Lesser Constellations Watching

Legal hour correction adjust Const. R.A. h. 22 h. 23 h. 0 h. 3 hight best Lat. S. Lep 5h 30m Jan 19 Jan 3 Dec 19 Nov 3 * 20°S W I N T E R Col 5h 50m Jan 21 Jan 6 Dec 22 Nov 6 * 35°S Mon 6h 40m Feb 13 Jan 29 Jan 14 Nov 29 ** 0° Pup 7h 40m Feb 18 Feb 3 Jan 19 Dec 4 * 35°S Lyn 7h 45m Mar 2 Feb 14 Jan 31 Dec 16 **** 45°N LMi 10h 00m Apr 3 Mar 19 Mar 5 Jan 19 **** 35°N S P R I N G Hya 10h 20m Apr 28 Apr 12 Mar 29 Feb 12 * 20°S Crt 11h 25m May 2 Apr 17 Apr 3 Feb 17 * 15°S Crv 12h 30m Apr 16 Apr 1 Mar 18 Feb 1 * 20°S CVn 13h 00m May 11 Apr 26 Apr 11 Feb 26 **** 40°N Lib 15h 15m Jun 16 May 31 May 17 Apr 1 * 20°S Her 17h 00m Jul 8 Jun 23 Jun 9 Apr 24 *** 30°N S U M M E R Ser 17h 10m Jul 14 Jun 29 Jun 15 Apr 30 ** 5°S Sct 18h 40m Aug 4 Jul 20 Jul 6 May 21 ** 10°S Sge 19h 40m Aug 23 Aug 8 Jul 25 Jun 8 *** 20°N Vul 20h 20m Aug 19 Aug 6 Jul 20 Jun 4 *** 25°N Del 20h 30m Sep 5 Aug 20 Aug 6 Jun 22 *** 10°N Cap 21h 00m Sep 10 Aug 25 Aug 10 Jun 26 * 20°S Equ 21h 10m Sep 14 Aug 30 Aug 16 Jul 1 *** 10°N PsA 22h 15m Oct 7 Sep 23 Sep 7 Jul 25 * 30°S A U T U M N Aqr 22h 20m Oct 7 Sep 23 Sep 7 Jul 25 * 10°S Psc 0h 45m Nov 7 Oct 23 Oct 9 Aug 24 *** 10°N Tri 2h 00m Nov 27 Nov 12 Oct 28 Sep 12 **** 30°N For 2h 50m Dec 8 Nov 23 Nov 9 Sep 24 * 30°S Eri 4h 00m Dec 26 Dec 10 Nov 26 Oct 11 * 20°S

Every constellation, like the Sun, rises and sets. The best moment in which you can look for it is when it transits your meridian and it is very high in the sky. That is the moment in which you have less spanning atmosphere and less light pollution. Only in these conditions you can see open clusters, globular clusters, bright nebulae and galaxies (Andromeda only) with the naked eye or by a small binocular (7x or 8x). In the table are shown the dates and the hours in which the constellations are at their best, but if you suffer from insomnia you can look for much more during night because other constellations rise. The dates shown are astronomically accurate but there is no substantial difference ten days earlier or later. If you analyse the table you can easily understand that a constellation "stand" in the same position 15 days later and 1 hour earlier, that means that the day after you can find it in the same position 4 minutes earlier, so your observation can last months. The only limitation is sun light. In the column "best Lat." is indicated the Latitude in which a Constellation is straight on your head (at the zenith), so, on September 7, if you like to travel you can look for a wonderful Aquarius near Lima in Peru or Darwin in Australia.

The table below shows the visibility of the constellations all over the year and it's referring to local time 0.00. Yellow boundary sectors are referring to 45°N, whatever Longitude. Boundary sectors can change more or less according to travel North or South.