Winter Circle

If you look hard enough, you can find a triangle, a square, or some other geometric pattern of bright stars to mark every season. But you don’t have to look too hard to find a pattern for winter, because it’s outlined by some of the brightest stars in the night sky. The only question is what shape you actually see. Some call it a hexagon, while others see a circle.
Either way, it’s in especially good view tonight because it has a brilliant interloper: the just-past-full Moon. It provides a great starting point for exploring this widespread pattern of stars.
The whole thing climbs into good view by about 9 p.m. At that time, look to the upper left of the Moon for the twins of Gemini — the stars Pollux and Castor. Pollux is closer to the Moon, and it’s a little brighter.
From there, let your gaze climb high for Capella, a yellow-orange star that’s the sixth-brightest in the night sky. Then scan over to the right for Aldebaran, the orange “eye” of Taurus, the bull, and back down toward th