Before you can use the North Star, you need to know how to identify it in the night sky.
I personally use three constellations to identify the North Star and confirm it’s identify.
The Big Dipper
The Little Dipper
Cassiopeia
The Big Dipper
Also know as Ursa Major (because it looks like a bear) is a very prominent and easy to spot constellation.
The two most important stars in the constellation are the last two of the dipper. If you follow an imaginary line out and away from the dipper, you will come directly to the North Star.
The Little Dipper
Also known as Ursa Minor (because it looks like a small bear) is a very important constellation in the night sky! This is because the last star in the constellation is actually the North Star! The tip of the tail is actually (in my opinion) the most important star in the night sky when it comes to navigating at sea without technology or electronics.
the Big and Little Dippers actually lay in 69 to each other in the night sky.
If you see The Big Dipper and follow the imaginary line to the North Star, then you should now see the Little Dipper constellation.
I know I was making fun of the constellations for being called Bears because the line drawings I have made look nothing like bears! This is the actual accepted constellation for The Dippers. The full constellation has many more lines and it turns out that the “Dipper” is just the body and tail (very long tails by the way). The constellations have legs and a head, but honestly, you won’t see these features unless you are away from all light pollution on a clear moonless night.
Where can you find that? Out at sea of course!
Cassiopeia
The last constellation I use is Cassiopeia, which looks like a W but is actually a dancing woman!
Cassiopeia lies opposite the dipper of The Big Dipper and about just as far as the Big Dipper is from the North Star.
The reason I use three constellations is because I want to make sure I am looking at the right star. With one I’m pretty sure, with two, I’m very sure, and with three, I’m certain!
The other reason to know multiple constellations (especially constellations that are opposite each other in the night sky) is because if you are near the equator, the North Star will be low on the sky. This means that some of the constellations will be under the horizon and obscured from your view!
Having more visual landmarks in the sky will help orient you and prepare you to better locate the North Star for your navigation at sea.
