(Courtesy to Microsoft Encarta for these photographs.)

What are constellations? Constellations are groups of stars that make up a certain shape when connected by lines. They are often named after mythological characters or animals. Some constellations look like what they were named for, but most do not. For example, "Leo" looks a little like lion. Pegasus, no matter how you look at it, it doesn't look anything like flying horse. The easiest way to recognize your first star is to identify three prominent star patterns: Cassiopeia, Orion, and the Big Dipper. The most uesful is the Big Dipper.