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In the warmer early evenings of March and April, look to the south for the three bright stars known as the Winter Triangle. Its southernmost luminary is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. It and two other bright stars form an equilateral triangle dangling off the eastern side of the constellation Orion. In fact, the Winter Triangle’s northwestern star, Betelgeuse, sits at the northeastern corner of the constellation. The third stellar component, Procyon, shines east of Betelgeuse.
Either with your unaided eyes or through binoculars, gaze towards the famous star forming region, M42, the Orion Nebula glowing in the southern half of Orion. Amazing!
Next, from Orion’s equally bright three Belt stars, head northwest towards two attractive star clusters, first the Hyades, then the Pleiades. In March, the red planet Mars can be found marching between them, then continuing eastward across the sky in April.
The story above appears in our March/April 2021 issue.
