<P> Orion is among the most prominent and recognizable constellations . The Big Dipper (which has a wide variety of other names) is helpful for navigation in the northern hemisphere because it points to Polaris, the north star . </P> <P> The pole stars are special because they are approximately in line with the Earth's axis of rotation so they appear to stay in one place while the other stars rotate around them through the course of a night (or a year). </P> <P> Planets, named for the Greek word for "wanderer," process through the star field a little each day, executing loops with time scales dependent on the length of the planets year or orbital period around solar system . Planets, to the naked eye, appear as points of light in the sky with variable brightness . Planets shine due to sunlight reflecting or scattering from the planets surface or atmosphere . Thus the relative sun planet earth positions determine the planets brightness . With telescope or good binoculars the planets appear as discs demonstrating finite size and also show phases like Earth's moon and also may possess their own orbiting moons which occasionally cast shadow onto the host planet surface . Venus is the most prominent planet, often called the "morning star" or "evening star" because it is brighter than the stars and often the only "star" visible near sunrise or sunset depending on its location in its orbit . Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are also visible to the naked eye . </P> <P> Earth's Moon is a gray disc in the sky with cratering visible to the naked eye . It spans, depending on its exact location, 29 - 33 arcminutes - which is about the size of a thumbnail at arm's length, and is readily identified . Over 28 days, the moon goes through a full cycle of lunar phases . People can generally identify phases within a few days by looking at the moon . Unlike stars and most planets, the light reflected from the moon is bright enough to be seen during the day . (Venus can sometimes be seen even after sunrise .) </P>

What is the first light in the night sky