The waning gibbous moon this week will guide you to the heart of the constellation Gemini, the twins.
In the northern hemisphere, Gemini sits between the well-known constellations of Ursa Major, the great bear, to the north and Orion, the hunter, to the south. Sandwiched between these two obvious star patterns, Gemini can be easy to overlook.
The chart shows the view looking east from London at midnight on 6 November 2020. The moon will be three-quarters illuminated and sitting right between the twins, which will appear to be sideways, parallel to the horizon.
The constellation is one of the 12 zodiacal constellations and one of the original 48 constellations documented by Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Its name comes from the Latin for twins and represents the half-brothers Castor and Pollux from classical mythology. The two brightest stars in the constellation are named for the siblings.
From the southern hemisphere, the constellation is lower in the sky. It will appear heads-down, close to the north-eastern horizon.
