The winter sky is one of the most beautiful. If you look south in the evening, you will see bright and memorable figures of constellations. The brightest star figure in the winter sky is the handsome Orion. The constellation symbolizes the heavenly hunter and is known for a long time. The brightest stars of the constellation - alpha and beta - are named Betelgeuse and Rigel. The constellation of Orion includes 120 stars visible to the naked eye, the area is quite large - 594 square degrees.
In the constellation, there are interesting nebulae, the famous M 42 - The Great Nebula of Orion. There are also curious double and multiple stars in Orion. In the constellation, there is also a radiant meteor shower Orionid.
A little higher and to the right of Orion the heavenly bull is Taurus. His red eye is an alpha constellation named Aldebaran, shining brightly in the night sky. The area of this constellation is even larger than Orion - 797 square degrees, and the number of stars available to the naked eye they have parity - in Taurus 125 stars brighter than the sixth-star size. The constellation is zodiac - the ecliptic passes through it. In Taurus, there are two brightest and most beautiful scattered star clusters - Guiades and Pleiades. Pleiades are clearly visible in the sky with the naked eye in the form of a tiny ladle. They were known for a long time and the name that came down to us was given to them by the ancient Greeks. The ancient Slavic name of the cluster is Stozhary.
In the constellation of Taurus, there is a nebula - the rest of the outbreak of supernova - Crab Nebula. There are double and variable stars.
Below Orion and to the left to the east, the brightest of the stars of the entire earthly sky, Sirius, is visible. It is part of the constellation of the Big Dog, which in our latitudes is low above the horizon. This constellation is also one of the oldest. Suffice it to say that on the rise of Sirius the ancient Egyptians determined the time of the Nile spill. The constellation includes 80 stars visible to the eye, and on the area, it is quite average size - 380 square degrees. In the Big Psalm, there are many scattered star clusters, there are double and variable stars.
If from a figure of Orion to lead directly upwards we will see a bright star. This is the Chapel, the alpha constellation of the Ascension. The shape of the constellation is a characteristic pentagon of stars, one of which is the lower one, is also a concrete Taurus. The constellation has many scattered clusters, double and variable stars. In total, there are 90 stars visible to the naked eye. The area of the constellation is 657 square degrees. On ancient maps of the Ascendant were drawn with a goat on his shoulder.
His area is 481 degrees, the stars available to the naked eye in the Unicorn eighty. In the constellation, there are interesting nebulae, many scattered star clusters.
Above and to the east of Orion are a pair of bright stars. They represent a constellation of twins. Alpha and beta Gemini bear the names Castor and Pollux, respectively. The constellation is interesting, rich in objects to observe. The twins cross the ecliptic line, the zodiac constellation. 70 stars are available to the naked eye. In the sky, Gemini occupy 514 square degrees. Alpha Castor Gemini is an interesting double star. There are also scattered star clusters, nebulae and many variables in the Gemini. Here is the radiant of the Geminidi meteor shower.
East of Gemini lies an interesting constellation of Cancer. It is also one of the zodiacal stars. It has a few bright stars - 60 available to the naked eye. It occupies 506 square degrees in the sky. But there is an interesting scattered cluster of stars known to the ancient Romans.
In Crayfish there is a very beautiful double star of Crayfish Jotha. There are also interesting double and scattered star clusters M 67.
Above the Crayfish and to the east of the Rising, the constellation of the Lynx stretches. It is the fruit of the creative work of Jan Hevelius.
There are many interesting double stars in this poor, bright constellation. There are a couple of foggy objects available for amateur instruments. There are 60 stars in the constellation visible to the naked eye. It occupies 545 square degrees in the sky.
The last constellation of our review - the Hare - is located under the "feet" of the celestial hunter Orion, so in our latitudes, it rises low above the horizon. It was known in ancient times. It is included in the catalog of the starry sky of Claudius Ptolemy "Almagest".
The hare is a small constellation - only 40 stars visible to the naked eye. It occupies only 290 square degrees in the sky. In the constellation, there are double stars, several variables, available observations in small instruments of star clusters.