A Stunning Ring of Stars Will Glow Overhead This Month—How to Spot the 'Winter Circle'

The nights might be longer and darker right now, but they also come with a special gift—more time spent stargazing.

December is an especially incredible time to look up, as the Winter Circle (sometimes called the Winter Hexagon) illuminates the night sky. The Winter Circle is a large, circular-ish pattern made up of some of the brightest stars, according to EarthSky.org.

Called an asterism, which is a prominent group of stars that form a noticeable pattern, the wintertime phenomenon (or summertime if you're in the Southern Hemisphere) covers a huge swath of the sky, making it hard to miss.

From December to March, you can spot the starry shape, becoming fully visible and high in the sky by January and February. By late January, the Winter Circle will be above the northeastern horizon and visible by about 7 p.m. local time.

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The circle is made up of stars from six different constellations: Rigel of Orion the Hunter, Aldebaran of Taurus the Bull, Capella of Auriga the Charioteer, Pollux and Castor of Gemini the Twins, Procyon of Canis Minor the Lesser Dog, and Sirius of Canis Major the Greater Dog. Also, Betelgeuse (the red supergiant star of Orion) is found toward the center, and in late 2025 and early 2026, Jupiter lies near the grouping.

To locate the Winter Circle, find the constellation Orion and look for the bright bluish star (Rigel) to the lower right. Draw a line through the stars that make up Orion's belt upward to find Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus the Bull.

Continue upward in a counterclockwise direction to find the next bright star, Capella in Auriga. It's the northernmost point of the circle. Down the other side, you'll see Pollux and Castor, followed by Procyon, and the southernmost star in the pattern, Sirius. Inside the circle, Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse form what's known as the Winter Triangle.

As with any skywatching, head as far away from light pollution as possible to get the best view of the stars and choose a night with minimal cloud cover.