The constellations in tonight’s sky host many familiar star patterns. For northern observers, winter is the best time of the year to see Auriga (the Charioteer), Taurus (the Bull), Gemini (the Twins), Perseus, and Orion (the Hunter). These constellations appear high overhead in the evening. Each hosts at least two first or second magnitude stars that make it easy to identify.
Observers in the southern hemisphere can catch Eridanus (the River), Lepus (the Hare), Columba (the Dove), and Carina (the Keel) high in the evening sky at this time of the year. Other than Carina, these constellations are not particularly conspicuous but can be found using the bright stars in the vicinity.
The night sky tonight looks different depending on the location. The constellation maps below show the sky at around 10 pm in the mid-northern, equatorial, and mid-southern latitudes.
Northern hemisphere
The zodiac constellations Taurus (the Bull) and Gemini (the Twins) appear high overhead in the evening. They are joined by the bright Orion (the Hunter), Perseus, and Auriga (the Charioteer).
The heads of the celestial Twins are marked by Pollux and Castor, the 17th and 23rd brightest stars in the sky. Pollux is part of the Winter Hexagon, a large winter asterism formed by six first-magnitude stars: Pollux in Gemini, Capella in Auriga, Aldebaran in Taurus, Rigel in Orion, Sirius in Canis Major, and Procyon in Canis Minor. All these stars appear high above the horizon in the evening at this time of the year.
Taurus is easily recognizable because it hosts Aldebaran, the 14th brightest star in the sky, and the two brightest and largest open clusters, the Pleiades and the Hyades.
The giant Aldebaran appears in the same line of sight as the Hyades but is not a member of the cluster. It lies much closer to us. Aldebaran marks one of the Bull’s eyes and Ain, a member of the Hyades, marks the other. In depictions of the constellation Taurus, the V-shaped cluster represents the Bull’s head.
Tonight’s sky as seen from mid-northern latitudes, image: Stellarium
Aldebaran, the Hyades, and the Pleiades can be found by extending a line from the stars of Orion’s Belt to the northwest. Orion, one of the most recognizable constellations in the sky, appears high in the southern sky in the evening.
Elnath, the star that marks the Bull’s northern horn, is part of Auriga’s hexagon, another prominent winter asterism. Elnath is the second brightest star in Taurus and in the hexagon formed by the brightest stars of the constellation Auriga. Capella, the brightest star in the celestial Charioteer, is the sixth brightest star in the sky.
Perseus lies between the W of Cassiopeia and the Pleiades in Taurus. Mirfak, the constellation’s brightest star, is the central star in the Alpha Persei Cluster, a bright open cluster visible to the unaided eye. The star and the cluster are part of the Segment of Perseus, a curving line of stars that stretches from Cassiopeia in the direction of Auriga.
Eastern sky
Leo dominates the eastern sky around 10 pm. The constellation is easy to identify because it looks like the animal it represents. The Lion’s head and mane are outlined by an asterism known as the Sickle of Leo. The Sickle looks like a backward question mark and has the bright Regulus, the 21st brightest star in the sky, at its base. The bright Denebola, the star that marks the Lion’s tail, appears lower above the horizon.
Regulus can be found by extending a line from Megrez through Phecda, the inner stars of the Big Dipper’s bowl. The Big Dipper dominates the northeastern sky and appears upside down at this time of the year.
Regulus can be used to find the fainter constellations Cancer (the Crab) and Hydra (the Water Snake). Cancer occupies most of the space between the Sickle, Castor and Pollux in Gemini, and Procyon in Canis Minor. However, the constellation is very faint. On a clear night, it is easier to make out the Beehive Cluster (Messier 44) than the constellation figure of the Crab. The Beehive Cluster, one of the brightest and largest open clusters in the sky, appears as a fuzzy patch between Regulus and Pollux.
Hydra, the largest of the 88 constellations, appears in the southeastern sky. Even though it is large, Hydra is one of the fainter constellations and it does not stand out in this area of the sky. Alphard, the constellation’s brightest star, lies southeast of Regulus. The Head of Hydra lies below the Beehive Cluster, between Regulus and Procyon.
Other faint constellations above the eastern horizon include Coma Berenices (Berenice’s Hair), Sextans (the Sextant), Leo Minor (the Lesser Lion), and Lynx. None of these constellations contain any stars brighter than magnitude 3.0.
Eastern sky in the northern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Northern sky
The circumpolar constellations Draco (the Dragon), Ursa Minor (the Little Bear), Cepheus (the King), and Camelopardalis (the Giraffe) appear above the northern horizon in the evening. They lie in the area between two prominent northern asterisms, Cassiopeia’s W and the Big Dipper. Cassiopeia appears high above the northwestern horizon while the Great Bear dominates the northeastern sky.
The left side of Cassiopeia’s W points towards the faint Camelopardalis, a constellation that is a challenging target in light-polluted skies.
The right side of the W points towards Alderamin, the brightest star in Cepheus. Alderamin appears at the base of the constellation figure of the King, which resembles the drawing of a stick house.
Ursa Minor is relatively faint, except for three bright stars that are part of the Little Dipper. Polaris, the current North Star, is the 48th brightest star in the sky and the luminary of Ursa Minor. It marks the tip of the Little Dipper’s handle. Polaris can be found by extending a line from the outer stars of the Big Dipper (Merak and Dubhe) to the north.
Kochab and Pherkad, the outer stars of the Little Dipper’s bowl, appear roughly parallel to the Big Dipper’s handle and are easily visible even in less-than-ideal conditions. However, the middle four stars of the Little Dipper are quite faint and can be difficult to make out from urban areas.
Draco occupies much of the sky above the northern horizon. The Head of Draco, an asterism formed by four relatively bright stars, appears directly north, low in the sky. The Dragon’s tail is found between the Big and Little Dippers and the rest of its body winds around the Little Dipper’s bowl.
Northern sky in the northern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Western sky
The constellations setting in the west in the evening include Cetus (the Sea Monster), Pisces (the Fishes), and Pegasus. Aries (the Ram), Triangulum (the Triangle) and Andromeda (the Princess) appear higher above the horizon around 10 pm.
As the month progresses, the Great Square of Pegasus begins to set earlier in the evening. The asterism is formed by three bright stars in the constellation Pegasus – Scheat, Markab and Algenib – with Alpheratz in Andromeda. These stars can be used to find the less conspicuous Pisces and Cetus.
The Circlet of Pisces, the identifying feature of Pisces, sets by 10 pm. It represents the head of the western fish. The head of the eastern fish is faintly visible near Mirach in Andromeda on a very clear night.
The Head of Cetus, the Sea Monster, can be found using the Hyades as a pointer. The V-shaped cluster points in the direction of Menkar, the second brightest star in Cetus. Menkar marks the jaws of Cetus and is part of the faint asterism that represents the Sea Monster’s head.
The chain of three bright Andromeda stars – Alpheratz, Mirach, and Almach – that makes the constellation recognizable appears perpendicular to the western horizon in the evening. Mirach and Almach appear between Alpheratz in the Square of Pegasus and Mirfak, the brightest star in Perseus.
Mirach is commonly used to find the bright Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and Triangulum Galaxy (M33). The galaxies are the most distant objects visible to the unaided eye. However, they require exceptionally good conditions to be seen without binoculars.
The stars of Andromeda can also be used to find the fainter constellations Triangulum and Aries. The brightest stars of Aries – Hamal, Sheratan, and Mesarthim – form a flat triangle that appears left of the elongated triangle formed by Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Trianguli.
Western sky in the northern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Southern sky
The constellations of the Winter Circle dominate the southern sky in the evening. The Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon) is formed by six first-magnitude stars: Sirius in Canis Major, Procyon in Canis Minor, Pollux in Gemini, Capella in Auriga, Aldebaran in Taurus, and Rigel in Orion.
Orion is the most identifiable constellation in the southern evening sky. Its seven brightest stars form an hourglass-shaped figure that can be used to find the less conspicuous constellations in the same area: Monoceros (the Unicorn), Lepus (the Hare), and Eridanus (the River). A line drawn from Rigel through Betelgeuse points in the general direction of Castor, the second brightest star in Gemini.
Monoceros is found within the Winter Triangle, a bright asterism formed by Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse. The constellation is very faint but it hosts two popular targets for backyard telescopes: the Rosette Nebula with the Satellite Cluster and the Cone Nebula with the Christmas Tree Cluster.
Cursa, the second brightest star in Eridanus, marks the beginning of the celestial River that flows all the way to the far southern sky, where the first-magnitude Achernar marks its end. Cursa is found near Rigel in Orion. The famous Witch Head Nebula appears in the area between Cursa and Rigel.
The ears of the Hare (Lepus) appear south of Rigel, while the Hare’s tail lies near Saiph, the star that marks Orion’s other foot (or knee). Columba (the Dove) appears south of the Hare, very low above the southern horizon.
The bright Belt of Orion points toward Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus. In the other direction, Orion’s Belt points toward Sirius, the brightest star in the sky and the luminary of Canis Major (the Great Dog).
The bright Mirzam marks the Great Dog’s front foot, while a triangle of bright stars marks its tail and hindquarters. The hot blue bright giant Adhara, the 22nd brightest star in the sky, and the F-type supergiant Wezen outline the Dog’s hindquarters while the blue supergiant Aludra marks its tail.
Southern sky from the northern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Equatorial latitudes
The constellations appearing high overhead for observers in equatorial latitudes include Orion (the Hunter), Lepus (the Hare), Canis Major (the Great Dog), Canis Minor (the Little Dog), Monoceros (the Unicorn), and Gemini (the Twins).
Orion, the mythical Hunter, and his two dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, contain some of the brightest stars in the sky. Sirius, the Dog Star, is the brightest star in Earth’s sky and one of our nearest neighbours.
Procyon, the luminary of Canis Minor, is the eighth brightest star in the sky. It rises before Sirius, a fact that is reflected in its name, which means “before the dog” in Greek. Like Sirius, it lies in the solar neighbourhood.
Tonight’s sky as seen from equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Procyon and Sirius form a bright asterism called the Winter Triangle with Betelgeuse at the shoulder of Orion. While Sirius and Procyon lie only 8.60 and 11.46 light-years away, the variable red supergiant Betelgeuse lies about 550 light-years away and is the 10th brightest star in the sky. It is usually the second brightest star in Orion, after Rigel.
Most of the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn) lies within the Winter Triangle. Monoceros is quite faint and difficult to see in less-than-ideal conditions.
Sirius and Procyon are also part of the Winter Hexagon, a large asterism that dominates the evening sky from November to February. Other stars that form it are Aldebaran in Taurus (the Bull), Rigel in Orion (the Hunter), Capella in Auriga (the Charioteer), and Pollux in Gemini (the Twins).
Rigel and Saiph, the blue supergiants that mark Orion’s legs, can be used to find the constellation Lepus. Representing the Hare chased by Orion and his two dogs, Lepus is relatively bright and has a distinctive pattern that makes it easy to identify. The Hare’s ears are found near Rigel and its tail near Saiph, curving in the direction of Sirius.
Pollux and Castor mark the heads of the Twins. The two bright stars appear very similar to the unaided eye but are in fact very different. Pollux is a single orange giant star located 33.78 light-years away, while Castor is a sextuple star system 51 light-years away.
Northern sky
Auriga (the Charioteer) is the most prominent constellation above the northern horizon. Its identifying feature, a bright, large hexagon asterism, is formed by its brightest stars – Capella, Menkalinan, Mahasim, Almaaz, and Hassaleh – with Elnath, the second brightest star in Taurus (the Bull).
Auriga’s hexagon can be used to find the bright open clusters Messier 36, Messier 37, and Messier 38, as well as the reflection nebula IC 405, popularly known as the Flaming Star Nebula. The nebula reflects the light of the hot blue variable O-type star AE Aurigae.
Elnath marks the northern horn of the celestial Bull. The southern horn, marked by Tianguan, is found between Elnath and Betelgeuse. Tianguan can be used to find the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant catalogued as Messier 1 by the French astronomer and comet hunter Charles Messier.
The orange giant Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus, is found along the imaginary line extended from the stars of Orion’s Belt. Aldebaran appears as the brightest member of the V-shaped Hyades cluster, which represents the Bull’s head. The star is not really a member of the Hyades but merely appears in the same line of sight.
The bright, large Pleiades cluster (Messier 45) appears along the same imaginary line, in the direction of the constellation Aries (the Ram). The cluster marks the shoulder of Taurus.
Northern sky from equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
The constellation Perseus appears below Aldebaran. Mirfak, its brightest star, is part of the Alpha Persei Cluster, an open cluster visible without binoculars. The famous variable star Algol, the second brightest star in Perseus, appears in the direction of the Triangulum constellation.
The faint constellation Camelopardalis (the Giraffe) appears between Capella and the horizon. Its brightest star, the yellow supergiant or bright giant Beta Camelopardalis, shines at magnitude 4.02 from a distance of about 870 light-years, and is difficult to see from urban areas.
Lynx, another faint constellation, appears between the head of the Great Bear and the Winter Hexagon stars Pollux and Capella. The orange giant Alpha Lyncis, the constellation’s brightest star, has an apparent magnitude of 3.14.
Eastern sky
The constellations rising in the east around 10 pm are Leo (the Lion), Hydra (the Water Snake), Sextans (the Sextant), and Crater (the Cup). Ursa Major (the Great Bear) is partly visible in the northeastern sky and the constellations that once formed Argo Navis (Carina, Puppis, and Vela) dominate the southeastern sky.
The constellation figure of Leo is easily recognizable because it looks like a drawing of a lion. An asterism known as the Sickle forms the Lion’s head and mane, Zosma and Chertan (Delta and Theta Leonis) mark the hindquarters, and the bright Denebola marks the tip of the tail. Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, appears at the base of the Sickle and marks the Lion’s heart.
The much fainter zodiac constellation Cancer (the Crab) is found within the triangle formed by Regulus, Castor in Gemini, and Procyon in Canis Minor. The constellation’s brightest star, the orange giant Tarf, is inconspicuous, shining at magnitude 3.5. It appears in the same area as Procyon, on the imaginary line connecting Regulus and Betelgeuse. On a clear night, it is easier to spot Praesepe (the Beehive Cluster, M44), a bright open cluster that appears between Regulus and Pollux. With an apparent magnitude of 3.7, the cluster is easily visible to the unaided eye.
The faint Sextans, the home of the Spindle Galaxy (NGC 3115), is very difficult to make out. Its brightest star, the white giant Alpha Sextantis, shines at magnitude 4.49.
Hydra, the largest constellation in the sky, stretches from the eastern to the southeastern sky. The asterism that marks the head of Hydra is found directly below Procyon. Alphard, the brightest star in Hydra, appears southwest of Regulus. It marks the heart of the celestial Water Snake.
Representing the cup of Apollo, the small, faint constellation Crater appears low in the sky in the evening. Its luminary, the orange giant Delta Crateris, has an apparent magnitude of 3.56.
Eastern sky from equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Western sky
Cetus (the Sea Monster) and Pisces (the Fishes) are the largest constellations setting in the west around 10 pm. Neither constellation is particularly conspicuous.
The brightest stars in Cetus, the orange giant Diphda (Beta Ceti) and red giant Menkar (Alpha Ceti), appear at opposite ends of the constellation. Menkar is part of a faint circle of stars that outline the Sea Monster’s head, while the brighter Diphda marks its tail.
Alpherg (Eta Piscium), the brightest star in Pisces, shines at magnitude 3.6 and is a full magnitude fainter than Menkar. The star can be found using the brighter stars in Aries, which form a flat triangle that points in its direction.
Alpherg is part of one of the cords that connect the two fishes represented by Pisces. The head of the western fish has set by 10 pm, while the head of the fainter eastern fish may be spotted near Mirach in Andromeda on a clear, dark night.
Western sky from equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Southern sky
Canopus, the second brightest star in the sky, appears high above the southern horizon in the evening. It is the brightest star in Carina, the constellation that represents the keel of the mythical ship Argo. The neighboring constellations Vela and Puppis represent the ship’s sails and stern.
The three constellations occupy much of the southern and southeastern sky. Carina is home to three navigational stars – Canopus, Miaplacidus, and Avior – and Vela to one, Suhail.
Carina hosts the Carina Nebula, a vast stellar nursery visible to the unaided eye. The nebula can be found using the stars of the Diamond Cross, Miaplacidus, Theta, Upsilon, and Omega Carinae. Theta Carinae is the central star of the Southern Pleiades (IC 2602), an open cluster with an apparent magnitude of 1.9, easily visible without binoculars.
Four stars of Carina and Vela – Avior, Aspidiske, Alsephina, and Markeb – form another diamond-shaped asterism, the False Cross. The asterism can be used to find the Omicron Velorum Cluster (IC 2391), an open cluster visible without binoculars.
Achernar, the brightest star in Eridanus (the River) and the ninth brightest star in the sky, appears low above the southwestern horizon in the evening. The fast-spinning star marks the end of the celestial River. It can be used to find the fainter stars of Hydrus (the Lesser Water Snake) and Phoenix.
Canopus and Achernar can be used to find several smaller and fainter constellations that appear in the region between the two bright stars: Pictor (the Easel), Dorado (the Dolphinfish), Reticulum (the Reticle), and Horologium (the Pendulum Clock).
Volans (the Flying Fish) lies in the area between Miaplacidus and Avior, and the faint Mensa (Table Mountain) appears directly above the southern horizon.
Mensa and Dorado host the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The Large Magellanic Cloud is the brightest galaxy in the sky. It appears as a detached piece of the Milky Way on a clear night. Its smaller sister, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), lies in Tucana (the Toucan) and Hydrus and stays below the horizon around 10 pm.
Southern sky from equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Southern hemisphere
Four first-magnitude stars appear high overhead around 10 pm. Sirius and Canopus, the brightest stars in the sky, appear high in the northeastern and southeastern sky. Rigel, the seventh brightest star in the sky, is also visible in the northeast, and Achernar, the ninth brightest star, is high above the southwestern horizon.
Canopus, the luminary of Carina (the Keel), and Achernar, the brightest star in Eridanus (the River), can be used to find several smaller and fainter constellations that appear near the zenith in the evening. The rectangle-shaped constellation figure of Reticulum (the Reticle) lies halfway between the two bright stars.
Pictor (the Easel) and Volans (the Flying Fish) appear between Canopus and Reticulum, and Horologium (the Pendulum Clock) lies close to Achernar and stretches in the direction of Sirius.
Rigel, the brightest star in Orion (the Hunter), can be used to find Lepus (the Hare). The Hare’s ears appear near the supergiant and its tail lies between Rigel and Sirius.
Columba (the Dove) appears next to Lepus. The constellation’s brightest star, Phact (Alpha Columbae) is part of a large asterism called the Egyptian X or the Egyptian Cross.
The Egyptian X is formed by the stars of the Winter Triangle (the Great Southern Triangle) – Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse – with Phact and Naos (Zeta Puppis), the brightest star in Puppis (the Stern). The two triangles of stars meet at Sirius, the luminary of Canis Major (the Great Dog).
Eridanus (the River) is fully visible in the evening. It stretches farther from north to south than any other constellation. Achernar, the constellation’s brightest star, is high in the southwestern sky, while Cursa, the second brightest star, appears next to Rigel in Orion. The stars of Eridanus can be used to find the fainter Caelum (the Chisel) and Fornax (the Furnace).
Tonight’s sky as seen from the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Northern sky
The most prominent constellations in the northern sky are Auriga (the Charioteer) and Taurus (the Bull). Auriga’s hexagon appears low in the sky and Capella, the constellation’s brightest star, is near the horizon.
Elnath, the second brightest star in the hexagon asterism, belongs to the neighbouring Taurus constellation. The blue giant marks the northern horn of the Bull.
Tianguan (Zeta Tauri), the star that marks the Bull’s southern horn, lies between Elnath and Betelgeuse in Orion. It can be used to find the famous supernova remnant Messier 1, better known as the Crab Nebula.
Taurus hosts two of the brightest and largest open clusters in the sky, the Pleiades and the Hyades. Both are found by extending a line from Orion’s Belt to the northwest.
Orion appears high above the horizon in the evening. The figure of the celestial Hunter is outlined by the constellation’s brightest stars. Betelgeuse and Bellatrix mark Orion’s shoulders, Rigel and Saiph his legs, and Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka form the Belt of Orion. The fainter Hatysa marks the Hunter’s head.
Northern sky in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Orion hosts the Orion Nebula (M42), the nearest massive stellar nursery to the Sun. The nebula appears as the central point of light in Orion’s Sword.
A line extended from Rigel through Betelgeuse points in the direction of Castor in the constellation Gemini. Castor and the brighter Pollux mark the heads of the mythical Twins. They appear low in the northeastern sky.
Aries (the Ram) and Triangulum (the Triangle) lie in the northwestern sky. Triangulum is close to the horizon and Aries appears higher in the sky. Triangulum hosts the Triangulum Galaxy (M33), the most distant object visible to the unaided eye. The galaxy requires exceptionally good conditions to be seen.
The brightest stars of Aries – Hamal, Sheratan, and Mesarthim – form a flat triangle that appears above Triangulum. While they are brighter than the stars of Triangulum, neither constellation stands out in the sky.
Eastern sky
Hydra (the Water Snake), the largest constellation in the sky, occupies much of the sky above the eastern and southeastern horizon. The orange giant Alphard, the constellation’s brightest star, lies almost exactly east around 10 pm.
Alphard and the asterism outlining the head of Hydra can be used to find the fainter Cancer (the Crab), which appears between Hydra and the luminaries of the constellation Gemini. Cancer is home to the Beehive Cluster (M44), one of the brightest and largest open clusters in the sky. The cluster is visible to the unaided eye and easier to spot than the rest of the constellation.
The stars of the Great Southern Triangle (the Winter Triangle in the northern hemisphere) dominate the eastern and northeastern sky. The asterism is formed by Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky and Procyon and Betelgeuse are the eighth and 10th brightest stars.
Sirius and Procyon are the brightest stars in the two dog constellations, Canis Major (the Great Dog) and Canis Minor (the Little Dog). The constellations represent the two dogs of Orion, the Hunter. They can be used to find the much fainter Monoceros (the Unicorn), which lies within the Great Southern Triangle.
The constellations that once formed Argo Navis, the largest constellation in the sky (now obsolete), appear in the eastern and southeastern sky. Puppis (the Stern) lies high in the east, while Carina (the Keel) and Vela (the Sails) appear in the southeastern sky.
The faint Pyxis (the Compass) and Antlia (the Pump) may be glimpsed low in the sky on a very clear, dark night. Their brightest stars shine at magnitudes 3.67 (Alpha Pyxidis) and 4.25 (Alpha Antliae).
Eastern sky in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Western sky
Aquarius (the Water Bearer), Pisces (the Fishes), and Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish) set in the west in the evening. All three constellations are inconspicuous in the sky, with the exception of Fomalhaut, the luminary of Piscis Austrinus.
Located about 25 light-years away, Fomalhaut is the 18th brightest star in the sky and the only first-magnitude star in this area of the sky. It marks the mouth of the Southern Fish.
Diphda, the brightest star in Cetus (the Sea Monster), is high above the western horizon in the evening. The orange giant shines at magnitude 2.02 and marks the tail of the Sea Monster from the myth of Andromeda. Menkar, the constellation’s second brightest star, is part of the asterism that represents the head of Cetus and appears high in the northwestern sky.
The Southern Birds constellations – Tucana (the Toucan), Grus (the Crane), Phoenix (the Phoenix), and Pavo (the Peacock) – lie high in the southwestern and southern sky. These constellations were created in the late 16th century, when European navigators started to explore the southern hemisphere. They were named after exotic animals, some of which the explorers encountered on their journeys.
The faint Sculptor appears in the region between Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus, Diphda in Cetus, and Ankaa, the brightest star in Phoenix. Sculptor does not contain any stars brighter than third magnitude but is a popular target for stargazers because it contains the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253), one of the brightest spiral galaxies in the sky.
Western sky in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Southern sky
Most constellations appearing directly south in the evening are small and faint. Octans (the Octant), the home to the southern celestial pole, and the nearby Mensa (Table Mountain), Chamaeleon, Circinus (the Drafting Compass), and Apus (the Bird-of-Paradise) have one or no stars brighter than magnitude 4.0.
The small but distinctive Triangulum Australe (the Southern Triangle) and Musca (the Fly) are easily visible and can be found using the brighter constellations in this area of the sky. Triangulum Australe appears near Rigil Kentaurus and Hadar (Alpha and Beta Centauri), the brightest stars of Centaurus, while Musca lies near the Southern Cross, the most familiar asterism in the far southern sky.
Pavo (the Peacock), one of the Southern Birds, appears west of Triangulum Australe. The constellation hosts the Great Peacock Globular (NGC 6752), the third brightest globular cluster in the sky. The two brighter globular clusters – 47 Tucanae and Omega Centauri – lie in the constellations Tucana (the Toucan) and Centaurus (the Centaur).
Centaurus, one of the brightest and largest constellations in the sky, is partly visible above the southern and southeastern horizon. The constellation contains Alpha and Beta Centauri, the third and 11th brightest stars in the sky. Alpha Centauri is the nearest star system to the Sun. It contains the red dwarf Proxima Centauri, the nearest individual star to the solar system.
Alpha and Beta Centauri (Rigil Kentaurus and Hadar) are known as the Southern Pointers. The two stars point to the top of the Southern Cross, an asterism commonly used to find true south.
The bright Centaurus stars help observers identify the real Southern Cross, which is the brightest of three diamond-shaped asterisms in the far southern sky. The other two are the False Cross and the Diamond Cross in the constellations Carina (the Keel) and Vela (the Sails), which appear high in the southeastern sky in the evening.
The Southern Cross is formed by the brightest stars in the constellation Crux. Acrux, Mimosa, and Gacrux are among the brightest stars in the sky. They can be used to find several prominent deep sky objects in the area, including the Jewel Box Cluster (NGC 4755) and the Coalsack Nebula. The Jewel Box has a visual magnitude of 4.2 and the Coalsack is the most prominent dark nebula in the sky, covering an area of 5 by 7 degrees.
Southern sky in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium