Wrong. The Milky Way is still there on these frosty winter nights, it\u2019s just not as dramatic or obvious.<\/p>\n
While the summer Milky Way is a naked-eye wonder, a broad trail of starry froth and foam that splits the sky in two, the winter Milky Way is not so obvious and more of a spectacle to seek out.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s dappled on the sky, and if you take the time and trouble to look at it you\u2019ll be rewarded with some lovely sights.<\/p>\n
More winter observing:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n You\u2019ll see another side of the Milky Way<\/span>; instead of the bright gaseous nebulae of summer, <\/span>such as the famous Lagoon Nebula<\/a> and Trifid Nebula<\/a>, what you will see is a host of sparkling star clusters<\/a>.<\/p>\n We\u2019re going to go on a tour of the midwinter Milky Way and take in some of these sights. Half are visible to the naked eye, and you\u2019ll need a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to see the rest.<\/p>\n One thing\u2019s for sure, all of the sights are worth tracking down after you\u2019ve taken your obligatory nightly look at the Pleiades<\/a> and the Orion Nebula<\/a>.<\/p>\n On the next clear, frosty night, before starting the tour pull on several pairs of socks and wrap up in your warmest jacket, hat and gloves.<\/p>\n If you look like a seven-year-old child who has been dressed by their mum for a walk on a cold, snowy day, you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n Head out at around 11:30pm and go to the darkest spot you can find.<\/p>\n Straight away you\u2019ll see the constellation of Orion<\/a>, the Hunter standing above the southern horizon, looking splendid with his famous belt of three icy blue-white stars pulled tightly around his waist and ruddy-hued Betelgeuse (Alpha (\u03b1) Orionis) glowing at his shoulder.<\/p>\n All the objects on this tour lie close to Orion, in the southern part of the sky. Before you begin the tour, let your eyes adapt properly to the darkness; this takes about half an hour. Then let us embark!<\/p>\n The targets below can all be seen with the naked eye under good conditions, but binoculars will bring out their beauty<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Located a short distance above and left of Betelgeuse <\/span>(Alpha (\u03b1) Orionis), the Christmas Tree Cluster<\/a> is 2,200 lightyears away and spans about 25 lightyears. At mag. +4.0 it\u2019s easy to see with the naked eye as a small smudge of light.<\/p>\n This open star cluster<\/a> contains around 80 stars and gets its nickname from the fact that observers think it resembles a Christmas tree when viewed through a telescope. The Cone Nebula<\/a> is nearby, but is too faint to see without a large telescope.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n One of the most popular star clusters in the northern sky, M35 can be found high above Orion, close to the foot of one of the Twins of Gemini, which explains its (little-used) nickname. At mag. +5.0, it\u2019s a visually large object and on a clear night is easy to see with the naked eye as a misty patch above Orion.<\/p>\n M35 contains perhaps 500 stars, and the brightest hundred or so are a lovely sight through binoculars and small telescopes, looking like spilled salt grains. The cluster is approximately 35 lightyears across and lies 3,000 lightyears away from us.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Often overlooked because of the bigger, brighter star clusters around it, M47 is a treat to observe on a frosty night. This loose cluster of around 50 stars can be found to the upper left of Sirius (Alpha (\u03b1) Canis Majoris) and covers an area of sky the same size as the Moon.<\/p>\n At mag. +4.4 it is an easy naked-eye object if you take the time to look for it. M47 is 1,600 lightyears away from our Solar System.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n If this bright, mag. +4.5 open star cluster were anywhere else in the northern sky it would be much <\/span>more famous and popular. But because it lies close to and directly beneath bright Sirius, which never rises high in the sky as seen from mid-latitudes, the Little Beehive Cluster is something of a \u2018tree-scraper\u2019 for many winter observers.<\/p>\n If you have a clear, low southern horizon, on mid-winter nights you should be able to find M41 easily and it really is a lovely sight through binoculars and small telescopes, resembling a <\/span>smaller version of M44, the Beehive Cluster<\/a> in Cancer. The cluster is a long way away, more than 2,300 lightyears distant, and its 100 or so silvery stars cover an area of the sky as wide as a full Moon<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Shining down to the lower left of Orion\u2019s famous Belt, magnificent Sirius blazes away at mag. \u20131.46, making it the brightest star in the night sky<\/a> by a significant margin. Because it lies so low in the sky, at mid-latitudes Sirius is often seen through lots of turbulent air that boils above the horizon. As a result, its light gets broken up, causing it to sparkle and flash dramatically, much like a finely cut jewel catching the sunlight. Sitting nine lightyears away from Earth, Sirius \u2013 also known as the \u2018Dog Star\u2019 \u2013 is the fifth closest star to our Sun.<\/p>\n Break out your binoculars or a small telescope for the next part of the tour and explore more of the Milky Way\u2019s deep-sky objects<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![\""The\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2021\/04\/GettyImages-1302800808-e4ab289-e1617266959638.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C412"\" "\\"\"The\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Wrap up warm<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Teenage\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-1304953376-2a2bfec.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C414"\" "\\"\"Teenage\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Winter Milky Way targets: naked eye<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Winter\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2021\/11\/Winter-milky-way-naked-eye-caaa8e9.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C462"\" "\\"\"Winter\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>The Christmas Tree Cluster, NGC 2264<\/h3>\n<\/div>
![\""Cone\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2019\/02\/cone-nebula-logo-jpg-15324be-e1637144842263.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C533"\" "\\"\"Cone_NGC2264_010\"\\"\/"){kind=logo}
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>The Shoe-Buckle Cluster, M35<\/h3>\n<\/div>
![\""M35.\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2020\/08\/M035-003-f72910f-e1599487594942.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C491"\" "\\"\"M35.\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>M47<\/h3>\n<\/div>
![\""M47\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2019\/02\/M47-LRGB-2d4ada8-e1599055705587.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C468"\" "\\"\"Open\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>The Little Beehive Cluster, M41<\/h3>\n<\/div>
![\""M41.\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2020\/09\/M041-001-5adcca5-e1599487659300.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C412"\" "\\"\"M41.\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Sirius, the \u2018Dog Star\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>
![\""Sirius\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2020\/08\/GettyImages-178291338-33b6dd8-e1597652081588.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Sirius\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Winter Milky Way targets: binoculars and telescope<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Winter\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2021\/11\/Winter-milky-way-telescope-fa78ade.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C463"\" "\\"\"Winter\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>The Rosette Nebula<\/h3>\n<\/div>