The winter constellations are low in the western sky. Summer constellations are rising in the east in the early evening. Overhead the sky is strewn with the stars of spring, and there is plenty to see.

Spring stargazers get a respite from wearing heavy winter coats outside, so the hobby just got friendlier and easier, although twilight arrives later these days. The dark of night doesn’t arrive until 9 p.m.

Look up and see the Big Dipper, the easiest constellation to find. Also called Ursa Major, this familiar constellation is perfectly poised for viewing, high in the northern sky, not far from the stars overhead.

The two stars in the front of the Big Dipper point to Polaris, the North Star, not as high in the North. If you follow it, the handle of the ladle points to the bright orange star Arcturus, rising in the east. Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Bootes, the shepherd and the brightest in the region. It acts like a bright sentinel moving through our skies in the coming warmer months.

Directly overhead lies the zodiacal constellation Leo, the lion.

Low in the western sky, the winter constellation Orion resides for a short time before setting. The zodiacal constellation Taurus is nearby.