What Is Winter Circle
By: EjazUlHaqBhat
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The winter circle, also known as the winter hexagon, is a prominent pattern of bright stars in the night sky
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It forms a large hexagon shape, visible primarily in the Northern Hemisphere during winter months
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It's not a constellation itself but an asterism, meaning a recognisable group of stars from different constellations that appear to form a pattern
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It has star composition and this pattern includes stars like Sirius (Canis Major), Rigel (Orion), Aldebaran (Taurus), Capella (Auriga), Pollux (Gemini), and Procyon (Canis Minor)
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Also, an additional 1st-magnitude star, Betelgeuse in Orion the Hunter, lies toward the center of the circle
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These stars are but a few members of the estimated 400 billion plus stars that comprise our Milky Way Galaxy
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The winter circle also contains a smaller asterism called the winter triangle formed by Sirius, Rigel, and Procyon
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The winter circle is big. It spans from the southernmost star, Sirius, to the northernmost star, Capella, covering about 1/3 of the dome of the sky
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