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ject that shines more brilliantly than any of the Winter Circle stars, you are looking at the planet Jupiter. For the next several months, use Jupiter toa find the Winter Circle star Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Sometimes called the "year star," Jupiter stays in front of a constellation of the Zodiac for roughly a year. Next year at this time, you'll still see Jupiter in front of the Winter Circle, but in front of the constellation Gemini
• The Winter Circle - sometimes called the Winter Hexagon - is not one of the 88 recognized constellations. Rather, it's an asterism - a pattern of stars that's fairly easy to recognize. Our sky chart cannot adequately convey the Winter Circle's humongous size! It dwarfs the constellation Orion the Hunter, which is a rather large constellation, occupying the southwestern part of the Winter Circle pattern.
• Here's how to locate the Winter Circle from mid-northern latitudes. At nightfall and early evening, look high overhead for the bright star Capella. This star marks the top (or more properly, the northern terminus) of the Winter Circle.
• As Capella shines way overhead, the constellation Orion the Hunter is prowling in the southern sky. Draw a line downward through Orion's Belt to find Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. This star marks the bottom (the southern tip) of the Winter Circle.
• By the way, tonight's waxing gibbous moon shows you where the sun resides in front of the backdrops stars in late June or early July. So enjoy the Winter Circle. And contemplate the sun being in this part of the sky when summer returns to the Northern Hemisphere!
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