Stargazing Guide to the Top 5 December Constellations & Their Brightest Stars

~7 min
Topics:Constellations & Asterisms
December Constellations
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Want to know what constellations to look for in the December night sky? You've come to the right place! In this article, we'll guide you through the top constellations to watch this month, give you tips on how to spot them, and reveal the myths behind them. With the Star Walk 2 and Sky Tonight apps, you can locate these and any other constellations above you in no time. Let's dive into December stargazing!

Contents

December night sky map

December is a good month for observing beautiful seasonal constellations such as Cetus, Eridanus, Andromeda, Aries, Perseus, Taurus, Auriga, Orion, Gemini, and Lepus. And circumpolar constellations like Ursa Major in the Northern Hemisphere and Carina in the Southern Hemisphere are always a nice stargazing treat.

December night sky map: Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere
Night sky maps for mid-latitudes in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Note that your exact sky view depends on your location and time. Check out the Star Walk 2 and Sky Tonight apps to see which constellations are above you right now.
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What constellations are best seen in December?

Discover the top 5 constellations to spot this month, plus one amazing star pattern that isn't really a constellation. Of course, there's plenty more to explore in the December skies, but this is a great starting point. These constellations are easy to recognize, and they reach their highest point in the sky around midnight this month, making them ideal for stargazing.

Orion

  • Visible between: 85°N and 75°S
  • Brightest stars: Rigel (mag 0.12), Betelgeuse (mag 0.5), Bellatrix (mag 0.64), Alnilam (mag 1.7), Alnitak (mag 2), Saiph (mag 2), Mintaka (mag 2)
  • Well-known asterism: Orion’s Belt
  • Brightest deep-sky object: Orion Nebula (M42) (mag 4)
Constellation Orion myth
In Greek mythology, Orion was a great hunter who died tragically, either by Artemis's arrow or the sting of the giant scorpion. The gods placed Orion, his dogs, and the animals he hunted in the heavens, and put Scorpius on the opposite side of the sky, ensuring the two would never meet again.
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The most iconic feature of Orion is the Orion’s Belt asterism, formed by three evenly spaced stars — Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka — aligned in a nearly straight line. Another constellation’s highlight is Betelgeuse, a massive star famous for the fact it will someday explode into a supernova. Close to Orion’s Belt, you’ll find the Orion Nebula. On a clear night, you can spot it with the naked eye as a faint, fuzzy patch. To uncover its full beauty, use binoculars or a telescope. And if you want to explore Orion further, check out our dedicated article.

Gemini

  • Visible between: 90°N and 60°S
  • Brightest stars: Pollux (mag 1.14), Alhena (mag 1.93), Castor (mag 1.98)
  • Brightest deep-sky object: M35 (mag 5.1)
Constellation Gemini myth
In Greek mythology, the constellation represents the immortal Pollux and the mortal Castor, twin sons of Queen Leda of Sparta and two fathers – the human king Tyndareus and the mighty Zeus. When Castor died in a battle, Pollux begged his father Zeus to give Castor immortality. So now they shine together eternally.
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The two most prominent stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor, have been considered "twins" since ancient times. However, they aren't related in the astronomical sense. Pollux, which shines with a golden hue, is brighter and is located at a distance of 34 light-years from us. Castor, shining white, is a little dimmer and further away at 51 light-years. In fact, Castor isn't even a single star, but a system of six stars — three pairs of binary stars orbiting a common center of mass. Talk about a stellar family!

As a zodiacal constellation, Gemini lies along the Sun's annual path in the sky. So the constellation is only visible from September to May, when the Sun isn't close to it.

Taurus

  • Visible between: 90°N and 65°S
  • Brightest stars: Aldebaran (mag 0.85), Elnath (mag 1.65)
  • Well-known asterism: Golden Gate of the Ecliptic
  • Brightest deep-sky objects: Pleiades (M45) (mag 1.6), Hyades (Collinder 50) (mag 0.5)
Constellation Taurus myth
The Greeks saw Taurus as Zeus in disguise. Zeus, smitten with Europa, lured her by appearing as a majestic white bull. When she climbed onto its back, the bull carried her across the sea to Crete, where Zeus revealed his true form and made her his mistress.
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The constellation Taurus represents the head and front legs of the bull. The brightest star of the constellation is Aldebaran, which marks the bull's eye. Taurus is also home to two stunning star clusters: the Pleiades and the Hyades, both visible to the naked eye. These clusters form the posts of a virtual gate on either side of the ecliptic line and are called the "Golden Gate of the Ecliptic". As the Sun, Moon, and planets follow this path, they often pass through this celestial gateway.

Taurus, a zodiacal constellation, lies along the ecliptic and is only visible when it's not hosting the Sun — from November to January.

Auriga

  • Visible between: 90°N and 40°S
  • Brightest stars: Capella (mag 0.08), Menkalinan (mag 1.9)
  • Well-known asterism: The Kids
  • Brightest deep-sky objects: NGC 2281 (mag 5.4)
Constellation Auriga myth
Auriga isn’t precisely connected to any Greek or Roman myth. The most popular interpretation is that it represents Erichthonius, a legendary Athenian king. Raised by Athena, he learned to tame horses and became the first to harness four in a chariot.
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Auriga (Latin for "The Charioteer") is easy to spot in the sky thanks to its distinctive hexagonal shape and its brightest star, Capella. Capella, the sixth-brightest star in the night sky, marks the left shoulder of the charioteer. To the naked eye, it appears as a single golden star, but it's actually a pair of binary systems — each consisting of yellow giant stars with red dwarf companions. Near Capella, which is also called the Goat Star, you'll find a small triangle of stars known as "The Kids", representing the offspring of the celestial goat.

Auriga is visible year-round in the far northern latitudes. Around December, it reaches its highest point in the sky and becomes visible in more southerly locations.

Perseus

  • Visible between: 90°N and 35°S
  • Brightest stars: Mirfak (mag 1.79), Algol (mag 2.12)
  • Well-known asterism: Segment of Perseus
  • Brightest deep-sky object: Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884) (mag 3.8)
Constellation Perseus myth
Perseus, a legendary Greek hero, is famous for slaying the Gorgon Medusa and rescuing Andromeda. He decapitated Medusa while she slept to avoid her deadly gaze. On his way back to Greece, he saved Andromeda, an Ethiopian princess, from a sea monster and took her as his bride.
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Perseus is best known for containing the radiant point of the annual Perseid meteor shower, one of the year's most spectacular celestial displays. The constellation also hosts Algol, the Demon Star. It's a fascinating variable star that "winks" in brightness as one fainter star of its two binary components eclipses the other. What makes Algol truly unique is its precise and short dimming cycle, which occurs every 2 days, 20 hours and 49 minutes.

Although Perseus is relatively faint, it can be identified by its distinctive curve of stars, known as the Segment of Perseus. You can find the asterism with the Sky Tonight app’s search and let the app guide you to it.

Bonus: Winter Hexagon

The Winter Hexagon (or Winter Circle) is not a constellation, but an asterism (learn the difference here). It consists of the six first-magnitude stars belonging to different constellations:

  • Capella in Auriga,
  • Aldebaran in Taurus,
  • Rigel in Orion,
  • Sirius in Canis Major,
  • Procyon in Canis Minor,
  • Pollux in Gemini.
Winter Hexagon (Winter Circle)
The Winter Hexagon is a large circular star pattern visible in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter sky and in the Southern Hemisphere’s summer sky, where it’s called the Summer Hexagon. In the Southern Hemisphere, it can be extended to include the bright star Canopus.
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The Winter Hexagon shines from December to mid-April, lighting up winter nights in the Northern Hemisphere and summer nights in the Southern Hemisphere. In December, it rises highest in the sky around midnight. Learn more about the Winter Hexagon in our dedicated article.

F. A. Q.

How to find constellations in the night sky?

Nowadays, you don't need to be a professional astronomer to locate the constellations and their stars — all you need is an astronomy app on your device. We recommend the Star Walk 2 app if you are more into stunning graphics and interactive 3D constellations, and the Sky Tonight app if you also want to explore the famous asterisms. Both apps are free and easy to use: just point your device at the sky and learn the name of any constellation or celestial object above you.

How many constellations are visible in winter in the Northern Hemisphere and in summer in the Southern Hemisphere?

The exact number of constellations visible depends on your location, time, and the amount of light pollution, but on average about 30 constellations can be seen in winter in the Northern Hemisphere and about 40 constellations can be seen in summer in the Southern Hemisphere. How many of these can you name? Test your knowledge with our constellations quiz.

Girl Constellations Quiz
What’s the largest constellation in the sky? Which constellation contains a W-shaped asterism? Take this quiz to test your knowledge about constellations!
Take the quiz!

Why do constellations change with the seasons?

Due to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, the constellations seen in the night sky change throughout the year. Those near the celestial poles, like Ursa Minor in the Northern Hemisphere and Crux in the Southern Hemisphere, remain visible all year and are called circumpolar constellations. Meanwhile, other constellations appear in the night sky only during certain times of the year and are known as seasonal constellations. Discover more about the seasonal constellations of the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere.

Constellations visible in December: bottom line

The December sky features stunning seasonal constellations, including Orion, Gemini, Taurus, Auriga, and Perseus, as well as the dazzling Winter Hexagon asterism. You'll find them all effortlessly with our Star Walk 2 and Sky Tonight apps. And if you want a deeper dive into all of this month's celestial events, check out our full December astronomy guide.

Happy stargazing!

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Topics:Constellations & Asterisms
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