The constellations in tonight’s sky host many familiar star patterns. For northern observers, summer is the best time of the year to see the constellations of the Summer Triangle, a bright, large asterism formed by the brightest stars in Lyra (the Lyre), Cygnus (the Swan), and Aquila (the Eagle). It is also an excellent time to catch the Teapot of Sagittarius (the Archer) and the Scorpion’s claws on the southern horizon in the evening.
For observers in the southern hemisphere, five zodiac constellations – Aquarius (the Water Bearer), Capricornus (the Sea Goat), Sagittarius (the Archer), Scorpius (the Scorpion), and Libra (the Scales) – are high above the horizon in the evening. The Southern Birds – Phoenix, Tucana (the Toucan), Grus (the Crane), and Pavo (the Peacock) – also appear high in the sky around 10 pm.
The night sky tonight looks different depending on the location. The constellation maps below show the sky as it appears around 10 pm in the mid-northern, equatorial, and mid-southern latitudes.
Northern hemisphere
For observers in the mid-northern latitudes, the Summer Triangle dominates the evening sky. Formed by three first-magnitude stars – Vega, Altair, and Deneb – the asterism can easily be seen even from light-polluted areas. Vega, Altair and Deneb are the brightest stars in the constellations Lyra, Aquila, and Cygnus. They are the sixth, 12th and 19th brightest stars in the sky, respectively.
The two bird constellations – the Swan (Cygnus) and the Eagle (Aquila) – are easily recognizable because they fly opposite each other in the night sky. Deneb sits at the top of the Northern Cross and marks the Swan’s tail, and Altair can be identified as the bright star flanked by two other relatively bright stars, Tarazed and Alshain. Vega appears next to a small parallelogram that outlines the celestial lyre.
The Northern Cross is one of the most recognizable features of the northern summer sky. Formed by the five brightest stars in Cygnus, the asterism can be used to find several bright nebulae that lie in the area. These include the North America Nebula (NGC 7000), the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070), the Veil Nebula (Caldwell 33 and 34), the Sadr Region (IC 1318), and the Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888).
Constellations visible in the sky tonight from the northern hemisphere, image: Stellarium (annotated for this article)
A line extended through the wings of the Swan leads to the head of Draco. The bright stars Eltanin and Rastaban mark the Dragon’s eyes. They form a quadrilateral asterism that represents the Dragon’s head with the fainter Kuma and Grumium.
Hercules, one of the largest constellations in the sky, lies to the southeast. Four relatively bright stars in the constellation – Zeta, Pi, Eta and Epsilon Herculis – form a pattern known as the Keystone, which outlines the torso of Hercules. The Keystone lies in the region between the bright Vega and Arcturus.
The Summer Triangle can be used to identify several of the smaller constellations that appear in this area of the sky. The most distinctive of these are Sagitta (the Arrow) and Delphinus (the Dolphin), which look like the object and animal they represent.
The fainter Vulpecula (the Fox) is found near Albireo at the Swan’s beak, and Equuleus (the Foal) lies in the region between Altair in Aquila and Enif, the brightest star in Pegasus.
Eastern sky
The most prominent constellations rising in the east around 10 pm are Pegasus (the Winged Horse) and Pisces (the Fishes). Pegasus is the brighter of the two. The bright stars of Andromeda (the Princess) and Perseus dominate the northeastern sky, and the faint zodiac constellations Aquarius (the Water Bearer) and Capricornus (the Sea Goat) rise in the southeast.
The Winged Horse constellation is recognizable for the Square of Pegasus, a large asterism formed by three Pegasus stars – Algenib, Scheat, and Markab – with Alpheratz in the neighbouring Andromeda. The supergiant Enif, the brightest star in Pegasus, appears roughly halfway between the Great Square and the constellation Aquila.
Eastern sky in the northern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
The constellation Pisces rises right after Pegasus. The fourth largest zodiac constellation is recognizable for the Circlet of Pisces, a faint circle of stars outlining the head of the western fish.
Aquarius is identified by an asterism known as the Water Jar, located just below the imaginary line connecting Enif and the Great Square. Andromeda is recognizable for the chain of three bright stars – Alpheratz, Mirach, and Almach – located between Pegasus and Perseus. The three Andromeda stars appear equally bright to the unaided eye, but Almach is slightly fainter than the other two.
Mirfak, the brightest star in Perseus, extends the chain to the north. The supergiant is the brightest member of the Alpha Persei Cluster (Melotte 20), an open cluster visible to the unaided eye.
Northern sky
The northern circumpolar constellations Ursa Minor (the Little Bear), Draco (the Dragon), Cepheus (the King), and Camelopardalis (the Giraffe) occupy most of the northern sky in the evening. Ursa Major appears in the northwest and Cassiopeia (the Queen) and Perseus in the northeast.
The bear constellations are recognizable for the Big and Little Dippers. The fainter Little Dipper appears upside down around 10 pm, with Polaris (the North Star) pointing toward the horizon. The faint Camelopardalis (the Giraffe) appears between Polaris and Perseus.
The Big Dipper, formed by seven bright stars in Ursa Major, dominates the northwestern sky. Merak and Dubhe, the outer stars of the Dipper’s bowl, point toward Polaris. The tail of Draco is found between the two Dippers and the rest of its body winds around the Little Dipper’s bowl in the direction of Cygnus.
Northern sky in the northern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Cassiopeia rises in the northeastern sky in the evening. Its brightest stars form Cassiopeia’s W, a prominent northern asterism that can be used to find the fainter Cepheus. A line extended from Schedar through Caph, the rightmost stars of the W, leads to Alderamin, the brightest star in Cepheus. Alderamin appears at the base of an asterism sometimes known as the House of Cepheus. The stick house pattern makes the constellation recognizable on a clear, dark night.
Western sky
The most prominent constellation setting in the west at this time of the year is Boötes. The celestial Herdsman is home to Arcturus, the brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere. The red giant appears at the base of the Kite, a relatively bright asterism found between the handle of the Big Dipper and the semi-circle formed by the brightest stars of Corona Borealis (the Northern Crown). Arcturus is easily identified as the brightest star that appears along the imaginary curved line extended from the Big Dipper’s handle.
Corona Borealis can be used to find the head of the Serpent, which appears between it and the claws of the Scorpion.
Western sky in the northern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Two smaller and fainter constellations appear between the Big Dipper’s handle and the constellation Virgo: Canes Venatici and Coma Berenices. The two brightest stars in Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs) – Cor Caroli and Chara – are parallel to Alkaid and Mizar, the stars at the end of the Dipper’s handle.
Coma Berenices (Berenice’s Hair) is found between Arcturus and Denebola, the star marking the Lion’s tail. The constellation’s brightest star, Beta Comae Berenices, shines at magnitude 4.26 and is a challenging target from heavily light-polluted areas. However, Coma Berenices contains the bright, large Coma Star Cluster (Melotte 111), an open cluster visible to the unaided eye. The cluster stretches across an area of 7.5 degrees and has an apparent magnitude of 1.8.
Southern sky
Sagittarius dominates the southern sky in the evening. The Teapot, an asterism formed by the Archer’s brightest stars, lies just east of the constellation figure of the Scorpion. The bright Antares and the Scorpion’s claws make an appearance above the horizon, but the Scorpion’s tail has partly set around 10 pm. Depending on the location, the southernmost stars of the tail may not be visible to observers in the mid-northern latitudes.
The fainter zodiac constellations Capricornus and Libra appear in the southeast and southwest, respectively. Scutum (the Shield), the home of the Wild Duck Cluster (Messier 11), can be made out between the tail of Aquila and the Teapot.
Ophiuchus (the Serpent Bearer), the 11th largest constellation in the sky, appears high above the southwestern horizon, taking up most of the space between Vega and Antares. The Serpent’s head lies just below Corona Borealis, while its tail is visible between the constellation figures of Ophiuchus and Aquila on a clear night.
Southern sky from the northern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Equatorial latitudes
Observers in equatorial latitudes see many of the same constellations as those in mid-northern locations, but these constellations do not appear in the same place. Additionally, observers near the equator can see many constellations in the southern sky that are invisible to northern observers.
The constellations high overhead at this time of the year are Aquila (the Eagle), Capricornus (the Sea Goat), and Sagittarius (the Archer). The small, faint Scutum (the Shield) is found between the tail of Aquila and the Teapot in Sagittarius. The tail of Serpens appears in the region between the Eagle’s wing and Antares.
Aquila is recognizable for its bird-like shape. Altair, the constellation’s brightest star, marks the Eagle’s head or neck. It forms an asterism known as the Shaft of Aquila (or Family of Aquila) with the two fainter stars flanking it, Alshain and Tarazed. The Shaft of Aquila can be used to find the faint, V-shaped constellation figure of Capricornus, which appears high in the southeast in the evening.
Tonight’s sky as seen from equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium (annotated for this article)
Northern sky
Draco (the Dragon) and Cepheus (the King) appear above the northern horizon in the evening. The head of the Dragon is found by extending an imaginary line through the beam of the Northern Cross in Cygnus. The line leads to Eltanin and Rastaban, the stars that mark the Dragon’s eyes. Eltanin and Rastaban are part of an asterism known as the Lozenge, which shares three stars with the Head of Draco (Eltanin, Rastaban, and Grumium) and includes Iota Herculis in the neighbouring constellation Hercules.
Cepheus is found using the W of Cassiopeia, which sits low above the northern horizon in the evening. Alderamin, the brightest star in Cepheus, lies on the imaginary line extended from Schedar through Caph, the rightmost stars of the W asterism. Schedar and Caph are also commonly used to find the bright open cluster Messier 52 and the emission nebula NGC 7635 (the Bubble Nebula).
Northern sky from equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
The constellations of the Summer Triangle – Aquila, Cygnus, and Lyra – appear higher above the horizon at this time of the year. Their bright stars can be used to find the fainter and smaller Sagitta (the Arrow), Delphinus (the Dolphin), Vulpecula (the Fox), and Equuleus (the Little Horse).
Hercules, the fifth largest constellation in the sky, appears in the northwestwen sky. It is recognizable for the Keystone asterism, which outlines the mythical hero’s torso. The Keystone appears between Vega and the Northern Crown (Corona Borealis). It can be used to find the Hercules Globular Cluster (Messier 13) and the globular cluster Messier 92.
Eastern sky
The constellations rising in the east around 10 pm are Pisces (the Fish) and Cetus (the Whale). Pisces can be identified using the Circlet of Pisces, an asterism located near the bigger and brighter Square of Pegasus. The Circlet outlines the head of the western fish. The fainter head of the eastern fish appears near Mirach, the middle of the three bright stars in Andromeda.
Cetus is the fourth largest constellation in the sky, after Hydra, Virgo, and Ursa Major. Representing the mythical sea monster or whale from the myth of Andromeda, it lies predominantly in the southern sky. With only two stars brighter than magnitude 3.0 – Diphda and Menkar – the constellation does not particularly stand out in the sky.
Aquarius, recognizable for the Water Jar asterism, appears higher above the horizon, above Pisces and Cetus, while the bright Pegasus and Andromeda lie in the northeastern sky.
Eastern sky from equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Western sky
Ophiuchus (the Serpent Bearer), Serpens (the Serpent), and Libra (the Scales) dominate the western evening sky. Rasalhague, the brightest star in Ophiuchus, is quite bright at magnitude 2.07. The giant star is the brightest point of light between Vega in Lyra and Antares in Scorpius. It marks the head of the Serpent Bearer (Asclepius) and is the northernmost star in the large polygon-shaped constellation figure of Ophiuchus.
Ophiuchus splits the constellation Serpens into two parts: Serpens Caput (the Serpent’s Head) and Serpens Cauda (the Serpent’s Tail). The head lies between Corona Borealis and the Scorpion’s claws, while the tail is found in the area between Antares and Altair.
Scorpius appears in the southwestern sky. Its claws point toward the fainter Libra. Lupus (the Wolf) is found between the Fish Hook of Scorpius and the horizon in the evening.
Western sky from equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Southern sky
The Southern Birds – Grus (the Crane), Phoenix, Tucana (the Toucan), and Pavo (the Peacock) – populate the southern and southeastern sky. These constellations are not particularly conspicuous but three of them host navigational stars: Ankaa (Alpha Phoenicis), Alnair (Alpha Gruis), and Peacock (Alpha Pavonis). Representing the Peacock, the constellation Pavo lies directly above the southern horizon around 10 pm. The faint Octans (the Octant), the home of the south celestial pole, appears between Pavo and the horizon.
Triangulum Australe (the Southern Triangle), one of the smallest constellations in the sky, lies west of Octans. It is easily recognizable for the triangle asterism formed by its three brightest stars, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Trianguli Australis. Atria (Alpha Trianguli Australis) is the 42nd brightest star in the sky and one of the stars listed for use in celestial navigation. The constellation is found near the Southern Pointers, Alpha and Beta Centauri (Rigil Kentaurus and Hadar) in Centaurus.
Southern sky from equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Ara (the Altar) appears between Triangulum Australe and the Fish Hook of Scorpius. The constellation’s brightest star, the bright giant or supergiant Beta Arae, shines at magnitude 2.84 from a distance of 714 light-years. The northwestern part of the constellation lies in the field of the Milky Way’s bright band.
Southern hemisphere
The brightest constellations high overhead in the evening for observers in the southern hemisphere are Sagittarius (the Archer) and Scorpius (the Scorpion). The two zodiac constellations are very easy to identify.
The brightest stars of the celestial Archer form the Teapot asterism, which is used to find the many bright deep sky objects that appear in this region of the sky. These include the bright nebulae Messier 8 (the Trifid Nebula), Messier 17 (the Omega Nebula), and Messier 20 (the Lagoon Nebula).
Scorpius hosts the red supergiant Antares, the 15th brightest star in the sky. Antares is part of the Fish Hook, an asterism that curves from the Scorpion’s heart, marked by Antares, to its stinger, marked by Shaula and Lesath. Antares can be used to find the bright globular clusters Messier 4 and Messier 80.
Shaula, the second brightest star in Scorpius, can be used to find the open clusters Messier 6 (the Butterfly Cluster) and Messier 7 (Ptolemy’s Cluster). M6 and M7 lie between the Scorpion’s stinger and the Teapot in Sagittarius. Both clusters are easily observed in binoculars.
Other constellations that appear near the zenith around 10 pm include Corona Australis (the Southern Crown) near Sagittarius, Norma (the Carpenter’s Square) and Ara (the Altar) near the Fish Hook, the Southern Birds constellations Pavo (the Peacock) and Grus (the Crane), and Indus (the Indian), which appears between Pavo and Grus.
Tonight’s sky as seen from the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium (annotated for this article)
Northern sky
The constellations of the Summer Triangle – Lyra (the Harp), Cygnus (the Swan), and Aquila (the Eagle) – dominate the northern sky for observers in southern latitudes. The Northern Cross in Cygnus can be used to find the fainter Vulpecula (the Fox), Delphinus (the Dolphin), and Sagitta (the Arrow).
Aquila (the Eagle) flies opposite Cygnus (the Swan). Its brightest star, Altair, is easy to identify because it is flanked by the relatively bright Tarazed and Alshain.
The stars of the Summer Triangle – Vega, Altair, and Deneb – are the 5th, 12th, and 19th brightest stars in the sky respectively. Vega and Altair are among our nearest neighbours, located 25.04 and 16.73 light-years away. In contrast, Deneb is the most distant of the first-magnitude stars, shining at magnitude 1.25 from a distance of 2,615 light-years. It is by far the most luminous of the three Summer Triangle stars, with an energy output of around 196,000 Suns.
Northern sky in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Vega appears next to a parallelogram asterism that forms the celestial harp, and Deneb sits at the top of the Northern Cross (or the bottom, since the asterism appears upside down when seen from southern latitudes).
Hercules, one of the largest constellations in the sky, appears west of Vega. It is recognizable for the Keystone asterism, which outlines the torso of Hercules. Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, appears above Hercules in the southwestern sky. Its brightest stars form a large polygon that occupies much of the sky between Vega and Antares.
Eastern sky
The eastern sky is populated by several constellations associated with water: Aquarius (the Water Bearer), Pisces (the Fish), Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish), and Cetus (the Sea Monster). Eridanus (the River), the home of the bright Achernar, appears in the southeast.
The zodiac constellations Aquarius and Pisces are identified by the Water Jar and Circlet of Pisces, two faint but distinctive asterisms that can be spotted near the Great Square of Pegasus on a clear night. The stream of water flowing from the Water Jar to the mouth of the Southern Fish is also visible in good conditions. The mouth of Piscis Austrinus is marked by Fomalhaut, the 18th brightest star in the sky. Other stars in Piscis Austrinus are fourth magnitude and fainter.
Eastern sky in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Cetus, the fourth largest constellation in the sky, rises around 10 pm. It is not particularly conspicuous, but its brightest stars can be located using the Square of Pegasus, which rises in the northeastern sky.
Appearing between the Sea Monster and the Southern Fish, the constellation Sculptor is relatively faint. Its brightest star, the variable blue giant Alpha Sculptoris, has an apparent magnitude of 4.30 and is a challenging target from light-polluted areas. Sculptor is known for its famous galaxies, NGC 55 (the Whale Galaxy), NGC 253 (the Sculptor Galaxy), and the Cartwheel Galaxy (ESO 350-40).
Western sky
The two largest constellations in the sky, Hydra (the Water Snake) and Virgo (the Maiden), set in the west in the evening. Virgo’s zodiac neighbours Libra (the Scales) and Scorpius (the Scorpion) are higher in the sky around 10 pm. The claws of the Scorpion face toward the horizon, and the brightest stars of Libra appear as the extension of the claws.
Lupus (the Wolf) is found between Scorpius and Centaurus in the southwest. The constellation’s brightest star, the blue giant Alpha Lupi, shines at magnitude 2.30. Formally named Uridim, the giant star is one of the nearest supernova candidates to the Sun. It lies approximately 460 light-years away.
Western sky in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
The bright Centaurus and Crux appear in the southwest. They host some of the brightest stars in the sky. Centaurus is home to Rigil Kentaurus and Hadar (Alpha and Beta Centauri), the 3rd and 11th brightest stars in the sky. The brightest stars of Crux form the Southern Cross, the most familiar asterism in the far southern sky. The asterism includes two first-magnitude stars – Acrux and Mimosa – and the second-magnitude Gacrux, the nearest red giant to the Sun.
Ophiuchus and Serpens take up much of the northwestern sky. The constellations are well-known for their bright deep sky objects. Ophiuchus hosts several bright globular clusters listed in the Messier catalogue, while Serpens is home to the Eagle Nebula (Messier 16), Seyfert’s Sextet of galaxies, and the ring galaxy known as Hoag’s Object.
Southern sky
The southern sky is mostly filled with small, faint constellations that require good conditions to be seen. Octans (the Octant), the home of the south celestial pole, is high above the southern horizon in the evening. The constellation is a challenging target from light-polluted areas. Polaris Australis (Sigma Octantis), the nearest visible star to the pole, is barely visible at magnitude 5.47.
Hydrus (the Lesser Water Snake), Chamaeleon, and Musca (the Fly) occupy the region between the bright Achernar in Eridanus (the River) and Acrux in Crux (the Southern Cross), and Reticulum (the Reticle) is found between Achernar and Canopus.
Southern sky in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Musca (the Fly) appears near Crux in the southwest. Its brightest star, the massive blue Beta Cephei variable Alpha Muscae, shines at magnitude 2.69.
The bright Carina (the Keel) appears low in the southern sky in the evening. Its luminary Canopus is below the horizon around 10 pm, but the bright Miaplacidus and Avior can be seen below the Southern Cross in the evening. Miaplacidus is part of the Diamond Cross, and Avior is one of the four stars that form the False Cross.
The three cross asterisms appear similar – they are all diamond-shaped, without a central star – but the Southern Cross is the brightest. It is easily identified using the bright Southern Pointers (Alpha and Beta Centauri), which point toward Gacrux, the star at the top of the asterism.