How to see the Circlet star pattern

The Circlet is a ring of seven stars that forms one of the ends of two fish that make up the famous constellation of Pisces.

A satisfying star pattern to locate in the night sky, the Circlet is a great challenge for autumn stargazing, as evenings grow longer and darker.

The Circlet is what's known as an asterism: an informal star pattern that's not one of the formally-recognised constellations.

And while the early autumn evenings are not known for the most brilliant starry skies, there are some gems to be found.

The Circlet is one of them. In this guide we'll show you how to find it, and where in the night sky you can star-hop to next.

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How to find the Circlet star pattern

The Circlet s found in the area of sky to the east of the three bright stars that form the Summer Triangle.

This is a fairly quiet, sparsely lit part of the night sky.

As with all faint stars, it's best to observe from a darker area, away from light pollution, in order to find star patterns.

The Circlet rises from the east at 7pm in the middle of September.

Give the star pattern a couple of hours to climb high enough, to give you the best chance of seeing it.

If you need extra help navigating the night sky, you can use a smartphone astronomy app, but remember to turn your phone's screen red to preserve your night vision.

Once you've found the Circlet, look above to the four stars that make a big, roughly box-shaped display known as the Great Square of Pegasus.

And, of course, you can also use the Circlet as a means to locate the constellation Pisces (although the likelihood is that you'll do the reverse!)

This guide originally appeared in the September 2010 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.