Star Constellations

Sagittarius—Latin for “archer”—is one of the most distinctive zodiac constellations once you know what to look for, although most observers are far more likely to recognize a Teapot than the Archer it traditionally represents. This …

Scorpius—Latin for “scorpion”—is one of the most distinctive constellations in the night sky. Unlike many constellations whose supposed figures require considerable imagination, its bright stars really do trace something resembling a scorpion, complete with a …

Libra is one of the less conspicuous constellations of the zodiac, lying between Virgo and Scorpius. Yet it has one distinction none of the other zodiac constellations can claim: it is the only one represented …

Virgo—Latin for “maiden” or “virgin”—is one of the largest constellations in the night sky, yet it can be surprisingly difficult to recognize. It covers more sky than any other zodiac constellation and is second in …

Leo—Latin for “lion”—is one of the easiest zodiac constellations to spot in the Northern Hemisphere’s spring sky. Its curved “Sickle” of bright stars, shaped like a backward question mark, traces the Lion’s head and mane …

Cancer—Latin for “crab”—is the faintest of the 12 zodiac constellations, and at first glance there isn’t much to suggest the shape of a crab among its stars. Even its brightest star is only about magnitude …

Gemini—Latin for “twins”— is one of the most recognizable constellations of the zodiac, thanks largely to Castor and Pollux, the two bright stars traditionally representing the brothers’ heads. From the Northern Hemisphere, it is a familiar …

Taurus is a striking zodiac constellation depicting a bull charging toward the nearby hunter Orion. It occupies a particularly beautiful part of the winter sky, with the Hyades star cluster forming the Bull’s V-shaped face …

Aries is a relatively inconspicuous constellation of the zodiac representing the Ram—its name literally means “ram” in Latin. Most of its recognizable pattern is formed by only a handful of moderately bright stars, with even …

Pisces—Latin for “fishes”—is a large but surprisingly faint constellation of the zodiac, traditionally representing two fish connected by long cords. It covers about 889 square degrees of sky, making it the 14th largest of the …