Starwatch: Follow the Plough to find bright stars and the Northern Crown

This week is a good time to see red giant Arcturus and bright white Vega, with the Corona Borealis

The northern hemisphere's spring constellations are now well placed in the evening sky. The chart shows the view looking south from London throughout the evenings this week. The jewel is the orange star Arcturus in Bootes, the herdsman. It can be most easily located by identifying the Plough and following the curve of the handle around and down. Arcturus is a red giant star, fully 25 times the radius of the sun. At a distance of about 37 light years, it is also fairly nearby. It is by far the brightest star in this part of the sky.