My name here is related to hobby number one: Amateur Astronomy; hence the avatar is the emission nebula IC 1396, which is found in Cepheus, the king one of the circumpolar constellations. The bright red star (barely visible) in the lower left is the Garnet Star. My birthday is in January and the birthstone of January is the garnet. So, yes January has a birth star as well, but I do not believe in astrology.

You can find the garnet star "naked eye" in fairly dark skies by locating Cepheus. To locate Cepheus use the guide stars to the north star (Polaris) trace a line from these stars at the end of the Big Dipper’s bowl, past Polaris, and you'll arrive at the top of Cepheus. The constellation Cepheus takes the form of a simple house (a triangle on top of a square) and the star that you have just found is the top of the house. The Garnet Star is almost straight through and would make the porch of the house. Sitting just next to (east of) King Cepheus is his wife, Queen Cassiopeia. Most often, Cassiopeia is identified by her “W” or “M” shape.

The Garnet Star is also know as Herschel's Garnet Star and the alternative name is Erakis. Possibly the source of the name Arrakis, the spice planet in the Sci-Fi book Dune.

Also Idaho's gemstone is the garnet and I live in Idaho.

Take care,

Stargazer