Scorpius, for instance, was given its name from the Latin word for scorpion, but ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs from before B. Orion, the hunter, bears a Greek name, but had been seen as a hunter-hero figure since the times of ancient Babylon.
Of course, many of the constellation names are more modern -- Telescopium, the telescope, being a rather obvious newcomer. In fact, by the 19th century the night sky had become crowded with overlapping and often contradictory constellation boundaries and names as different schools of astronomy prepared their own versions of star maps. To clear up the confusion, names and boundaries were "officially" assigned to 88 constellations by the International Astronomical Union in , providing complete coverage of the entire sky.
Though many people start their days by checking their horoscope in the newspaper, the 12 constellations of the zodiac are no more important to astronomers than the other 76 constellations. The significance of the zodiac stems from the fact that the ecliptic -- the narrow path on the sky that the Sun, Moon, and planets appear to follow -- runs directly through these star groupings. Since ancient times, the Sun, Moon, and planets have been known as special astronomical objects -- they "wander" through the background stars of the zodiac, which remain fixed with respect to each other.
It was reasoned that these zodiacal constellations must be special to make up this path, and the relative positions of the "wandering stars" within them bore great importance. True scientific astronomy has its roots in the attempts of ancient astrologers to predict future occurrences of, for instance, imperial Jupiter and the blood-red planet Mars meeting within the charging bull of Taurus -- a potentially powerful omen for those who believed the planets represented the gods themselves.
Skip to main content. Constellation Guide. Each end of the V extends outward to a star that forms one of the Bull's horns. Continuing past the Hyades, you'll see a little cluster of stars — one of the loveliest naked-eye sights in the night sky. This is the Seven Sisters, or Pleiades. Six are visible to the unaided eye under average sky conditions; binoculars reveal the seventh star, plus dozens more.
The uppermost horn of Taurus is part of a pentagon of stars that includes the bright golden-yellow star Capella. This pentagon is the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. Auriga lies above Orion and is overhead on a midwinter evening. The fact that these five stars represent a man on a chariot carrying a goat Capella attests to the vivid imagination of its ancient discoverers. Oh yes, that little triangle of stars beneath Capella represents the goat's three kids!
Orion's heavenly court includes Gemini the Twins. From Orion, extend a line upward from Rigel through Betelgeuse to this neat rectangular constellation, which contains the bright stars Pollux and Castor. In , Gemini will be more aptly called the "Triplets," for Pollux and Castor will be joined by a third bright "star" — Saturn. Midway and slightly left of a line between Sirius and the stars Pollux and Castor is the 1st-magnitude star Procyon.
Procyon forms an equilateral triangle with Betelgeuse and Sirius. It's about all you'll see of Canis Minor the Little Dog. Spring As the days lengthen and the weather warms, Orion and his wintry retinue process slowly into the western sky. Leo the Lion now assumes center stage high in the south. Leo's most noticeable feature is an asterism a grouping of stars that reminds observers of a sickle or a backward question mark.
The period on the question mark is the 1st-magnitude star Regulus. To the left of the Sickle are three stars that form a right triangle. We see the Lion from the side; the Sickle outlines his head, and the triangle, his hindquarters. Viewed with a little imagination, Leo definitely sports a feline profile.
Add one hour for daylight-saving time. During spring, the Big Dipper appears nearly overhead from mid-northern latitudes. The constellation itself is shaped like a huge kite, with Arcturus at its base. Continuing the arc, you'll "sprint to Spica. If you look below and to the right of Spica, you'll spot a neat little group of four bright stars that resembles the outline of a sail.
This is the constellation Corvus the Crow. I'm always impressed at how stately this little constellation looks, perched above the treetops to the south on a clear spring evening. Summer Summer is a season of mixed blessings for astronomers. The nights are warm but short and often hazy. As if that weren't bad enough, we have to contend with swarms of blood-sucking mosquitoes!
Haze and insects aside, the summer sky is a veritable gallery of cosmic masterpieces. The Milky Way arches high across the sky, which is richer than its winter counterpart because we now look toward the heart of our galaxy.
Dominating the evening sky are three 1st-magnitude stars forming the Summer Triangle. Vega is the brightest of the three and is located in a nifty little constellation called Lyra the Lyre. Deneb and four other bright stars of the Swan form an asterism called the Northern Cross, which is immersed in the Milky Way.
Deneb is at the top of the cross, the star Albireo is at the base. Albireo is a double star famous for its rich colors of golden yellow and sapphire blue. The star pair can be split with binoculars, but the colors can be seen only through a telescope.
Farther south on the Milky Way is the bright star Altair and its parent constellation, Aquila the Eagle. If you follow the Milky Way from Aquila toward the southern horizon, you should find a group of stars that looks like a teapot. This asterism is part of Sagittarius the Archer. This constellation marks the location of our galaxy's center. The area teems with deep-sky treasures — especially bright nebulae and star clusters.
To the right of the teapot is the ruddy 1st-magnitude star Antares , the "heart" of Scorpius the Scorpion. Like the winter star Betelgeuse, Antares is a red supergiant star in the last stages of its life. A fishhook-shaped row of stars trailing down and to the left of Antares forms the Scorpion's tail and stinger, while an upright row of three stars to Antares's right marks the location of its claws.
Autumn As the nights begin to lengthen and a chill pervades the air, the summer Milky Way exits center stage although the Summer Triangle remains visible in the west until early winter. Following the Summer Triangle is one of the night sky's prettiest constellations — Delphinus the Dolphin.
Four stars, arranged like a diamond, form the Dolphin's head, while a fifth creates the tail. Experienced astronomers, both professional and amateur, pronounce constellation names in many different ways, but have no trouble understanding each other. There is no single correct way of pronouncing a constellation name, and there are several sources that address the issue.
See for instance:. Alan MacRobert's constellation patterns, drawn in green in the charts, were influenced by those of H. Rey but in many cases were adjusted to preserve earlier traditions.
The images are released under the Creative Commons Attribution 3. Charts Graphical Legend. The Constellations Origin of the Constellations Ever since people first wandered the Earth, great significance has been given to the celestial objects seen in the sky.
IAU and the 88 Constellations Originally the constellations were defined informally by the shapes made by their star patterns, but, as the pace of celestial discoveries quickened in the early 20th century, astronomers decided it would be helpful to have an official set of constellation boundaries. Constellation Names Each Latin constellation name has two forms: the nominative, for use when talking about the constellation itself, and the genitive, or possessive, which is used in star names.
Pronunciation of Constellation Names Experienced astronomers, both professional and amateur, pronounce constellation names in many different ways, but have no trouble understanding each other.
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