The current Winter Holidays exhibit displays a full-color figure of the constellation Orion the Hunter from Catherine Whitwell, An Astronomical Catechism (1818). Whitwell’s book was the subject of a previous post on this blog.

Another work, Urania’s Mirror (1825), consists of constellation cards. Cards for several winter constellations are on display, including ones for Orion (shown here), Taurus the Bull and Gemini the Twins.

Orion is one of the most easily spotted winter constellations, visible from every inhabited part of the globe.

Orion is a constellation of the “Winter Hexagon” – the most prominent group of bright stars in the winter sky (click image below for a larger view). Other constellations that make up the Winter Hexagon are:

• Canis Major the Big Dog,
• Canis Minor the Little Dog,
• Taurus the Bull,
• Gemini and
• Auriga the Charioteer.

The Winter Hexagon contains an unrivaled collection of bright stars.

More information on the Winter Holidays exhibit.