Star Hopping to Recurring Nova Site

To find the lovely Northern Crown, site of an upcoming recurrent nova, you can star hop from above or below. Here are two routes in winter 2025 to find Corona Borealis in the morning sky.

Starting from above (detailed here)...

Follow the arc of the Big Dipper to the bright star Arcturus. The second magnitude stars Izar in Boötes and Gemma in Corona Borealis (CrB) will guide you to the "new" star T Coronae Borealis, which may also be second magnitude.

Hopping from Big Dipper to find Corona Borealis.

If you take a long-duration exposure with your phone camera in early February, simply aim it so Arcturus is roughly centered near the top. Corona Borealis will be within the field of view. I'm now including some foreground object of interest to remind me of where I was that night.

With Arcturus near top of frame, the rising Corona Borealis readily appears within field of view.

Note: As the hours (and the month) progress, the whole frame will shift clockwise and Boötes will appear more upright toward the south, with Corona Borealis also upright to Boötes' left, or east. When it's rising in the east, CrB will look like a backwards C; hours later toward the south it will look more like a U.

Hence, when CrB is rising you will frame the photo with Arcturus toward the upper right. Just before morning twilight in February you will frame the photo with Arcturus to the lower right side.

As the night (and season) continues, Corona Borealis appears more upright to the left of Boötes.

Starting from below...

Find the Summer Triangle low on the eastern horizon in the morning, if it has fully risen. Follow the line roughly from Deneb through Vega, continuing about 35 degrees from Vega to the site of recurring nova. On the way you pass through the keystone stars in Hercules, outlined faintly in red.

From Vega in Summer Triangle, go 35 degrees through Hercules to site of recurring nova in Corona Borealis.