Stargazing is a magical way to connect with the cosmos, and learning to recognize constellations is a great place to start! Some star patterns are trickier to find, but others are bright, distinct, and easy to spot—even for beginners. In this guide, we’ll introduce seven easy-to-find constellations to find in the Northern Hemisphere, along with tips for locating them, their mythology, and what makes them special. Whether you’re stargazing from your backyard or planning a field trip to a planetarium, these easy-to-find constellations are the perfect starting point for your journey into astronomy!

A Note For Teachers: If you’re an educator planning to teach the night sky or constellations, great learning resources are key to deepening understanding! I think you and your students will love my Constellations Mini Study, which you can also find within my complete Night Sky Unit (plus you’ll support my blog with your purchase! ❤️)

What are constellations?

Constellations are patterns that people see in the stars.  With a little imagination, you can see people, animals, mythical beasts, and other images in the sky’s stars! Different ancient cultures imagined different pictures in the stars and told unique stories and myths about them. Today, the International Astronomical Union recognizes 88 modern constellations.

Which constellations can I see?

The constellations you see change depending on the time, date, and location. For example, if you were to watch the sky all night, the constellations would appear to move across the sky, spinning around a central point. In reality, it’s the Earth that is moving, not the constellations. Earth rotates fully on its axis every day.

The Earth isn’t just rotating – it also orbits around the Sun every year.  Because of this, some constellations are on the side of Earth facing the Sun during part of the year, so we can’t see them. Consequently, these constellations appear and disappear with the seasons, for example, the Zodiac constellations.

Depending on where you live, you may find that some constellations do not disappear seasonally. For example, the constellations located directly above and below Earth are never hidden by the Sun, no matter where Earth is in its orbit. These constellations are called circumpolar constellations. However, circumpolar constellations can’t be seen everywhere on Earth. The constellations above Earth are visible only in the Northern Hemisphere, while the constellations below Earth can be seen only in the Southern Hemisphere.

Tips for Viewing Easy-to-Find Constellations

To view constellations, it must be nighttime. For this reason, winter can be a great time for stargazing, because the sun sets earlier. To see constellations, a dark, unobstructed sky is key. First, head out to a dark area away from city lights and tall buildings for the best chances of spotting some constellations.

It may also help to have a star chart for your area and season. As you know, not all constellations are visible at all times. A star chart will help you figure out which constellations are visible and where they are located in the sky. For example, you can find online star charts from websites like Stellarium Web or Sky and Telescope (external links).

Ursa Major

The Great Bear

Hemisphere: Northern (circumpolar)

Best Seen: in spring

Mythology: several ancient cultures interpreted this collection of stars as a bear or other animal. In one Greek myth, the three stars behind the bear represent its tail, which got stretched out when the bear was thrown into the sky.

Distinguishing Features: Ursa Major is the third largest of all constellations. The distinctive big dipper is made of 7 bright stars found in the rear and tail of Ursa Major.

Ursa Minor

The Little Bear

Hemisphere: Northern (circumpolar)

Best Seen: in summer

Mythology: in Greek mythology, Ursa Minor was Zeus’s son, who got turned into a bear along with his mother, Ursa Major.

Distinguishing Features: Ursa Minor is also known as the little dipper. Polaris, the north star, is found at the tip of the bear’s tail. Polaris is used in Northern Hemisphere navigation because it is always located in the same place in the sky.

Ursa Minor can be found using its neighboring constellation. First, find the big dipper (Ursa Major). Draw an imaginary line across the front of the big dipper, then extend that line upwards. The line will point to the north star.

Cassiopeia

The Seated Queen

Hemisphere: Northern (circumpolar)

Best Seen: in fall

Mythology: in Greek mythology, Cassiopeia was a vain queen, obsessed with her own beauty. She was the wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda.

Distinguishing Features: Cassiopeia appears as an “M” or “W” in the sky, made of bright stars. The Milky Way runs through Cassiopeia.

Orion

The Hunter

Hemisphere: Northern

Best Seen: in winter

Mythology: many ancient cultures interpreted this collection of stars as human form, often a hunter or warrior. In Greek mythology, Orion was a skilled hunter.

Distinguishing Features: to locate Orion, look for his belt – three distinct and bright stars arranged in a line.

Canis Major

The Great Dog

Hemisphere: primarily Southern, but it is also sometimes visible in the Northern Hemisphere

Best Seen: in winter in the Northern Hemisphere

Mythology: in Greek mythology, Canis Major is one of Orion’s hunting dogs.

Distinguishing Features: Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, is found in the dog’s chest. A loyal companion, Canis Major appears to follow behind Orion.

Cygnus

The Swan

Hemisphere: Northern

Best Seen: in late summer and early fall

Mythology: in Greek mythology, Cygnus is said to be Zeus in disguise.

Distinguishing Features: due to its shape, Cygnus is also known as the Northern Cross. The Milky Way passes directly through the center of the distinctive cross shape.

The Pleiades and Taurus

Seven Sisters and The Bull

Hemisphere: Northern

Best Seen: in winter

Mythology: The pleiades or “seven sisters” are found within the constellation Taurus the bull (a Zodiac constellation). In Greek Mythology, the seven sisters are the daughters of Atlas.

Distinguishing Features: The pleiades isn’t a constellation, but rather a cluster of many stars. To find it, look for a dense group of several stars. Those with excellent eye sight can make out at least seven stars. Once you find the pleiades, you can find Taurus the bull.

You can also find Taurus by drawing an imaginary line through the three stars of Orion’s belt then extending that line. The bull appears to be charging towards Orion.

Explore Constellations with Wild Earth Lab:

If you enjoyed my constellation artwork and info in this post, I think you will love my my Constellations Mini Study. It features my high-quality watercolor images on flashcards, posters, and other kids’ learning materials. Perfect for stargazing with kids!

OR: you can bundle and save on even more astronomy and space worksheets, activities, and posters with my complete Night Sky Unit!

Explore more lessons from Wild Earth Lab:

If you enjoyed this post, I know you will love trying my other printable science and nature units in your classroom too!

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References and Further Reading

1. Constellation Guide (n.d.). Constellations by Month. Available: https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellations-by-month/
2. Constellations Guide (n.d.). Zodiac Constellations. Available: https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-map/zodiac-constellations/
3. Ford, D. (n.d.). List of the Constellations. In-The-Sky.org. Available: https://in-the-sky.org/data/constellation.php?id=19
4. Fraknoi, A., Morrison, D., Wolff, S. C., (2016). Astronomy. OpenStax. Available: https://openstax.org/books/astronomy/pages/1-6-a-tour-of-the-universe
5. GoAstronomy (n.d.). Constellations of the Night Sky. Available: https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.htm
6. Horvatin, S. (n.d.). Constellations. Michigan State University. Abrams Planetarium. Available: https://web.pa.msu.edu/people/horvatin/Astronomy_Facts/constellations.html
7. International Astronomical Union (n.d.). The Constellations. Available: https://www.iau.org/public/themes/constellations/

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