✧ Winter Hexagon

  The Winter Hexagon is an asterism in Orion.

                             ⢀⣠●
                          ⣀⡤⠞⠉ ⠈⣇
                      ⣀⡤⠖⠋⠁     ⠸⡄
                    •⠋⠁          ⢳
                    ⡇            ⠈⣇
                    ⡇             ⠸⡄
                    ⡇              •
                    ⡇             ⢸⠁
                    ●            ⢀⡏
                    ⠈⢧           ⣸
                     ⠈⢧         ⢠⠇
                      ⠈⢧    ⣀⣀⡤⠤●
                       ⠈●⠒⠋⠉⠁

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Orion
  Stars           6

  More information about Winter Hexagon

  Sirius, Procyon, Pollux, Capella, Aldebaran and Rigel make a rough ring
  with Betelgeuse inside it. It spans six constellations and about a
  quarter of the sky, which is what makes it worth knowing: find two
  corners and the rest of winter is fixed. Also called the Winter Circle.

  Etymology
  From        English
  Reading     the Winter Hexagon
  Literally   the winter hexagon

  The evolution of Winter Hexagon over time

  -50,000 years
  
  
  
                                                     ⣀⡤⠖● Capella
                                                  ⣀⠔⠊⠁  ⠈⢆
                                              ⢀⡠⠖⠋       ⠈⣆
                                           ⢀⡠⠒⠁           ⠘⣆
                                        ⣀⠴⠚⠁               ⠘⡆
                                     ⣠⠔⠊                    ⠘⡄
                                     • Pollux                ⠘⡄
                                     ⡇                        ⠱⡀
                             Procyon ●⡀                       ⢰• Aldebaran
                                      ⠑⡄                      ⡎
                                       ⠘⢆                    ⢸⠁
                                         ⢣⡀                  ⡏
                                          ⠙⡄                ⡸
                                           ⠈⠦⣀⣀⣀           ⢀⠇
                                     Sirius ●  ⠈⠉⠉⠑⠒⠒⠦⠤⠤⣄⣀⣀⡼
                                                          ⠈● Rigel
  
  
  
  now
  
  
  
                                                   ⢀⡠⠒⠉● Capella
                                               ⢀⣠⠔⠊⠁   ⠈⢆
                                            ⣀⡤⠖⠉        ⠘⡄
                                        ⢀⡠⠔⠋⠁            ⠘⡄
                                Pollux •⠁                 ⠹⡄
                                       ⢸                   ⠹⡀
                                       ⢸                    ⢱
                                       ⡸                    ⣰• Aldebaran
                                       ⡇                   ⢀⠇
                                       ⣇                   ⡞
                               Procyon ●⢆                 ⣰⠁
                                        ⠈⢢               ⢀⠇
                                          ⢳⡀             ⡞
                                           ⠱⡄       ⣀⡠⠤⠒⠋● Rigel
                                            ⠙⡄ ⣀⡠⠔⠒⠉⠁
                                             ⠈● Sirius
  
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
                                                   ⣠⠔● Capella
                                               ⢀⡠⠒⠉  ⠈⡆
                                            ⣀⠴⠊⠁      ⠘⡆
                                         ⢠⠖⠋           ⠘⡄
                                         ⢸• Pollux      ⠱⡀
                                         ⢸               ⢳⡀
                                         ⢸                ⢣
                                         ⢸               ⢀• Aldebaran
                                         ⢸               ⡜
                                         ⢸              ⡸⠁
                                         ⢸             ⢠⠃
                                         ⢸            ⢀⠏
                                         ⠘● Procyon  ⢀● Rigel
                                          ⠈⢆         ⡜
                                           ⠈⢆       ⡸
                                            ⠈⢆     ⣰⠁
                                             ⠈⢆   ⢰⠃
                                              ⠈⢢ ⢠⠇
                                                ⢣⠏
                                                 ● Sirius

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 27%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 20.9 degrees. Pollux drifts the opposite way to the other 5, which
  travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky turning or the
  pole moving.

  curl 'skymap.sh/Winter%20Hexagon/evolution.gif'

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Winter Hexagon