Saiph, Kappa Orionis (κ Ori), is a blue-white supergiant located at a distance of 650 ly from Earth in the constellation Orion. It marks Orion's right knee.| Star Facts
Tabit (Pi³ Orionis) is an F-type main sequence star located 26.32 light-years away in the constellation Orion. It is one of the relatively bright stars that form Orion's Shield.| Star Facts
The Rosette Nebula is a vast emission nebula associated with an open cluster in Monoceros constellation. It lies at a distance of 5,200 light years. It is a popular target for visual astronomy and astrophotography.| www.constellation-guide.com
The Monkey Head Nebula (NGC 2174) is an emission nebula located 6,400 light-years away in the constellation Orion. The nebula is an H II region, a stellar nursery composed of ionized hydrogen gas in which new stars are forming.| www.constellation-guide.com
Alnilam (ε Ori) is a blue supergiant star located 1,180 light-years away in the constellation of Orion. It forms Orion's Belt with Alnitak and Mintaka.| Star Facts
Castor, Alpha Geminorum (α Gem), is a sextuple star system located at a distance of 51 ly from Earth in the constellation Gemini. It consists of three binary pairs.| Star Facts
Gemini (the Twins) is one of the northern zodiac constellations. It is home to the bright stars Pollux and Castor, the open cluster Messier 35, the planetary nebula known as the Medusa Nebula, and the supernova remnant IC 443 (the Jellyfish Nebula).| www.constellation-guide.com
Alnitak, Zeta Orionis (ζ Ori), is a triple star system located at a distance of 1,260 light years. It forms Orion's Belt with Alnilam and Mintaka.| Star Facts
Messier 78 (M78) is a reflection nebula located in the northern constellation Orion, the Hunter. M78 is the brightest diffuse reflection nebula in the sky. It has an apparent magnitude of 8.3 and lies at an approximate distance of 1,600 light years from Earth. It has the designation NGC 2068 in the New General Catalogue.… Read More »Messier 78| Messier Objects
The Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) is an emission nebula located 1,350 light years away in the constellation Orion. It is illuminated by the supergiant Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion's Belt.| www.constellation-guide.com
Equatorial constellations are the 15 constellations that intersect the celestial equator. These are among the most universally recognizable constellations in the sky, visible from most places on Earth. They culminate highest when seen from locations near the equator.| www.constellation-guide.com
Monoceros is a relatively faint northern constellation located between Canis Major and Canis Minor. It is home to the famous variable star V838 Monocerotis, the open cluster Messier 50, and the Rosette Nebula.| www.constellation-guide.com
Columba is a faint constellation located in the southern sky. It represents the dove. The constellation is home to the runaway star Mu Columbae, the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1808, and the globular cluster NGC 1851.| www.constellation-guide.com
Naos, Zeta Puppis (ζ Pup) is a hot blue supergiant located at a distance of 1,080 light years from Earth in the constellation Puppis. It is the constellation's brightest star.| Star Facts
Cygnus, the Swan, is one of the largest northern constellations. Recognizable for the Northern Cross, it is home to the bright supergiant Deneb, the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and the Gamma Cygni Nebula (IC 1318).| www.constellation-guide.com
Hercules is one of the largest constellations in the sky. Representing the mythical Greek hero, the constellation is home to the Hercules Globular Cluster (M13), the globular cluster Messier 92, and the Hercules Cluster of galaxies.| www.constellation-guide.com
Boötes (the Herdsman or Plowman) is a large northern constellation dominated by a kite-shaped asterism. The constellation is home to Arcturus, the brightest northern star, and the contrasting double star Izar.| www.constellation-guide.com
The Caldwell catalogue is a list of 109 bright deep sky objects that can be observed with amateur telescopes. It serves as a supplement to the Messier catalogue and includes deep sky objects in the far southern sky.| www.constellation-guide.com
Asterisms are defined as patterns formed by stars of one or more constellations. These star patterns are commonly recognized by observers across the world and once served as a basis for the modern 88 constellations.| www.constellation-guide.com
Gacrux, Gamma Crucis (γ Cru), is a red giant star located at a distance of 88.6 ly in the constellation Crux. It is one of the stars that form the Southern Cross.| Star Facts
Crux is the smallest and most distinctive constellation in the southern sky. Recognizable for the Southern Cross, formed by its brightest stars, it is home to the dark Coalsack Nebula and the Jewel Box Cluster (NGC 4755).| www.constellation-guide.com
The Horsehead Nebula (B33) is a dark nebula located 1,375 light-years away in the constellation Orion. It is part of one of the nearest massive stellar nurseries to the Sun. It appears in the region of Orion's Belt.| www.constellation-guide.com
Puppis is a constellation located in the southern hemisphere. Home to many notable stars, it represents the stern of the ship Argo, on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed to get the Golden Fleece.| www.constellation-guide.com
Rigel (β Ori) is a blue-whlue-white supergiant star located 848 light-years away in the constellation Orion. It is the most luminous star within 1,000 ly of Earth.| Star Facts
Alhena, Gamma Geminorum (γ Gem), is a spectroscopic binary star system located at a distance of 109 light years from Earth in the constellation Gemini.| Star Facts
Phact, Alpha Columbae (α Col), is a hot blue B-type star located 261 light-years away in the constellation Columba (the Dove). It is part of a large asterism known as the Egyptian X.| Star Facts
AE Aurigae is a hot blue main sequence star located 1,320 light-years away in the constellation Auriga. It illuminates the Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405), an emission and reflection nebula visible in small telescopes.| Star Facts
Orion's Sword is one of three major asterisms in the constellation Orion, along with Orion's Belt and Orion's Shield. It is formed by three multiple star systems -- 42 Orionis, Theta Orionis, and Iota Orionis -- and the bright, large Orion Nebula (Messier 42).| www.constellation-guide.com
Lepus is a northern constellation located just south of Orion. It contains the white supergiant Arneb, the famous variable star R Leporis (Hind's Crimson Star), the globular cluster Messier 79, and the Spirograph Nebula.| www.constellation-guide.com
Canis Major is a constellation in the southern sky. It represents the bigger dog following Orion, the Hunter. The constellation is home to Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, and the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy.| www.constellation-guide.com
Eridanus is one of the largest constellations in the sky. It represents the celestial river. It is home to Achernar, one of the brightest stars in the sky, the nearby star Epsilon Eridani, and the Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118).| www.constellation-guide.com
Hatysa (ι Ori) is the primary component in a multiple star system located 1,340 light-years away in the constellation Orion. It forms Orion’s Sword with 42 Orionis, Theta Orionis, and the Orion Nebula (M42).| Star Facts
Bellatrix, Gamma Orionis (γ Ori), is a main sequence star located at a distance of 250 ly in Orion constellation. Also known as the Amazon Star, it marks Orion's left shoulder.| Star Facts
Betelgeuse, Alpha Orionis (α Ori), is a red supergiant star and supernova candidate located 548 light-years away in the constellation Orion. Marking the Hunter's shoulder, it is one of the most recognizable stars in the night sky.| Star Facts
Sirius, Alpha Canis Majoris (α CMa), is the brightest star in the sky. The Sirius star system lies at a distance of 8.6 ly from Earth in the constellation Canis Major. It can be found using the stars of Orion's Belt.| Star Facts
The Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118) is a large, faint reflection nebula located approximately 900 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. It is illuminated by the supergiant Rigel in Orion, the seventh brightest star in the sky.| www.constellation-guide.com
Taurus is a large constellation in the northern sky. It is home to Aldebaran, one of the brightest stars in the sky, the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant, and the Pleiades and the Hyades, the nearest open clusters to Earth.| www.constellation-guide.com
Messier 45 (M45), also known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters, is a bright open star cluster located in the constellation Taurus, the Bull. The Pleiades cluster has an apparent magnitude of 1.6 and lies at an average distance of 444 light years from Earth. The cluster is also known as Melotte 22. It does… Read More »Messier 45: Pleiades| Messier Objects
Messier 42 (M42), the famous Orion Nebula, is an emission-reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion, the Hunter. With an apparent magnitude of 4.0, the Orion Nebula is one of the brightest nebulae in the sky and is visible to the naked eye. It lies at a distance of 1,344 light years from Earth and… Read More »Messier 42: Orion Nebula| Messier Objects
Orion’s Belt is one of the most familiar asterisms in the night sky. It is formed by three stars in the constellation Orion: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka. The bright blue stars are part of the hourglass-shaped constellation figure of Orion.| www.constellation-guide.com
Lyra is a small constellation in the northern sky. It represents the lyre of Orpheus. The constellation is home to Vega, the second brightest northern star, and the Ring Nebula (M57), a famous planetary nebula.| www.constellation-guide.com
Procyon, Alpha Canis Minoris (α CMi), is the eighth brightest star in the sky. It is the primary component in a binary star system located 11.46 light-years away in the constellation Canis Minor.| Star Facts
The list of all the named stars (stars with names that have been formally approved by the IAU), with name origins and etymologies explained.| Star Facts
The Winter Triangle, or the Great Southern Triangle, is an asterism formed by the bright stars Betelgeuse in Orion, Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major constellation.| www.constellation-guide.com
The Winter Hexagon, or the Winter Circle, is a prominent asterism formed by the bright stars Rigel, Aldebaran, Capella, Castor and Pollux, Procyon and Sirius.| www.constellation-guide.com
Pollux, Beta Geminorum (β Gem), is an orange giant star located at a distance of 33.78 ly in the constellation Gemini. It is 43 times more luminous than the Sun.| Star Facts
Aldebaran, Alpha Tauri (α Tau), is an orange giant star located at a distance of 65.3 ly from Earth in the constellation Taurus. It marks the eye of the Bull.| Star Facts
The list of the 300 brightest stars in the night sky, along with the stars' Bayer designations, apparent magnitudes, distances, and spectral types.| Star Facts
Scorpius is a zodiac constellation located in the southern sky. It is home to Antares, one of the brightest stars in the sky, and to the bright open clusters Messier 6 (the Butterfly Cluster) and Messier 7 (Ptolemy's Cluster).| www.constellation-guide.com
Shaula, Lambda Scorpii (λ Sco), is a triple star system located 570 light years away in the constellation Scorpius. It marks the celestial Scorpion's stinger.| Star Facts
Proxima Centauri, Alpha Centauri C (α Cen C), is a red dwarf star located at a distance of 4.244 light years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus. It is the nearest star to the Sun and hosts the two nearest planets, Proxima b and Proxima c.| Star Facts
Vega (Alpha Lyrae) is a fast-spinning white main sequence star located 25.04 light-years away in the constellation Lyra. Shining at magnitude 0.026, it is the fifth brightest star in the sky. It forms the Summer Triangle with Altair and Deneb.| Star Facts
Charles Messier’s Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters (Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des Amas d’Étoiles) is an astronomical catalogue of 110 bright deep sky objects that may be mistaken for comets. Even though it was compiled for the purpose of helping observers distinguish between permanent and transient objects in the night sky, the Messier catalogue… Read More »Messier Catalogue| Messier Objects
Greek constellations are the 48 ancient constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy in his Almagest in the 2nd century CE. Most of them are associated with stories from Greek mythology.| www.constellation-guide.com
Deneb (α Cyg) is a blue-white supergiant located 2,615 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. The luminous star forms the Summer Triangle with Vega and Altair.| Star Facts