Re: Where would the taurus sign be in the sky in Dec.

Dear April,

Taurus (the Bull) is easily visible rising in the East after sunset in December. Like the other constellations, it continues to the west as the night goes on because of the Earth's rotation. The bull's head looks like a sideways "V" and has one very bright, reddish star, Aldebaran, which is the bull's eye. If you make a "V" with the index and middle fingers of your right hand, and point the fingers to the left, that is the way Taurus will apper in the Eastern sky in evening. Aldebaran is a red giant, possibly similar to the kind of star our own Sun will become in about 5 billion years.

In binoculars, you can see an open cluser of stars called "the Hyades" in the head of the bull. Taurus is visible between two other interesting objects in the winter sky: the Pleiades above (west) (a bright star cluster visible to the naked eye-- you can see at least 6 stars) and Orion below (east). Don't forget to look in Orion's sword for the beautiful Orion Nebula, where stars are being born right now.

Here are some web sites you can check for a skywatcher's guide to the stars:
Abrams Planetarium Skywatcher's Diary
Sky and Telescope - Sights
Here's an article from famous "Star Hustler" Jack Horkheimer on Taurus (it just happens to be on Taurus this week):

You might also be interested in the magazines Astronomy and Sky &Telescope.

Keep looking up!
Susan Stolovy