
The zodiac maps 12 equal divisions of the ecliptic, with the sun's path and nearby planets in a belt, while signs originate from Babylonian astronomy tied to the vernal equinox.
Use your hand to quickly & easily measure angular distances in the sky
How the constellations will be presented in the next section
Constellations of March
Constellations of April
Constellations of May
Constellations of June
Constellations of July
Constellations of August
Explore fall constellations in the northern hemisphere as cooler nights invite stargazing, and observe the harvest moon near the autumn equinox while noting the moon illusion and atmospheric reddening.
Constellations of September
Constellations of October
Constellations of November
Discover the winter constellations of the northern hemisphere as dark skies reveal bright stars, while warm, practical observing tips prepare you for the long night near the solstice.
Constellations of December
Constellations of January
Constellations of February
Wrap-Up & Where to go from here
This course includes 23 Video lectures and several handouts designed to introduce you to the hobby of Backyard Astronomy.
The Course is delivered in to 6 easy to digest sections, to fit in to your busy schedule
If you are curious about the Night Sky and want to learn more, this is a great course to get you out and observing in the shortest possible time with the maximum enjoyment.
This course is a follow-up to an "Introduction to Stargazing", in this course we will continue our exploration of the Night Sky by learning more about the constellations.
In the first section we will learn what the constellations are, where they came from and explore the lore of the constellations.
We will learn about the zodiac, the original constellations set
The 44 Greek constellations from Ptolemy's Almagest
Then we will explore a little of the mythology of the constellations
Once we have a fair understanding of what the constellations are and where they came from ..
We will explore the Key constellations month by month and tour the interesting objects you can see in each, with a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.
I have divided the exploration of the constellations in to four sections for convenience.
Each section will cover 3 months and represent a "season"
Remember season are reversed between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere
so the section covering the Northern Hemisphere Spring, will also cover the Southern Hemisphere Fall