The Winter Hexagon: Six Brilliant Stars

The Winter Hexagon (also called the Winter Circle) is the largest and most star-studded asterism in the entire sky. Connecting six of the brightest stars visible from the Northern Hemisphere, it spans a vast area and contains more first-magnitude stars than any other comparable region. If the Summer Triangle is elegant, the Winter Hexagon is spectacular.

The Six Stars

Starting from the brightest and moving clockwise (as seen from mid-northern latitudes facing south):

1. Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris)

The brightest star in the night sky at magnitude -1.46. Sirius anchors the bottom of the hexagon and blazes with a brilliant blue-white light. At just 8.6 light-years away, it is one of our closest stellar neighbors. Its intense twinkling near the horizon, often flashing red, blue, and white, is caused by atmospheric turbulence.

2. Rigel (Beta Orionis)

A blue-white supergiant in Orion, shining at magnitude +0.13. Rigel is about 860 light-years away and is one of the most luminous stars visible to the naked eye. It marks the hunter's left foot and the western edge of the hexagon.

3. Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri)

An orange giant in Taurus at magnitude +0.87. Aldebaran represents the bull's eye and sits in front of (but is not part of) the V-shaped Hyades star cluster. Its warm color contrasts beautifully with the blue-white stars elsewhere in the hexagon.

4. Capella (Alpha Aurigae)

The sixth-brightest star overall at magnitude +0.08. Capella is actually a system of four stars, appearing as a single golden-yellow point high overhead during winter evenings. It is the northernmost star of the hexagon and almost circumpolar from northern mid-latitudes.

5. Pollux (Beta Geminorum)

An orange giant at magnitude +1.14 in Gemini. Pollux sits beside the slightly fainter Castor, and the pair represent the heads of the mythological twins. Pollux is the closest giant star to the Sun at about 34 light-years.

6. Procyon (Alpha Canis Minoris)

A yellow-white star at magnitude +0.34, just 11.5 light-years away. Procyon completes the hexagon on the eastern side and represents the Lesser Dog.

Bonus: Betelgeuse

While not part of the hexagon itself, the red supergiant Betelgeuse sits near the center of the pattern, adding a striking reddish-orange accent. Its variability -- it can range from magnitude +0.0 to +1.6 -- adds interest.

How to Find the Winter Hexagon

1. Find Orion first. The three belt stars are unmistakable and sit within the hexagon.
2. Identify Rigel below and to the right of the belt (Orion's knee).
3. Follow the belt down-left to Sirius -- it is impossible to miss.
4. Look up from Sirius to find Procyon to the east.
5. Continue up to Pollux in Gemini.
6. High overhead, find golden Capella.
7. Drop down to orange Aldebaran in Taurus.
8. Return to Rigel to close the hexagon.

Use StarGlobe to trace the pattern and identify each star.

What Makes the Winter Hexagon Special

No other region of sky contains so many bright stars in such close proximity. The hexagon includes stars from six different constellations (Canis Major, Orion, Taurus, Auriga, Gemini, and Canis Minor), bridging a huge swath of the winter sky. The diversity of star colors is remarkable -- blue-white Sirius and Rigel, orange Aldebaran and Pollux, golden Capella, and white Procyon, with red Betelgeuse at the center.

The Milky Way Through the Hexagon

The Milky Way passes through the hexagon between Sirius and Procyon on one side and through Capella's region on the other. In winter, we look outward from the galactic center, so the Milky Way here is fainter than in summer, but it is still a beautiful sight from dark locations.

Deep-Sky Objects Within the Hexagon

• M42 (Orion Nebula): The crown jewel, visible to the naked eye in Orion's sword. See the winter sky guide for details.
• M45 (Pleiades): Just outside the hexagon in Taurus, a dazzling open cluster.
• M35: An open cluster in Gemini near Pollux's foot.
• M36, M37, M38: Three open clusters in Auriga near Capella, beautiful through binoculars.
• Hyades: The nearest open cluster to Earth, forming the face of Taurus around Aldebaran.

Visibility

The Winter Hexagon is best seen from November through March. In December and January, it rises in the early evening and dominates the sky by 9 or 10 PM. Its large extent means even urban observers under significant light pollution can see all six stars. The hexagon is visible from both hemispheres, though Southern Hemisphere observers see it inverted (with Capella near the horizon instead of overhead).

Photography

The Winter Hexagon is large enough that you need a wide-angle lens or an ultra-wide smartphone camera to capture it all in one frame. The bright, colorful stars photograph well even from suburban locations. A 10-15 second exposure on a tripod with a smartphone can capture the entire hexagon with Betelgeuse's orange hue and Sirius's brilliant glow.

Common Questions

Is the Winter Hexagon a constellation?

No, it is an asterism -- an informal pattern. Its stars belong to six different official constellations.

Can I see it from the Southern Hemisphere?

Yes, but it appears rotated and lower in the northern sky. Sirius and Rigel are high, while Capella may be near or below the horizon from far-southern latitudes.

Find the Winter Hexagon Tonight

Open StarGlobe on a winter evening to locate all six stars and the constellations they anchor. The Winter Hexagon is the perfect structure for beginning stargazers -- its stars are bright, its pattern is large, and it leads naturally to some of the finest objects in the sky. For seasonal signposts in other months, see the Summer Triangle, Spring Arc to Arcturus, and Great Square of Pegasus.