• Hercules the Hero isn't the easiest constellation to identify. You'll need a dark sky to see this mighty star figure. But if you can see Vega - a prominent blue-white star in the northeast in the evening now - you might spot Hercules nearby.
• The most noticeable part of Hercules is an asterism or noticeable pattern of stars - in this case a lopsided square - in the center of this constellation. This asterism within Hercules is called the Keystone. It's all most people ever see of this large constellation.
• But Hercules extends beyond its central Keystone. This

constellation is in fact quite large and in ancient times was sometimes called the Kneeling Giant. Hercules also appeared in the skylore of western skywatchers in the Middle East, where it represented Gilgamesh, an epic hero of Sumerian and Babylonian mythology.
• The brightest star in Hercules isn't in the Keystone, either. It's Ras Algethi, which is known to people with telescopes as a double star with a pretty color contrast, one red and one blue. Just don't confuse Ras Algethi with nearby Rasalhague, which is the brightest star in the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. Rasalhague is white, while Ras Algethi appears red.
• Look between the brilliant stars Arcturus and Vega for the constellation Hercules and the Keystone!