- January 28, 2026 - Planétarium
February is the shortest month of the year but also the month the amateur astronomer in you must master to discover the wonders of the winter constellations. The constellation Orion is an excellent starting point for exploring the winter sky.
The legend behind the Orion Constellation
The constellation Orion is among the easiest constellations to pinpoint in the winter sky. You can find Orion the hunter thanks to his belt, three stars aligned very close together. Using these stars, you can then locate Orion’s shoulders (slightly higher) and knees (slightly lower).
As legend has it, the Greek gods tried to protect Orion from certain misfortunes, particularly from the sting of Scorpius, so they placed the scorpion and the hunter at opposite ends of the firmament. Consequently, when Scorpius is visible in the sky, Orion hides below the horizon, and vice versa.
Orion Nebula
Under Orion’s belt lies one of the jewels of the night sky: the famous Orion nebula (M42), a nursery for both stars and planets. Through binoculars, it looks like a hazy patch of light. You can even make it out with the naked eye when the sky is very dark.
Canis Major Constellation
Thanks to Orion, you can easily locate at least two other constellations. First, extend an imaginary line passing through the three stars of Orion’s belt and dipping to the lower left (south and east). There you’ll come across the star Sirius, the eye of Canis Major, the loyal dog lying at the hunter’s feet. Sirius (or Alpha Canis Majoris) is the brightest star in the sky as seen from Earth—after the Sun of course. In fact, Sirius is a binary star, a system made up of a bluish white star (hotter than the Sun) and a white dwarf star.
Taurus Constellation
Now extend your imaginary line in the opposite direction, to the upper right (north and west). You’ll first happen on a bright reddish star: Aldebaran, the eye of the bull and the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. With help from his dog, shield, club and sword, Orion challenges Taurus in the ultimate bullfight. Olé!
The Pleiades open star cluster
Now back to the starry sky. Extend your imaginary line again to the upper right and discover the Pleiades (M45), an open star cluster. This young cluster serves as a good eye test: most people can easily make out six stars, but the most eagle-eyed (or best liars) can see up to a dozen stars. Oddly enough, the cluster looks much like the dipper in Ursa Minor, though that dipper is far more stretched out and isn’t found in this part of the sky. The Pleiades extend for almost 1.5 degrees (about three times the Moon’s diameter). Observe the cluster with the naked eye or regular binoculars. A treat for the eyes!
To learn everything the sky has in store for you this month, consult the Monthly sky.
On February 14, don't miss the next Skywatch Gatherings at the Planétarium to learn more about this fabulous constellation.
