Spectacular ‘Winter Circle’ in night sky thrills stargazers

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Winter Circle, a magnificent ring of bright stars, has sparked excitement among stargazers.
The celestial wonder is formed by six of the brightest stars from different constellations — namely Sirius (Canis Major), Rigel (Orion), Aldebaran (Taurus), Capella (Auriga), Pollux or Castor (Gemini), and Procyon (Canis Minor) — forming a ring. At the heart of this circle lies Betelgeuse, the red giant in Orion, adding to the grandeur of this winter display, said Amit Raka, an independent astronomy expert.
"On a clear winter night, simply look up and find Orion's belt, which is three stars aligned in a row. From there, tracing the Winter Circle becomes an easy and rewarding experience," he said. Also known as the ‘Winter Hexagon', the Winter Circle is huge and can be spotted by completing a noticeable pattern by drawing imaginary lines.
"The Winter Circle covers almost one-third of the dome of the sky above our head. It can be seen from late evening till pre-dawn hours," Raka said. Meanwhile, amateurs can also see different planets in the night sky with naked eyes during the current season after sunset. This includes Venus and Saturn in the west, Jupiter over the head slightly towards the east, and Mars in the east, said experts.