ROUTE 2 - Orion to the Pleiades

Question 1

ORION
1. Where in Orion is Betelgeuse (Beetle Juice)?
2. Where is Rigel?

Answer 1

Betelgeuse is the left shoulder of Orion; it’s a red star.
Rigel is Orion’s right foot - or the bottom right of the moka pot. Rigel has a bluish cast.

Question 2

ORION NEBULA
Where in the constellation is the nebula located?

Answer 2

Below Orion’s belt

Question 3

CANIS MAJOR
How do you find C.MAJOR from Orion?

Answer 3

You extend the belt to the left until you hit Sirius, the mouth of the dog.

Question 4

CANIS MINOR
From Orion, how do I find C.MINOR?
Just two stars make up C.Minor - which is Procyon?

Answer 4

To find C.Minor from Orion, look at Orion’s raised hand, holding the club, and trace to the left and slightly up, and you’ll meet a pair of stars - Canis Minor.
The star to the left is the brightest - it’s Procyon.

Question 5

the WINTER TRIANGLE
1. in-between which three constellations is the Winter Triangle?
2. What are the names of the three stars making up the Triangle?
3. What type of star pattern is the Winter Triangle?
4. Why is the Winter Triangle thus called?

Answer 5

1. Orion, Canis Minor and Canis Major
2. Betelgeuse in Orion, Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major
3. an asterism
4. because it is primarily visible in the night sky during the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere

Question 6

GEMINI
1. How do you get from Orion to Gemini?
2. What are the names of the two bright stars at the top of the constellation?
3. Who were the two characters?

Answer 6

1. Gemini is super close to Orion - from the left shoulder of Orion, trace a line looking to 11 O’clock, until you hit the foot of Pollux, the left-side twin - it actually looks like Orion is wanting to whack Pollux’s foot with his club 😂
2. from left to right, Pollux and Castor
3. They were the sons of Leda, of Sparta

Question 7

TAURUS
1. Where is Taurus relative to Orion?
2. What shape is the head of the bull?
3. What’s the name of the star that’s the top left of the bull’s head?

Answer 7

1. Taurus is just to the right of Orion, and one can imagine Orion being about to whack the bull on the head
2. an inverted triangle
3. Aldebaran

Question 8

CRAB NEBULA
1. Where in Taurus is the nebula?
2. When was the nebula formed?

Answer 8

1. smack against the right side of the left horn’s tip
2. in 1054 AD, when a star exploded. the core of the exploded star is a pulsar.

Question 9

PLEIADES
1. which constellation are the Pleiades in?
2. Where in the constellation are they?

Answer 9

1. in Taurus
2. on the Taurus’ shoulder - otherwise put, at ‘arm’s length’ to the right of the Taurus’ eyes

The Pleiades is an open star cluster found within the
constellation Taurus, marking the bull’s shoulder. The cluster is made up of six stars that are visible to the naked eye, but binoculars reveal nine bright stars in the cluster - the Seven Sisters and their two parents.

Question 10

ROUTE TWO REVIEW
Take the time to look at all the constellations in Route 2 and try and remember how they are positioned relative to the others.

1. when is the best time to look at those constellations?

Answer 10

1. in winter, when they are high in the sky

Question 11

ROUTE TWO QUIZZ

Look at the stars of the constellations looked at in Route Two, and try to figure out where Taurus, Orion and the others are…

Answer 11