The Lore of the Stars, For Amateur Campfire Sages

Contrary to the story of the star-counter in Le Petit Prince, there aren’t unnumerable stars in the night sky, at least so far as we can see with our own eyes. Only about a thousand are visible. Almost all have names or Greek letter designations as part of constellations that anyone can learn to recognize. Modern astronomers have divided the sky into 88 constellations, many of them fictitious— that is, they cover sky area, but contain no visible stars. About half the modern constellations form a recognizable pattern in the night sky. In the northern hemisphere, the Big Dipper (Ursa Major), Orion, Cassiopeia are the easiest to spot. In the southern hemisphere, Scorpius and the southern cross (Crux) are prominent. These constellations are bright enough to be spotted from urban areas. Of course, no celestial sight can surpass the breathtaking view of a perfectly dark and cloudless sky on a cool summer night in the countryside.