This week, there are a trio of flying creatures to watch out for in the pre-dawn sky. The chart shows the view looking east from London at about 6am this week. Highest in the sky is Cygnus, the swan. This large constellation falls into the ‘once seen, never forgotten’ category. Its great wings and long neck stretch across the sky.
Having found Cygnus, look downwards to the bright star of Altair and trace out the constellation of Aquila, the eagle. In its celestial form, it is not as imposing as the swan, but it is still possible to make out a neck and wings. As the twilight approaches, the forelegs and head of Pegasus, the winged horse, will be climbing into the sky. This marks the three flying beasts but there are other creatures to spot too: Delphinus, the dolphin; Vulpecula, the fox; Lacerta, the lizard; and – if you have a good eastern horizon – Equuleus, the foal.
In the southern hemisphere, more experienced skywatchers looking east just before sunrise might just glimpse Venus, Jupiter and Saturn before the sun appears.
