Vulpecula

The Fox

A faint summer constellation in the Milky Way that is best known for the Dumbbell Nebula and the Coathanger star group.

Chart drawn as the sky looks when you face the constellation: north is up and east is to the left. Dot size shows brightness, and color hints at temperature. The connecting lines are one common stick figure; other traditions draw them differently.

Best season: Summer
Best months: June through October, high overhead on summer evenings
Visibility: Visible from everywhere in the United States
Abbreviation: Vul

How to find it

Look between Cygnus and Aquila, near Albireo, for a faint patch with no bright stars.
Point binoculars at the area and look for a chain of stars shaped like a coat hanger.

Brightest stars

Anser (Alpha Vulpeculae, the brightest and still faint)

What to look for

The Coathanger, a tight group of stars shaped like an upside-down hanger, easy to spot in binoculars.

Binocular and telescope targets

Dumbbell Nebula (M27): the first planetary nebula ever discovered, visible in binoculars as a faint glow
Coathanger (Brocchi's Cluster): a chain of stars that looks like a coat hanger in binoculars

Using it to find other things

Vulpecula lies between Cygnus and Aquila, just beyond Albireo.

About this constellation

Vulpecula is a faint constellation, but it has two real treats for a pair of binoculars. The Coathanger is a group of stars that forms a hook and a bar, and the Dumbbell Nebula is a glowing shell of gas blown off by a dying star.

The Dumbbell was the first planetary nebula ever discovered, by Charles Messier in 1764.

Related guides

Visibility depends on your latitude, the date, and the time of night. The months above assume a typical evening from the contiguous United States, so use a planetarium app to confirm what is up tonight. Never look at the Sun through binoculars or a telescope without a proper solar filter.

← All constellations