March brings the constellation of Cancer, the crab, into prime viewing position for Northern Hemisphere observers.
According to Greek mythology, the giant crab was killed by the hero Heracles during his battle with the Hydra of Lerna. The goddess Hera, who wanted Heracles defeated, placed it in the stars as a thank you for trying.
The chart shows the view looking into the southern sky from London at 22:00 GMT this week. The constellation is faint, and will be a challenge in an urban environment, so try to find somewhere away from street lights and let your eyes adjust to the darkness.
And if you’re in a dark place, you might also be able to see the star cluster that sits at the heart of the constellation. Known as the Beehive cluster, or Praesepethe Latin word for manger, it is a former stellar nursery from which the stars spread out into the wider galaxy.
After about 30 minutes, your eyes will have become sensitive enough to see the Beehive unaided as a faint patch of light. Observers in the southern hemisphere should look for the constellation and cluster in the north to northeast around mid-evening.
