Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky. People once thought they looked like gods, heroes or animals from legends. The ancient Greeks knew of 48 constellations. When Europeans sailed the southern oceans on voyages of exploration, they discovered constellations they had never seen before. Today, the sky is divided into 88 constellations. Different constellations can be seen in the northern and southern skies.

Pole Star

Years ago, sailors used the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear) to help find their way across the oceans. The seven middle stars of Ursa Major make up the Plough. A line running from the two end stars in the Plough, Merak and Dubhe, point to Polaris, the Pole Star, which lies almost exactly due north.

Orion the Hunter

Orion, visible in both northern and southern skies, is an easy constellation to spot. Three stars in a diagonal line form his belt, while others trace out his dagger, club and shield. The belt stars point down towards Sirius, or the "Dog Star", the brightest star in the night sky.