Winter Circle tonight, all the stars of the Winter Circle (sometimes called the Winter Hexagon) are first-magnitude stars, so they should be able to withstand tonight's drenching moonlight.
• Again, this is a large pattern and covers a wide area of sky, but as always it's easiest to start small - in this case, by finding the prominent constellation Orion the Hunter. Orion is very noticeable on these winter evenings. (See chart at top of page.) If you pick out any pattern of stars in the east-southeast at nightfall, it'll probably be part of Orion. The Winter Circle stars surround Orion. They don't form a perfect circle … is anything ever perfect? Try starting at Capella and moving clockwise to Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, Procyon, Pollux, and Castor.
• This pattern of stars is not a constellation. It's a lot of separate stars in different constellations. In other words, it's what's called an asterism. These same bright stars can be seen before dawn every late summer and early fall. And they can be seen in the evening every winter. Hence the name Winter Circle.
• By the way, Betelgeuse, in the shoulder of the constellation Orion, isn't part of the Winter Circle. But you'll notice it in this part of the sky, in the middle of the Circle. It appears reddish in color.
• The stars of the Winter Circle move westward across the sky during the night, adorning these cold January nights till well after midnight!