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"Why did not somebody teach me the constellations,
and make me at home in the starry heavens,
which are always overhead,
and which I don't know to this day?"
- Thomas Carlyle

"What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing,
and what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers, and me."
- The Muppet Movie, Kermit the Frog

"Man hath weaved out a net,
and this net throwne upon the Heavens,
and now they are his own."
- John Donne (1572-1631)


Visit the Sandburg Sky Poetry Web page, including CSMS student-authored sky poems.
Sandburg Center for Sky Awareness
A Fairfax County Public Schools Planetarium

SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG

Constellation of the Month (CoM)

Every month, the SCSA will feature one or two prominent constellations visible high in the southern and/or northern skies, including one (or more) non-Zodiac and one Zodiac constellation. Associated mythology will be highlighted. Use a "star wheel" such as the FCPS Starfinder to easily locate these prominent stars and constellations (excluding many of the fainter Zodiac constellations).

  • September: Cygnus the Swan (the Northern Cross), Delphinus the Dolphin, Sagittarius the Archer, and Virgo the Maiden
  • October: Pegasus the Winged Horse (the Great Square) and Capricornus the Sea Goat
  • November: Andromeda the Chained Princess, Cassiopeia the Queen, and Pisces the Fish
  • December: The Pleiades (the Seven Sisters) and Aries the Ram
  • January: Orion the Hunter and Taurus the Bull
  • February: Canis Major (the Big Dog) and the Gemini Twins
  • March: Canis Minor, the Little Dog (Procyon) and Cancer the Crab
  • April: Corvus the Crow and Leo the Lion
  • May: Ursa Major, the Big Bear (the Big Dipper) and Virgo the Maiden
  • June: Bootes the Herdsman, Corona Borealis (the Northern Crown), and Libra the Balance (Scales)
  • July: Corona Borealis (the Northern Crown) and Scorpius the Scorpion
  • August: Summer Triangle, Ursa Minor the Little Bear (the Little Dipper), and Aquarius the Water Bearer

Geoscience-Related Information Servers | Geosystems in FCPS
American Meteorological Society DataStreme Project