Constellations

All 88 constellations, grouped by the season when each is best placed in the evening sky.

Seasons are for the Northern Hemisphere. South of the equator they are reversed: Orion, a northern winter constellation, rides high on summer evenings in Australia.

All year in the north

Close to the north celestial pole: from mid-northern latitudes these never set.

Winter evenings

Best placed in December, January and February evenings (northern winter).

Spring evenings

Best placed in March, April and May evenings (northern spring).

Summer evenings

Best placed in June, July and August evenings (northern summer).

Autumn evenings

Best placed in September, October and November evenings (northern autumn).

Far southern sky

Near the south celestial pole: easy from the Southern Hemisphere, never visible from mid-northern latitudes.

How the seasons are worked out

The month shown is when the middle of each constellation is highest in the sky around 9 pm local time (due south from the Northern Hemisphere). Because Earth orbits the Sun, the same stars rise about two hours earlier each month, so a constellation is also well placed late at night a month or two before, and in the early evening a month or two after. Large constellations span several seasons.

New to the sky? Start with the beginner’s guide: it shows how to use the Big Dipper, Orion and Cassiopeia as signposts to the rest.