Stars, Constellations, and the Sky Chart നക്ഷത്രങ്ങൾ, നക്ഷത്രസമൂഹങ്ങൾ, സ്കൈ ചാർട്ട്

Stars are so far away that they appear fixed relative to each other. Human cultures across history have grouped them into patterns - constellations. These patterns are your map of the sky. They're entirely imaginary - the stars in a constellation may not actually be anywhere near each other in real space. A "constellation" is a pattern we see from our particular vantage point on Earth. But they are enormously useful: once you learn a few, you can orient yourself in the sky just as you'd navigate a city using landmarks.

A few key constellations visible from India: Orion (the hunter) - three bright stars in a row form his belt, unmistakable. Scorpius (Vrishchika) - a long, curving chain of stars with the red supergiant Antares (Jyeshtha Nakshatra) at its heart. Leo (Simha) - with the bright star Regulus (Magha Nakshatra). Ursa Major / Saptarishi - which you already found on Day 2. Many of these stars have Indian names linked to the Nakshatras, which you'll learn in Week 2.