Stars and planets, galaxies and nebulae - looking at the night sky for hours you can enjoy its treasures. Even a simple knowledge of the constellations and the ability to find them in the sky is a very useful skill. It will give you great pleasure when, once in nature, you will be able to find individual constellations and show them to your companions. The northern hemisphere of the sky is "inhabited" by such beautiful constellations as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, Cepheus and others. We will focus on the polar constellations of the northern hemisphere, that is, the constellations surrounding the celestial north pole.
The easiest way to navigate the night sky in the northern hemisphere is to first find the Big Dipper. This constellation also resembles a ladle. Further, if you continue the line connecting the two stars of the front of the bucket towards its upper part, then at a distance of about 30 degrees you will find the North Star. In order to measure this distance, you do not need complex astronomical instruments.appliances. There is a simple method for this. Stretch your arm out in front of you and make the so-called "goat" by straightening the little finger and index finger and bending two fingers between them. The distance between the little finger and forefinger of the "goat", located at arm's length from your eyes, corresponds to about 10 degrees on the celestial sphere. Thus, counting three such distances in the indicated direction, you will find a bright star called Polaris. A characteristic feature of this star is that the entire northern hemisphere revolves around it. Photographers love to use this property, making impressive shots with many hours of exposure. Contrary to popular belief, the North Star is not the brightest star in the northern hemisphere. This title belongs to Arcturus, who is in the constellation of Bootes.
Polar Star enters another well-known constellation - Ursa Minor. This constellation, like Ursa Major, resembles a small bucket, the end of the handle of which determines the Polar Star. Cassiopeia is another constellation adorning the northern hemisphere. It is very easy to find in the clear night sky due to its characteristic shape, most of all resembling the letter "M" or "W" of the English alphabet. This constellation is easy to orient with the North Star, since the "turn" or the bottom of the letter "M" is directed towards Ursa Major.
The next constellation framing the north pole of the sky is Cepheus. In this constellation there are five main stars that make up"house", although this image does not correspond to its astrological meaning. The roof of the "house" is deployed in the direction of the North Star. A more reliable method to find Polaris using the constellation Cepheus is to continue the right side of the "house", formed by the stars Alderamin and Alfirk, up.
At a distance roughly equal to two sides of the house, you will find the North Star.
The last polar constellation in the northern hemisphere is the constellation Draco. It can be found by knowing that Cepheus is between the Dragon and Cassiopeia. Draco is the most common constellation that makes up the northern hemisphere of the sky, but the least known. The reason for this is that it is difficult to observe both in urban areas, where nighttime illumination illuminates the sky, and in rural areas, where the constellation mixes with numerous minor stars located in the constellation.
