Stargaze on the Longest Night

Winter Solstice is the longest night, so why not take advantage of all that darkness and do some stargazing? You will find a “Stargazing Picnic tutorial” in my Winter Solstice book, or you can just grab some blankets and look at the sky. The stars are easier to see in the winter because there is less humidity and haze and several iconic constellations make their debut in the winter months. If you are in the Northern hemisphere look for:

• Auriga (the charioteer)
• Canis Major (greater dog)
• Canis Minor (lesser dog)
• Orion (the hunter)
• Taurus (the bull)
• Ursa Major (greater bear/ big dipper)
• Ursa Minor (lesser bear/ little dipper)
• Draco (the dragon)
• Cassiopeia (the queen)
• Perseus (the hero)

Different cultures have different names for constellations which can be really fun to research!