Northern Hemisphere Constellations by Season: What Constellations Are Visible in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

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Topics:Constellations & AsterismsSkywatchingStars
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The main constellations visible in the Northern Hemisphere change with the seasons. In spring, look for Leo, Virgo, and Ursa Major; in summer, Cygnus, Lyra, and Aquila; in fall, Cassiopeia, Pegasus, and Andromeda; and in winter, Orion, Canis Major, and Taurus. Use the free Sky Tonight app to improve your stargazing experience — it will instantly show you where these constellations are in the real sky above you.

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Constellations visible in the Northern Hemisphere by season

Seasonal constellations are groups of stars that are best visible in the night sky at certain times of the year. This is driven by Earth’s movement around the Sun, which changes which part of the sky is visible at night.

  • Spring (March–May): Leo, Virgo, Ursa Major
  • Summer (June–August): Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila
  • Fall (September–November): Cassiopeia, Pegasus, Andromeda
  • Winter (December–February): Orion, Canis Major, Taurus

Spring constellations in the Northern Hemisphere

In spring, the best visible constellations in the Northern Hemisphere include Leo, Virgo, and Ursa Major. The exact view depends on your location and the time of night, but these are among the easiest constellations to spot in the sky from March to May. Regulus, Spica, and Arcturus, — the brightest stars from Leo, Virgo, and another constellation, Boötes, also form a well-known spring asterism called Spring Triangle, best visible in April.

Leo

The constellation Leo can be identified by the distinctive "sickle"-shaped star pattern representing the head and shoulders of the Lion. This asterism is formed by the six bright stars: Regulus (the most prominent star in the constellation), η Leonis, Algieba, Adhafera, Rasalas, and Ras Elased Australis. Observers equipped with optical devices will find a bunch of Messier objects (M65, M66, M95, M96, M105) and galaxies (NGC 3370, NGC 3628) within the constellation.

Leo
The constellation Leo. In Greek mythology, it was associated with the Nemean Lion. Mortal’s weapons could not damage his fur, so the hero Heracles had to strangle the beast with his bare hands.
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Virgo

Virgo is the second-largest constellation in the sky known for its bright star Spica. It is also notable for being home to many Messier objects, including the Radio Galaxy Virgo A (M87) and the Sombrero Galaxy (M104), which make good targets for a telescope. To get a complete list, open Sky Tonight, find the constellation Virgo, and tap on its name. In the “Info” tab, tap the “+More” button under the picture. You’ll see the list of objects related to the constellation Virgo. Tap on the blue target icon opposite the object to see its position in the sky.

Virgo
The constellation Virgo. It was associated with Demetra, the goddess of agriculture, or Astrea, the goddess of justice, holding the scales (represented by the constellation Libra) in her hand.
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Ursa Major

Ursa Major is a circumpolar constellation, which means it is visible all year round in much of the Northern Hemisphere. In spring, it climbs especially high in the sky, making it one of the easiest constellations to spot.

The Big Dipper is an outstanding feature of the constellation and one of the most recognizable asterisms: you can easily spot it with the naked eye. It is formed by the stars Benetnash (Alkaid), Mizar-Alcor, Alioth, Megrez, Dubhe, Merak, and Phad (Phecda). Fun fact: in ancient times, the naked-eye pair Mizar and Alcor was often used as a simple eyesight test. Those who could distinguish the two stars were thought to have sharp vision!

Ursa Major contains many well-known deep-sky objects. The Bode’s Galaxy (M81) and the Cigar Galaxy (M82) can be seen close together through binoculars. The Owl Nebula (M97) and the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) are visible through a telescope.

Ursa Major
The constellation Ursa Major. The Big Dipper is often seen as a bear or a hunter pursuing a bear across the sky. Such myths are common in the folklore of cultures around the world, including the Greeks, Romans, Native Americans, and Hindus.
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Summer constellations in the Northern Hemisphere

The best summer constellations in the Northern Hemisphere are Cygnus, Lyra, and Aquila. Their brightest stars — Deneb, Vega, and Altair — make up the Summer Triangle asterism, which is easy to spot from June to August.

Cygnus

The distinctive shape of Cygnus makes it a beautiful and easily recognizable constellation. Naked-eye observers can find the Northern Cross asterism, which marks the swan’s body: Deneb and Albireo are for the tail and head, Fawaris and Aljanah are for the wings, and Sadr shines at the center. You can see Cygnus “flying” over the Milky Way in a dark location. There are also notable deep-sky objects visible through binoculars or a telescope: the North America Nebula (NGC 7000), Veil Nebula, Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888), and Blinking Planetary (NGC 6826), as well as two Messier objects – M29 and M39 star clusters.

Cygnus
The constellation Cygnus. In Greek mythology, it has been identified with several different legendary swans, as well as with the Stymphalian birds.
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Lyra

The constellation Lyra is the home of the star Vega, the fifth-brightest star in the night sky overall and the third-brightest star visible in the Northern Hemisphere. Optical devices will reveal the two Messier objects in Lyra: M56 globular cluster and the Ring Nebula (M57).

Lyra
The constellation Lyra. In ancient Greece, it was associated with the magical lyre of Orpheus, the legendary musician. It was also said to be the first lyre ever made.
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Aquila

The constellation Aquila is placed on the celestial equator. Altair, its main star, is one of the brightest stars in the sky and one of the closest naked-eye stars to the Earth (it lies 17 light-years from us). The star is easily visible in the summer sky. At the tip of the Eagle’s tail, observers with telescopes can find NGC 6751, also known as the Glowing Eye Nebula.

Aquila
The constellation Aquila. According to Greek mythology, it represents the eagle that carried Zeus’ thunderbolts.
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Autumn constellations in the Northern Hemisphere

The autumn sky over the Northern Hemisphere is dominated by the Greek myth characters: Cassiopeia, Andromeda, and Pegasus.

Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia is known for its "W"-shaped asterism that is formed by the five brightest stars in the constellation: Segin, Ruchbah, Tsih, Schedar, and Caph, all visible to the naked eye. The constellation also contains a wide variety of deep-sky objects. Binoculars will resolve star clusters (M52, M103, NGC 457, NGC 663). Through a telescope, you can see several galaxies (NGC 147, NGC 185, NGC 278) and the Pacman Nebula (NGC 281) – a cloud of space gas named after the character of the eponymous game.

Cassiopeia
The constellation Cassiopeia. It is associated with the queen Cassiopeia, who angered the sea god Poseidon by her boasting and was forced to sacrifice her daughter Andromeda to a sea monster Cetus.
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Astronomers often name nebulae after objects or characters they think the nebula resembles. But sometimes, the connection between the nebula’s shape and its name is not obvious. Can you guess the nebula’s name by its photo? Pass our quiz and check!

Guess the Nebula!
Astronomers are weird people and they often name things according to their strange ideas. Let’s see how weird you are – try to guess a nebula’s name from its picture!
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Pegasus

Pegasus is one of the largest constellations (the 7th out of 88). It is easily recognized by the Great Square of Pegasus asterism in which only three stars – Scheat, Markab, and Algenib – belong to the constellation Pegasus (Alpheratz is a part of the constellation Andromeda). The stars are visible to the naked eye. The best binocular target in the constellation is M15 or the Great Pegasus Cluster.

Those looking for a more challenging object should try to find the NGC 7814 galaxy. To find the tricky object in the sky, type the galaxy’s name in the Sky Tonight’s search box and tap on the blue target icon. The app will show its location in the night sky, so you can easily point your telescope at it.

Pegasus
The constellation Pegasus. It is depicted as a front part of a winged horse. According to Greek mythology, Pegasus was born from Medusa’s blood when the hero Perseus cut off her head.
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Andromeda

Andromeda is located between Cassiopeia and Pegasus. Its brightest star, Alpheratz, marks the upper-left corner of the Great Square asterism that mostly lies in the constellation Pegasus. Andromeda is also known for being home to the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), which is visible to the naked eye in dark skies and is the closest large spiral galaxy to our Milky Way. The other galaxies you can find within the constellation with the help of a telescope are M32, M110, NGC 404, and NGC 891.

Andromeda
The constellation Andromeda. It represents the princess Andromeda chained to a rock and left to be eaten by a sea monster Cetus (don’t worry, the hero Perseus came to save the day and even married Andromeda).
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Winter constellations in the Northern Hemisphere

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is the best time to observe three of the most well-known constellations – Orion, Canis Major, and Taurus.

Orion

Orion is one of the most recognizable and prominent constellations in the sky, with its distinctive Orion’s Belt asterism making it easy to locate. Besides the three stars forming the Belt (Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka), naked-eye observers can also spot Rigel, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, and Saiph – the brightest stars in the constellation that mark out Orion’s body. The constellation also contains many curious deep-sky objects in the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. The Orion Nebula (M42) is bright enough to be observed with the unaided eye. De Mairan’s Nebula (M43), the M78 reflection nebula, and the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) can be found with a telescope.

Orion
The constellation Orion. It is associated with the hunter Orion. Besides the famous Orion’s Belt, the constellation also features such asterisms as Orion’s Shield, Orion’s Sword, and Orion's Club.
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Canis Major

Canis Major is an outstanding constellation because it contains Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. One of the notable deep-sky objects in the constellation is the Little Beehive Cluster (M41), which is visible even with the unaided eye, given the dark sky with no light pollution. For telescope users, Canis Major offers the Thor’s Helmet Nebula (NGC 2359) and, close to its border with the constellation Monoceros, the interacting spiral galaxies NGC 2207 and IC 2163.

Canis Major
The constellation Canis Major. It represents Lealaps, Orion’s hunting dog. It had the magic ability to hunt down any prey.
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Taurus

The V-shaped asterism, dominated by the bright red star Aldebaran, which marks the Bull’s eye, makes Taurus a beautiful and easily identifiable constellation. Taurus holds the famous Pleiades (M45) and Hyades (C 41) star clusters, which are among the brightest deep-sky objects: they can be spotted even with the naked eye. With the help of a telescope, you can find the Crab Nebula (M1).

Taurus
The constellation Taurus. It is one of the oldest known constellations. As far back as 15,000 BC, drawings on the walls in the caves of Lascaux depicted Taurus along with the Pleiades star cluster.
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Why do we have seasonal constellations?

The stars are always present in the sky, but during the day, the sunlight makes the sky so bright that it overwhelms the much fainter starlight, so we can only see them at night. Without the Sun shining, the winter constellations would be visible in the summer daytime sky (and vice versa).

As the Earth moves along its orbit throughout the year, the position of the Sun on the celestial sphere changes. The location of the Sun in the winter sky is opposite to that in the summer sky. Therefore, on winter nights, we see constellations that are not visible in summer. For example, the Summer Triangle is high above the horizon in summer, while Orion, with his Belt outlined by three stars, can be observed in winter. In “their” season, these constellations are visible for much of the night and reach their highest positions in the sky.

Northern Hemisphere Constellations: F.A.Q

What constellations are visible in the Northern Hemisphere tonight?

The answer depends on the season, your location, and the time of night. On spring nights, Leo, Virgo, and Ursa Major are among the best constellations to observe in the Northern Hemisphere. In other seasons, different constellations become more prominent.

Which constellations are visible all year in the Northern Hemisphere?

Some circumpolar constellations can be seen all year in much of the Northern Hemisphere. The best-known examples are Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and Cassiopeia.

Learn more: Circumpolar Constellations — Visible All The Year Round

Why are different constellations visible in different seasons?

As Earth moves around the Sun during the year, the night side of our planet faces different parts of space in different seasons. That is why different constellations are best visible at different times of year.

What is the easiest constellation to find in the Northern Hemisphere?

The easiest constellation to find in the Northern Hemisphere depends on the season because different constellations become prominent at different times of year. In spring, one of the easiest to spot is Ursa Major because of the bright Big Dipper asterism. In summer, beginners often look for Cygnus, which contains the Northern Cross. In fall, Cassiopeia stands out thanks to its distinctive “W” shape. In winter, Orion is one of the easiest constellations to recognize because of Orion’s Belt.

If you want more examples, check out our guide to the 7 constellations everyone can find.

7 Constellations Everyone Can Find
Learn how to easily find famous star patterns and constellations in the night sky. Discover interesting facts about each of the constellations.
See Infographic

How to find seasonal constellations in the sky?

The easiest way to find seasonal constellations is to identify which ones are visible in the current season and then look for recognizable star patterns on a sky map. In spring, for example, Leo can be identified by its “sickle” shape, while Ursa Major is easy to recognize by the Big Dipper. You can also use stargazing apps such as Star Walk and Sky Tonight.

For example, Sky Tonight has a user-friendly search system, so you can simply type the name of the constellation you want to find into the search box and tap the blue target icon opposite the corresponding result. The app will take you to the main screen and show you the constellation's location on a night sky map. Try tapping the big blue button with the compass icon, or just point your device up, and you will see where the constellation is in the real sky above you.

Some constellations are easier to identify than others because they have prominent features that make them easy to recognize, like Orion's Belt asterism in the Orion constellation. In our infographic, we’ve compiled the top 7 easiest-to-find constellations. With our hints, you will quickly identify them in the sky.

15 stars everyone can find Intro
Learn how to identify the most famous stars: Polaris, Sirius, Arcturus, and many others. Familiarize yourself with the night sky using this infographic!
See Infographic

Seasonal constellations in the Northern Hemisphere: to sum up

Seasonal constellations change throughout the year — right now spring constellations are becoming the main highlight of the Northern Hemisphere sky. Leo, Virgo, and Ursa Major are some of the best constellations to observe from March to May, while other seasonal constellations will become more prominent later in the year. Each of these constellations holds good targets for both amateur and seasoned astronomers. To easily spot them all and plan your observations, use Sky Tonight — your personal guide to the night sky.

Explore seasonal constellations in the Southern Hemisphere

For our Southern Hemisphere readers, we’ve made a similar guide to the seasonal constellations in the southern sky. There, you’ll learn which stars and constellations dominate the skies during summer, autumn, winter, and spring, and how to find them. Whether you’re observing from Australia, South America, or anywhere under southern skies, this guide will help you plan your stargazing session and discover many deep-sky treasures.

All constellations by months

Each constellation has a particular month when it rises the highest in the sky in the evening. Based on this, we divided all 88 officially recognized constellations into 12 monthly guides — one for each month. If you want a more detailed Northern Hemisphere constellations map by month, start with these articles:

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Topics:Constellations & AsterismsSkywatchingStars
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