NightJot field guide

Find the Stars

Use bright patterns to build confidence across the sky.

All guides

5 articles

From a sufficiently dark northern sky, use a verified local chart and Cassiopeia or Pegasus as an anchor; expect a faint smudge.

For Northern Hemisphere observers, extend a line through the outer pair of Bowl stars to the relatively steady Polaris.

Under suitable northern autumn-to-winter skies, look for a compact cluster near Taurus; binoculars reveal more stars over a wide field.

For Northern Hemisphere summer evenings, identify Vega, Deneb and Altair as a broad bright asterism, then use it to orient later searches.

In a suitable season and location, identify Orion’s three Belt stars, then examine the hanging Sword below for a soft patch.