Hercules, the hero, is a jewel of the summer skies but one that requires a little bit of sleuthing to track down. The chart shows the view looking high in the southern sky from London at 11pm on Monday. The view, however, remains essentially unchanged all week.
The easiest way to locate Hercules is to identify the bright star Vega in Lyra, the lyre, and orange Arcturus in Boötes, the herdsman. Hercules lies between these beacons. Look for the four modest stars that form a lop-sided square: this is the keystone asterism, marking the body of Hercules.
