Cancer, the Crab is best viewed during the month of March.
Click on image for full size
Windows to the Universe original image

Cancer

The constellation Cancer is a crab. Look for Cancer from December through June. It's hard to see Cancer because the stars are so dim.

To find Cancer, first find Gemini and Leo. Cancer is right between them! Have you looked at the picture yet? Do you see a body with two claws coming out?

A story about Cancer is found in Greek mythology. Heracles was in a fight with the monster Hydra. A giant crab tried to help Hydra, but Heracles smashed it with his foot. The crab was so brave, that Hera put it in the sky. Can you find Cancer in the night sky?

You might also be interested in:

Science, Evolution, and Creationism

How did life evolve on Earth? The answer to this question can help us understand our past and prepare for our future. Although evolution provides credible and reliable answers, polls show that many people turn away from science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable....more

Gemini

The constellation Gemini is really a set of twins! If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you can see Gemini in the winter and spring. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you can see it in the summer...more

Leo

Leo, the lion, is easy to find because his head looks like a backward question mark with the bright star Regulus at the bottom. Regulus, Leo's brightest star, means "little king" in Latin. This star is...more

Hercules

Hercules was a great warrior in Greek mythology. From the northern hemisphere he can be seen kneeling in the sky during Spring. From the southern hemisphere, he appears low in the north. Four bright stars...more

Hydra

Hydra, the sea serpent, may be the longest and largest of all constellations, but its stars are very faint. It is so long that four constellations run along its northern side. These are Cancer, Leo, Virgo...more

Andromeda

The fall constellation Andromeda is a Princess. She looks like a "V"! Andromeda is close to the north pole, so only a few people in the Southern Hemisphere can see it in the spring. Andromeda's parents...more

Aquarius

Aquarius is also known as the Waterbearer. There are several myths about this constellation. In Greek mythology, Aquarius was the young boy, Ganymede. Zeus sent Aquila to kidnap Ganymede. The boy became...more

Cancer

The constellation Cancer is a crab. Look for Cancer from December through June. It's hard to see Cancer because the stars are so dim. To find Cancer, first find Gemini and Leo. Cancer is right between...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA