The Spring Night Sky

Winter is over and the leaves on the trees are starting to come out. The flowers are blooming, and the birds are chirping. It’s still time to view the night sky before it gets dark too late during the summer. Here are some notes taken from two earlier FAS Astronomer Blogs on what to look for in April, May, and June.

The Night Sky

In the Spring as you look toward the south:

  • High in the sky, is Leo, the Lion with bright star Regulus. If you look closely, Leo does look a bit like a lion with Regulus as its heart. The Lion’s head could also be described as a backwards question mark or possibly a coat hanger. And I’m not lion.
  • Leo is followed by Corvus, the Crow, which looks more like a kite than a crow.
  • Then there is Virgo, the Maiden. Virgo doesn’t look much like a maiden. For me, it resembles a lopsided square with the bright star Spica or possibly a pan or dipper.
  • Farther to the east is Boötes the Herdsman (pronounced bo-HO-teez). Look closely and Boötes might look something like a kite (although larger than Corvus) or an ice cream cone.
  • Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown is next to Boötes. It might just be the smile from a young child as he/she is about to take a bite out of the ice cream cone.
  • You can find the bright stars Arcturus (Boötes) and Spica (Virgo) by following the handle of the Big Dipper -> “Arc to Arcturus and Speed on to Spica.”

Hercules is also visible in the spring when looking south. It is, however, upside down. Look for the Keystone of Hercules at its center, and its two legs – one bent and standing on the head of Draco the Dragon – the other kneeling down.

Turn around toward the north and find the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) high in the sky. Follow the two stars at the end of the bowl to find Polaris (the North Star) at the end of the tail of the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor). Notice that the Little Dipper is always found curved in toward the Big Dipper. You might see the queen Cassiopeia low in the horizon looking like a big W or M. Nearby is the faint King Cepheus resembling a child’s drawing of a house.

See our introduction to The Night Sky and a few suggested smart phone and tablet apps along with links to various star maps including Stellarium Web. The Astronomical League has monthly sky charts. You might also visit the new Kaleideum Digital Dome Planetarium for their sky tours (general museum admission rates apply).

The Deep Sky

Cancer is one of the fainter constellations in the night sky. It looks like an upside-down Y and is found between Gemini and Leo. Its most interesting object is the Beehive Cluster [M44]. The cluster is found ½ way between Asellus Australis/Delta Cancri (the intersection of the Y) and Asellus Borealis/Gamma Cancri (the next bright star above the intersection), and a bit to the right in the direction of Pollux.

The Coma Star Cluster [Mel 111] is an open cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices somewhat similar to the Hyades. It is relatively near us and spread out so that it is best viewed with low power binoculars. Although Ptolemy cataloged it, it is not included in either Messier’s list or the NGC/IC catalogs. It is included in Melotte’s 1915 Catalog [Melotte 111]. To locate this cluster, use Leo as your guide. Follow a line from Regulus through Zosma/Delta Leonis (the upper star of Leo’s triangle). Continue about the same distance to the cluster.

Toward the north and the Big Dipper, look for the Owl Cluster [M97] under the bowl and another globular cluster [M03] off the tip of the handle toward the star Arcturus.

Another one of my favorite objects is the Hercules Globular Cluster [M13]. This is the brightest globular cluster visible from the Northern Hemisphere. It is found on the side of the Hercules Keystone facing away from Vega and toward Arcturus and Corona Borealis. It is approximately 1/3 of the way from Eta Herculis (the corner of the Keystone near his “kneeling leg”) and toward Zeta Herculis A (Hercule’s upper left shoulder and the lower right corner of the Keystone). For these directions, we assume Hercules is upside down as it appears when viewing it looking south.

There is another globular cluster [M92] found in the constellation Hercules. It is located approximately ½ of the way between the top middle of the keystone (between Pi Herculis and Eta Herculis) and Iota Herculis (near the head of Draco).

The Deep Sky (Galaxies)

The spring is galaxy season as many galaxies are visible as we look east off toward Leo, Virgo, and Corvus. Additional galaxies are found toward the north in Ursa Major, Coma Berenices and Canes Venatici.

Toward the north, find the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) for several galaxies.

  • Bode’s Galaxy (M81) and the Cigar Galaxy (M82) are above the Big Dipper’s bowl.
  • The UFO Galaxy (NGC 2683) is off the front legs of Ursa Major and sandwiched between Lynx and Cancer.
  • Tiger’s Eye Galaxy (NGC 2841) is off the nose of the great bear.
  • The Surfboard Galaxy (M108) is below the bowl near the Owl Cluster (M97).
  • The Vacuum Cleaner Galaxy (M109) is near Phecda, the lower left star of the Big Dipper’s bowl.
  • The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) is just above the tip of the Big Dipper’s handle.
  • The Splinter Galaxy (NCG 5907) and Spindle Galaxy (M102) are farther off the handle of the Big Dipper (technically in Draco) from M101.
  • The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) (technically in Canes Venatici) is just below the tip of the Big Dipper’s handle.

Additional galaxies are found below the handle of the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) in Canes Venatici.

  • The Sunflower galaxy (M63) is just below M51 in Canes Venatici.
  • The Cat’s Eye / Croc’s Eye galaxy (M94) is found in Canes Venatici between the Sunflower and Cocoon galaxies.
  • The Cocoon galaxy (NGC 449) is in Canes Venatici between the Big Dipper and Coma Berenices.
  • The Whale galaxy (NGC 4631) is on the border of Canes Venatici just across from Coma Berenices.
  • The Hockey Stick galaxy (NGC 4657) is found in the same area of the sky as the Whale galaxy.
  • A reasonably bright spiral galaxy (M106) is just inside the corner of Canes Venatici toward the Big Dipper’s bowl.
  • The Silver Needle Galaxy (NGC 4244 / C26 is in one side of Canes Venatici toward the hind legs of the bear in Ursa Major.

 A few more are also found following Leo’s tail in Coma Berenices – more toward Canes Venatici.

  • A spiral galaxy (NGC 4559 / C36).
  • The Needle Galaxy / Berenices’ Hair Clip (NGC 4565 / C38).
  • A one-armed Spiral Galaxy (NGC 4725) along with NGC 4747 and NGC 4712 in the same area of the sky.
  • The Black Eye / Sleeping Beauty Galaxy (M64).
Night Sky. Credit: Stellarium

Toward the east, follow along Leo from its nose to its tail. 

  • A spiral galaxy (NGC 2903/5) is near Leo’s nose.
  • The Hickson 44 group of galaxies (NGC 3185, NGC 3187, NGC 3190, and NGC 3193) is in Leo’s neck. 
  • A group of galaxies (M95, M96, M105, and NGC 3371) is just below Leo’s Body.
  • The Leo Triplet (M65, M66, and NGC 3628) is near Denebola (Leo’s tail).

Two galaxies are found in Leo Minor above Leo’s back toward Ursa Major.

  • The Knitting Needle Galaxy (NGC 3432). 
  • The Sliced Onion Galaxy (NGC 3344).

A few galaxies are found following Leo’s tail in Coma Berenices – above Virgo and toward Boötes.

  • An edge on Spiral Galaxy (M98).
  • The Coma Pinwheel (M99).
  • The Mirror Galaxy (M100).
  • A Lenticular Galaxy (M85).

The best-known group of galaxies is Markarian’s chain located between Virgo and Coma Berenices.

  • With Polaris at the top, the chain starts in Virgo with two elliptical or lenticular galaxies, M84 and M86, and moves to the left.
  • Next are “the eyes” of NGC 4435 and NGC 4438.
  • The chain bends up with NGC 4461 and NGC 4458.
  • It continues into Como Berenices with NGC 4473 and NGC 4477.

There are many more galaxies found around Markarian’s chain.

  • NGC 4402 is to the north of the chain’s starting point. 
  • The row of NGC 4425, NGC 4413, and NGC 4388 is to the south of the chain’s start.
  • M88, M91, and NGC 4571 are in Como Berenices beyond the chain’s end. 
  • M87, M89, M90, and NGC 4531 are off to the southwest in Virgo.
  • M58, M59, and M60 form a line south in Virgo.

Continue down toward Crater, and Corvus for these.

  • The Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038 / C60 & NGC 4039 / C61) are between Crater and Corvus.
  • The Sombrero Galaxy (M104) is between Virgo and Corvus.

A Few References

Information about Specific Galaxies.

Face-on spiral galaxies

Edge-on galaxies

Galaxies in Leo and Leo Minor.

Galaxies in Coma Berenices (Toward Canes Venatici)

Galaxies in Coma Berenices (Toward Leo). 

Markarian’s Chain (Primary Galaxies)

Markarian’s Chain (Around the start in Virgo)

Galaxies after Markarian’s (In Coma Berenices)

Galaxies after Markarian’s Chain (In Virgo)

Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038 & 4039) in Corvus

  • Alan Goldstein. “Antennae Galaxies.” Astronomy. January 1, 2024. Updated January 8, 2024.
  • “Antennae Galaxies.” (NGC 4038 and NGC 4039). Constellation Guide. May 30, 2023.

Galaxies in and around Ursa Major

Galaxies in and around Canes Venatici

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