Seen in the Northern Hemisphere through spring and summer, Bootes represents a hunter who is accompanied by dogs and follows two bears around the pole. The bears are Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, also known as the Big and Little Dippers. First recorded in Homer's book "The Odyssey" nearly three thousand years ago, Bootes is recognized by many astronomers as the sky's most ancient constellation. It contains the giant reddish-orange star Arcturis, which is the fourth brightest star in the heavens and about 20 times bigger than the sun.
Named by French astronomer Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille during the 18th century, this constellation is shaped like a drawing compass, which is what its name means in Latin. Though it is a small constellation comprised of mostly faint stars, it can be observed from March through May in the northern latitudes south of 30 degrees north and in all of the southern latitudes.
Also known as The Scales, Libra is one of 13 constellations of the Zodiac and the universal symbol for justice, balance and harmony. It was named thousands of years ago when it was discovered to be a passageway for the sun during the autumnal equinox, when day and night are of equal length. While astrology recognizes Libra as the sign for people born during parts of September and October, this rather faint constellation is most visible during June.
Early Greeks and Romans viewed this constellation's shape as that of an unidentified animal. It is now referenced after its Latin meaning of wolf. Its shape is not clearly defined and its name is sometimes confused with the constellation Lepus or the rabbit. Though a constellation of the southern skies, it is best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during June and is home to several star clusters and many double and multiple stars.
One of the most famous constellations, Ursa Minor is best known for it seven brightest stars that form the Little Dipper as well as for the supergiant, navigational North Star (or Polaris), which shines from the top of the dipper's handle. It is also thought to resemble a small bear with a very long and stretched tail, which ancient cultures attributed to the bear being held by its tail and swung in circles around the center of the sky. Though visible in the Northern Hemisphere all year long, it stands out during June and is one of the most viewed constellations among astronomers, both professional and amateur.