The Autumn Constellations

Abstract

Autumn brings with it the transition from hot, sultry nights to cool, crisp evenings. ‘Seeing’ conditions generally improve during this season. Good seeing conditions will be needed if you are to locate the rather faint constellations of autumn. Several of the constellations are found in an area of the sky called “The Water” because of the number of water-related constellations. Delphinus (the Dolphin), Pisces (the Fishes), Aquarius (the Water-Bearer), Cetus (the Sea-Monster), Capricornus (the Sea-Goat), and Pisces Austrinus (the Southern Fish) are all found in this area of the sky. Although there is no lack of constellations the number of bright stars is decidedly lacking, as are the number of deep sky objects. These constellations are formed by 3rd to 5th magnitude stars so a dark, Moonless night and a star chart will help a lot when navigating the sky. Some wonderful stories accompany these constellations.