Figure 1-2 The Constellation Orion (a) The pattern of stars (asterism) called Orion is prominent in the winter sky. From the northern hemisphere, it is easily seen high above the southern horizon from December through March. You can see in this photograph that the various stars have different colors—something to watch for when you observe the night sky. (b) Technically, constellations are entire regions of the sky. The constellation called Orion and parts of other nearby constellations are depicted in this photograph. All the stars and other celestial objects, like galaxies, inside the boundary of Orion are members of that constellation. The entire sky is covered by a quiltlike pattern of 88 constellations of differing sizes and shapes.