Of the eighty-eight officially recognized constellations in the sky, can you identify the thirty-first largest one? It is bordered on the north by the constellation Lynx the Bobcat, and on the south by Hydra the Water Snake, on the west by Gemini the Twins, and on the east by Leo the Lion. There are no bright stars in this constellation, and it is one of the darkest regions in the night sky. But there is a beautiful open star cluster within its borders known as the Praesepe or Beehive cluster, and some of its stars have been found to have planets orbiting them. In mythology this animal represents a crustacean that was sent by the goddess Hera to attack the hero Hercules. It was accidentally crushed by Hercules during the fight, but Hera restored it to life in the heavens as a constellation. Tonight the first quarter moon is nestled among its stars. Can you name this star figure, the third constellation of the Zodiac? The answer is Cancer the Crab, high in the south after sunset.
