- Although it's a little chilly outside, winter is a great time to get out and lay back and just gaze upon the stars.

Because of the earth's tilt and position, there are stars and meteor showers out in the sky that you can't see during other times of the year.

And as you look up in our winter sky, it's just so easy to dream about what is out there.

But also easy to get lost navigating the night sky because there's just so many stars out there.

But let's take some time to learn some guiding stars and how to navigate the night sky.

Astronomers navigate the sky through using constellations which are simple groupings of stars that make a picture.

Do you know where the North Star is?

It isn't the brightest star out there.

What makes Polaris the North Star so special is that all the stars in our sky move around it while it stays relatively still in the same spot.

Polaris is the tip of the handle of a constellation often called the Little Dipper.

Because the little dipper is faint, it is often easier to use the Big Dipper to find it.

Look at the bucket end of the dipper and extend and imaginary line from these stars up until you reach Polaris.

Then you've just found north.

Because it is winter, you might not get to see the handle of the Big Dipper until much after your bedtime.

Go just a little higher in the sky from the Little Dipper and you'll see a series of stars that look like a W. This is the Constellation Cassiopeia, Queen and mother of Andromeda in Greek mythology.

And just beside her is her king, Cepheus.

Another constellation that might catch your eye is further on over in the southern sky called Orion.

It looks like a person.

You can see a head, hands, feet and the popular Orion's belt.

You might notice that Orion's hand on this side looks red.

That is because it is a red giant called Betelgeuse.

Betelgeuse is so large that if it was the center of our solar system where our sun is at, it would be larger than Mars's orbit.

If you have a telescope or even a good set of binoculars or birding scope, you might be able to spot a few moons of Jupiter or even the rings of Saturn.

Your winter sky is filled with discovery.

Using a star finder or star chart can help you navigate and learn where to look for meteor showers and other cool astronomical features.

The next time you have a clear night, take some time to explore it and allow yourself to imagine what could be out there.

I know it's cold out here, but the winter sky is super amazing.

If you're not getting out, you don't know what you're missing.

So grab your coat and a blanket to lay on and get outside side.