THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
The December constellations offer an impressive array of targets to enjoy
If you’re a fan of splitting double stars with your telescope, head over to the constellation of Aries (the Ram), which makes its appearance this month,I bounded by the star patterns of Taurus (the Bull), Pisces (the Fishes) and Cetus (the Whale). In particular, binary star systems Lambda Arietis, Epsilon Arietis and Gamma Arietis are splendid targets to resolve for astronomers with medium to largesized telescopes. Meanwhile, orange giants Hamal (the Head of the Ram) and Botein (Little Belly) can be picked out using nothing more than the naked eye. Orion (the Hunter) is also prominent, featuring red supergiant Betelgeuse, De Mairan’s Nebula (Messier 43) and the famous Orion Nebula (Messier 42).