October Constellations
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Featured Constellations

Here we see the constellation names, and there are plenty to look at. Look especially straight overhead, at the three bright stars marking Lyra the Harp, Cygnus the Swan, and Aquila the Eagle: Vega, Deneb, and Altair respectively. This trio is known as the "summer triangle", and is a good reference point as fall evenings get good and dark. In the west, Hercules is marked by a trapezoid of fairly bright stars with outlying arms and legs, and Bootes the herdsman boasts the 4th brightest night time star, Arcturus. The southern sky features Scorpius the scorpion and Sagittarius the archer (who looks more like a teapot). In the east, constellations like Pegasus the winged horse are 'coming attractions' that will dominate November's evening skies. Under a dark sky, you'll notice the glowing band of the milky way slicing through the summer triangle down to the southeast, where it sinks out of sight below the scorpion.
[More on the constellations below...]


Fainter constellations this summer include the fox (Vulpecula), the arrow (Sagitta) and the dolphin (Delphinus), all located in or near the brighter summer triangle constellations. High in the west is the semi-circle of Corona Borealis, the northern crown, and in the east zodiac star patterns Capricornus and Aqaurius are dimly seen. Two of the least known constellations, Equuleus the horse and Lacerta the lizard, can be seen east of the summer triangle...barely.

Our constellation feature this month is one of the three summer triangle groups, Cygnus the swan. As this pattern is high overhead as evening begins, and is marked by a bright star, why not make the big jump and explore further, forsaking all others, to delve in Cygnus and in health? Sorry, couldn't resist.


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