In just one month, the United States will be treated to a spectacular solar eclipse.

Of course, I’ll be telling you about it in the coming weeks, but remember that you’ll need to have proper solar filters for your eyes, binoculars, telescope or camera, and vendors are selling out.

You can find sources of these from the American Astronomical Society by clicking here on “Resources” and placing your order!

In the meantime, our evening sky to the south is glistening with the most brilliant stars of the year, including such beauties as Sirius, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Procyon, Castor, Pollux, Aldebaran and more.

We can see all of these even under bright city lights or moonlight.

The sky to our north, however, isn’t so fortunate. That’s OK because here we can find some notable stars and star groupings.

Most important is the North Star, known to astronomers as Polaris, which stands directly above the Earth’s north pole and marks the celestial hub about which the heavens revolve.

On opposite sides of it lie the easily recognizable star groupings known as the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. These famous patterns, unfortunately, are formed by fainter stars that are tough to spot under city lights or moonlight.

With the moon out of the sky this week, it’s a good opportunity to get away from the city to explore this celestial area more closely.

Specifically, I thought it would be fun to seek out a less well-known constellation called Camelopardalis, the giraffe.

I’m guessing that you never knew there’s a giraffe (or a “leopard camel” as the ancient Greeks knew it) represented among the stars. Most people don’t.

This rather obscure constellation almost certainly wasn’t passed down to us from antiquity.

Astronomers believe that it was most likely invented by the 16th-century Dutch theologian, cartographer and astronomer Petrus Plancius, but some think it was named by German astronomer Jakob Bartsch, who published Plancius’ star maps in his 1624 constellation book.

Though Camelopardalis is outlined by extremely faint stars, with some imagination you might be able to trace the shape of an inverted giraffe.

To find it, however, you will need a fairly dark sky away from the effects of urban light pollution.

First, go outside shortly after dark this week and allow yourself half an hour or so to adapt to the darkness.

Now face north and you should be able to find the Big Dipper standing on its handle in the northeast.

More to the northwest, look for five stars that make up a sideways “M”; this is Cassiopeia. Between them, of course, lies the North Star. And finally, look overhead for the bright star Capella.

If you connect Cassiopeia, the Big Dipper and Capella with imaginary lines, you’ll create a large, nearly equilateral triangle, at the center of which lie the stars of Camelopardalis.

Now appearing upside down, Camelopardalis can be traced from two stars that mark its legs, four that form its body and two more that mark its long neck and face.

So if you’re up for a good challenge, this is the time to stick your neck out and search for the celestial giraffe!