Stars and planets, galaxies and nebulae - when you look at the night sky for hours you can enjoy its treasures. Even a simple knowledge of the constellations and the ability to find them in the firmament is a very useful skill. It will be a great pleasure for you, when you are in nature, you will be able to find individual constellations and show them to your companions. Northern hemisphere of the sky "inhabit" such beautiful constellations as Big and Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, Cepheus and others. We will focus on the polar constellations of the northern hemisphere, that is, the constellations surrounding the celestial north pole.
The easiest way to navigate the night sky of the northern hemisphere is to first find the Big Dipper. This constellation also resembles a bucket. Further, if you continue the line connecting the two stars of the front part of the bucket towards its upper part, then at a distance of approximately 30 degrees you will find the North Star. In order to measure this distance, you will not need complicated astronomical devices. There is a simple method for this. Pull your arm out in front of you and make a so-called "goat", straightening your little finger and index finger and bending two fingers between them. The distance between the little finger and the index finger of the "goat", located at arm's length from your eyes, corresponds to about 10 degrees on the celestial sphere. Thus, after counting three such distances in the specified direction, you will find a bright star called Polaris. A characteristic feature of this star is that the entire northern hemisphere revolves around it. This property is enjoyed by photographers, making spectacular snyki with hours of restraint. Contrary to popular belief, the Polar Star is not the brightest star in the northern hemisphere. This title belongs to Arcturus, who is in the constellation Bootes.
The Polar Star enters another well-known constellation - the Little Ursa. This constellation, like the Big Dipper, resembles a small bucket whose end of the handle is determined by the Polar Star. Cassiopeia is another constellation that adorns the northern hemisphere. It is very easy to be on a clear night sky by a characteristic form, most reminiscent of the letter "M" or "W" of the English alphabet. This constellation is easy to navigate with the North Star, as the "turn" or bottom of the letter "M" is directed towards the Big Dipper.
The next constellation framing the north pole of the sky is Cepheus. In this constellation there are five main stars that make up the "house", although this image does not correspond to its astrological value. The roof of the "house" is deployed in the direction of the North Star. A more reliable method to find Polaris with the help of the constellation Cepheus is to continue the right side of the "house", formed by the stars Alderamin and Alfirk, upwards. At a distance of about two sides of the house, you will find the North Star.
The last polar constellation of the northern hemisphere is the constellation of the Dragon. It can be found, knowing that Cepheus is between the Dragon and Cassiopeia. The dragon is the most common constellation constituting the northern hemisphere of the sky, but the least known. The reason for this is that it is difficult to observe in urban areas, where night illumination overflows the sky, and in rural areas, where the constellation is mixed with the numerous secondary stars located in the constellation.