The Plough

It is surprising just how many people know how to find the Plough in the night sky. For such a well known group it does have a variety of names. Some people refer to it as the Great Bear or Saucepan, while the Americans call it the Big Dipper.

At the moment from Britain the Plough can be found low in the sky in the north west. Once located you can  draw a line through the two end stars of the blade upwards to a fairly bright star all on its own. This is the North Star. This star was so important in the days when people used the stars for navigating by.

This is how you can find the North Star.