Observing the Sky: Constellations - Seasonal: Fall

The following constellations should be clearly visible to the south around 9 p.m. local time in the seasons indicated. Keep in mind that the sky is curved but our computer screens are flat, so those constellations that appear high in our graphics might be over your head. Choose one of the links below to jump to the current season and the constellations you can look for in tonight's sky. If you want to get a preview of the next season's constellations, just stay up later!

Winter Spring Summer Fall

Fall Constellations

Pegasus, the winged horse, rides high during the fall. Four stars form the Great Square of Pegasus, the front half of the horse's body. Two rows of stars curve north from the star Scheat to mark his forelegs and another row curves away from Markab to form his head.

Another row of stars arcs away from the Great Square, but it is actually part of the constellation Andromeda. Within this row of stars is a faint patch of fuzziness. If you can spot it, you are looking at the Andromeda Galaxy, which is the farthest we can see with the naked eye. This galaxy is 2.2 million light years away, which means the light that reaches your eyes today left Andromeda 2.2 million years ago.

To the east of Pegasus and Andromeda you can find Perseus. He looks nothing like a man, but really two curved rows of stars, which meet at one end to point toward Cassiopeia, which is always near the North Star.