Leonids meteor shower peak, you’ll have to stay up until the early hours of the morning for Leo to rise. The lion crosses the horizon around 2am, so it would be better if you were to wake up before sunrise to view the meteor shower rather than staying up late.

Pisces, Pegasus and Andromeda are in their prime observing conditions. They are overhead around 9 pm, but they are visible into the early morning. If you look southward of the constellation Cassiopeia, you will find Andromeda (both the galaxy M31 and constellation) and one of the twin fish of Pisces. Once you find Pisces, the constellation Pegasus is between the two fish and connected with Andromeda.

Happy Observing!

Sources:

http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2022.html

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/columbus

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/@5165418

https://stellarium-web.org/

Image Credits

Lunar Eclipse: https://www.space.com/15689-lunar-eclipses.html

Uranus: https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/uranus-first-planet-discovered-telescope

Pisces/Andromeda/Pegasus: https://stellarium-web.org/

Written by Alyssa Whalen for the October 2022 Newsletter

Welcome to fall! Since the autumnal equinox is behind us, and the winter solstice ahead of us, the nights will continue getting longer and longer. The time between sunrise and sunset decreases by approximately 2 minutes and 30 seconds each day, with an average day length of 11 hours; however, the length of the day varies between 11 hours and 45 minutes at the start of the month to 10 hours and 30 minutes at the end. 

October’s full moon will rise at sundown on October 9th. This month’s full moon is known as the Hunters Moon among Native Americans, as this time of year is when game is often hunted. This month’s new moon will occur on October 25th. The week prior and afterwards will be the best conditions for observing (weather permitting) due to the dark skies. The moon phase cycle doesn’t make much of a difference in the light-polluted city of Columbus, but if you find yourself in a dark sky site such as the John Glenn Astronomy Park in Hocking Hills, Ohio, the moonlight makes a huge difference in your visibility.

There are two meteor showers reaching their peak this month! The Draconids meteor shower runs annually from October 6th through October 10th, and it will reach its peak on October 7th this year with about 10 meteors per hour. This meteor shower peaks while the moon is in the first quarter, so the moonlight combined with the city lights will make viewing difficult; however, the brightest will still be visible if we’re lucky. The meteors will be most frequent in the constellation Draco, and therefore will be best viewed between sundown and midnight in the northern sky (Between the Big and Little Dippers).

The Orionids meteor shower runs annually from October 2nd to November 7th, and this year it peaks between October 21sth and 22nd. During the peak nights, it is expected we will see around 20 meteors per hour from the constellation Orion. In October, the constellation Orion does not rise until after midnight, so the best time to observe the meteor shower is between 1:30am and sunrise in the eastern sky. There is a thin crescent moon during the meteor shower’s peak, so the moonlight should not have much of an effect on the visibility; however, it will be much more enjoyable if you can get away from the city lights.

In October, Jupiter and Saturn are still perfectly visible and bright along the ecliptic. The first to rise is Saturn, which will rise before sunset and set around 2:20 am. Jupiter will follow just before sunset around 6:00pm, and will set 6 hours later around midnight. Mars will also be clearly visible this month. It will rise on the eastern horizon later in the night around 10:00pm and last until sunrise. Mercury will be at its greatest eastern elongation on October 8th, so it will be most visible in the morning (6:30 am), however, it is still very close to the sun. Conversely, Venus is currently too close to the sun to observe clearly. Uranus and Neptune are above the horizon during the night, but are too small and faint to see without the aid of binoculars or a telescope. Uranus will rise close to 7:50pm and Neptune will rise before sunset around 5:35pm. Both Uranus and Neptune will stay up until sunrise.

Cassiopeia is a very simple constellation that is nearly overhead this time of year. It is easily found because of its iconic shape. It is commonly referenced as a “M” or “W” depending on the time of night as it moves around Polaris. This constellation can help point you towards the Andromeda Galaxy. The bottom  of the “W” or top of “M” points the way our sister Galaxy. To the naked eye, even in a dark sky, Andromeda looks like a cloud or smudge. A long exposure is required to view the structure of the galaxy.

If you plan to stay up late into the night, the constellations Taurus and Orion will be on the rise now that fall is here. Taurus will be on the eastern horizon around 11pm, and Orion will follow it around 2am. Orion is most easily recognized by his belt; three bright stars in a slanted line. Follow the slanted line away from the horizon to find Taurus. Just above Orion you will also find the Gemini twins and their bright stars Castor and Pollux.

Sources:

http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2022.html 

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/@5165418 

https://stellarium-web.org/ 

Pictures:

Draco :https://theplanets.org/constellations/draco-constellation/ 

Cassiopea: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/2-ways-to-find-the-andromeda-galaxy/ 

Andromeda: https://esahubble.org/images/heic1112f/ 

Orion/Taurus/Gemini:https://stellarium-web.org/