The Northern Hemisphere
The New Year has arrived with some of the very best night-sky targets, studded in long winter nights
The New Year has arrived with some ideal winter targets
Whether you just got your first telescope for Christmas or you've long been observing, there are some wonderful targets to seek out in the New Year.
Orion (the Hunter) and Taurus (the Bull) remain prominent in the sky, offering splendid sights including red supergiant Betelgeuse, brilliant bluewhite Rigel, the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45), orange giant Aldebaran and, of course, the Crab Nebula (Messier 1). Look southeast and you’ll spot a celestial Great Dog: a seemingly basic-looking pattern of stars, Canis Major features several binary systems and supergiant stars. It’s also home to open cluster Messier 41, which contains an impressive collection of red giants and white dwarfs, not too far from 'Dog Star' Sirius.