This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher: The Winter Hexagon

Six of the sky's brightest stars make this huge asterism.
By | Published: March 31, 2025 | Last updated on June 11, 2025

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Key Takeaways:

  • An episode, presented by Astronomy magazine Editor Dave Eicher, encourages observers to locate a significant celestial figure using only their eyes.
  • This figure, termed the "Winter Hexagon," is described as a six-sided asterism comprising several of the sky's most luminous stars.
  • Sirius, recognized as the sky's brightest star, serves as a primary endpoint of the Winter Hexagon.
  • Other prominent stellar components of the Winter Hexagon include Capella, Rigel, and Procyon, which are also identified as being among the top ten brightest stars.

In this episode, Astronomy magazine Editor Dave Eicher invites you to head out and use just your eyes to make a giant figure out of some of the sky’s brightest stars. The Winter Hexagon is a six-sided figure whose end points include Sirius, the sky’s brightest star, along with three more of the top 10 brightest: Capella, Rigel, and Procyon. Good luck!

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