Winter Constellation: Orion

Sometimes we don’t look forward to winter.

Don’t get me wrong, we have a lot of activities we do and a lot of traditions we keep. But it’s hard to compare with the other three seasons in Wisconsin.

However, we do look forward to the return of the constellation Orion in the winter sky. Young children can easily find “Orion’s Belt” - a line of three brighter stars in the southern sky - and then the four stars that make his shoulders and knees.

Keep an eye out for Sirius as well - the dog star is the brightest in the sky and can be seen following Orion as he travels throughout the night.

Wondering why Orion is only visible in the winter? He’s also there during the summer, but is out during the day, so our sun blocks him out.

Many cultures have stories that help tell why the stars are in the sky. The book Star Stories by Anita Ganeri and illustrated by Andy Wilx weaves these stories from around the world with illustrations to make our imaginations come alive.