Humanity has always looked to the sky. The stars have long been guides for sailors, and they remain so today. A constellation is a group of celestial bodies that are united by one name. However, they may be at different distances from each other. Moreover, in ancient times the name of the constellations often depended on the shapes taken celestial bodies. This will be discussed in more detail in this article.

General information

There are a total of eighty-eight recorded constellations. Of these, only forty-seven have been known to mankind since ancient times. We should say thanks to the astronomer Claudius Ptolemy, who systematized the known constellations of the starry sky in the treatise "Almagest". The rest appeared at a time when man began to intensively study the world around us, travel more and record your knowledge. So, other groups of objects appeared in the sky.

The constellations in the sky and their names (photos of some of them will be presented in the article) are quite diverse. Many have several names, as well as ancient legends of origin. For example, there is a rather interesting legend about the appearance of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor in the sky. In those days when the gods ruled the world, the most powerful of them was Zeus. And he fell in love with the beautiful nymph Callisto, and he took her as his wife. In order to protect her from the jealous and dangerous Hera, Zeus took his beloved to heaven, turning her into a bear. This is how the constellation Ursa Major came about. The little dog Callisto became Ursa Minor.

Zodiacal constellations of the Solar System: names

The most famous constellations for humanity today are the zodiacal ones. Those that meet on the path of our Sun during its annual journey (ecliptic) have long been considered as such. This is a fairly wide strip of celestial space, divided into twelve segments.

Name of constellations:

  1. Aries;
  2. Taurus;
  3. Twins;
  4. Virgo;
  5. Capricorn;
  6. Aquarius;
  7. Fish;
  8. Scales;
  9. Scorpion;
  10. Sagittarius;
  11. Ophiuchus.

As you can see, unlike the signs of the Zodiac, there is one more constellation here - the thirteenth. This happened because the shape of celestial bodies changes over time. The Zodiac signs were formed quite a long time ago, when the sky map was slightly different. Today, the position of the stars has undergone some changes. Thus, another constellation appeared on the path of the Sun - Ophiuchus. In its order, it stands just after Scorpio.

The spring equinox is considered to be the starting point of the solar journey. At this moment, our luminary passes along the celestial equator, and day becomes equal to night (there is also the opposite point - autumn).

Constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor

One of the most famous constellations in our sky is Ursa Major and its companion, Ursa Minor. But why did it happen that not the most demanding constellation became so important? The fact is that the Ursa Minor cluster of celestial bodies contains the Polar Star, which was a guiding star for many generations of sailors, and remains so today.

This is due to its practical immobility. It is located near the North Pole, and the rest of the stars in the sky revolve around it. This feature of it was noticed by our ancestors, which is reflected in its name among different nations(Golden Stake, Heavenly Stake, Northern Star, etc.).

Of course, there are other main objects in this constellation of the starry sky, the names of which are listed below:

  • Kohab (Beta);
  • Ferhad (Gamma);
  • Delta;
  • Epsilon;
  • Zeta;

If we talk about the Big Dipper, then it more clearly resembles a ladle in shape than its small counterpart. According to estimates, with the naked eye alone there are about one hundred and twenty-five stars in the constellation. However, there are seven main ones:

  • Dubhe (Alpha);
  • Merak (Beta);
  • Phekda (Gamma);
  • Megrets (Delta);
  • Alioth (Epsilon);
  • Mizar (Zeta);
  • Benetnash (Eta).

Ursa Major has nebulae and galaxies, as do numerous other star constellations. Their names are presented below:

  • Spiral galaxy M81;
  • Owl Nebula;
  • Spiral Galaxy "Column Wheel"
  • Barred spiral galaxy M109.

The most amazing stars

Of course, our sky has quite remarkable constellations (photos and names of some are presented in the article). However, besides them, there are other amazing stars. For example, in the constellation Canis Major, which is considered ancient, since our ancestors knew about it, there is the star Sirius. There are many legends and myths associated with it. In Ancient Egypt, they very carefully monitored the movement of this star; there are even suggestions by some scientists that the African pyramids are aimed at it with their tip.

Today, Sirius is one of the stars closest to Earth. Its characteristics exceed those of the sun twice as much. It is believed that if Sirius were in the place of our star, then life on the planet in the form it is now would hardly be possible. With such intense heat, all the surface oceans would boil away.

A rather interesting star that can be seen in the Antarctic sky is Alpha Centauri. This is the closest similar star to Earth. According to its structure, this body contains three stars, two of which may well have terrestrial planets. The third, Proxima Centauri, according to all calculations, cannot have such properties, since it is quite small and cold.

Major and minor constellations

It should be noted that today there are fixed large and small constellations. Photos and their names will be presented below. One of the largest can be safely called Hydra. This constellation covers an area of ​​the starry sky of 1302.84 square degrees. Obviously, this is why it received such a name; in appearance, it resembles a thin and long strip that occupies a quarter of the stellar space. The main place where Hydra is located is south of the celestial equator line.

Hydra is quite dim in its star composition. It includes only two worthy objects that stand out significantly in the sky - Alphard and Gamma Hydra. You can also note an open cluster called M48. The second largest constellation belongs to Virgo, which is slightly inferior in size. Therefore, the representative of the space community described below is truly small.

So, the smallest constellation in the sky is the Southern Cross, which is located in the Southern Hemisphere. It is considered an analogue of the Big Dipper in the North. Its area is sixty-eight square degrees. According to ancient astronomical chronicles, it used to be part of Centauri, and only in 1589 it was separated separately. In the Southern Cross, about thirty stars are visible even to the naked eye.

In addition, the constellation contains a dark nebula called the Coalsack. It is interesting because star formation processes can occur in it. Another unusual object is the open cluster of celestial bodies - NGC 4755.

Seasonal constellations

It should also be noted that the name of the constellations in the sky changes depending on the time of year. For example, in summer the following are clearly visible:

  • Lyra;
  • Eagle;
  • Hercules;
  • Snake;
  • Chanterelle;
  • Dolphin et al.

The winter sky is characterized by other constellations. For example:

  • Great Dog;
  • Small Dog;
  • Auriga;
  • Unicorn;
  • Eridan and others

The autumn sky is the following constellations:

  • Pegasus;
  • Andromeda;
  • Perseus;
  • Triangle;
  • Keith et al.

And the following constellations open the spring sky:

  • Little Leo;
  • Crow;
  • Bowl;
  • Hounds Dogs, etc.

Constellations of the northern hemisphere

Each hemisphere of the Earth has its own celestial objects. The names of the stars and the constellations they belong to are quite different. So, let's look at which of them are typical for the northern hemisphere:

  • Andromeda;
  • Auriga;
  • Twins;
  • Veronica's hair;
  • Giraffe;
  • Cassiopeia;
  • Northern Crown and others.

Southern Hemisphere Constellations

The names of the stars and the constellations they belong to are also different for the southern hemisphere. Let's look at some of them:

  • Crow;
  • Altar;
  • Peacock;
  • Octant;
  • Bowl;
  • Phoenix;
  • Centaurus;
  • Chameleon and others.

Truly, all the constellations in the sky and their names (photo below) are quite unique. Many have their own special history, beautiful legend or unusual objects. The latter include the constellations Dorado and Toucan. The first contains the Large Magellanic Cloud, and the second contains the Small Magellanic Cloud. These two objects are truly amazing.

The Big Cloud is very similar in appearance to a Segner wheel, and the Small Cloud is very similar to a punching bag. They are quite large in terms of their area in the sky, and observers note their similarity to the Milky Way (although in actual size they are much smaller). They seem to be a part of him that separated in the process. However, in their composition they are very similar to our galaxy, moreover, the Clouds are the star systems closest to us.

The amazing factor is that our galaxy and the Clouds can rotate around the same center of gravity, which forms a triple star system. True, each of this trinity has its own star clusters, nebulae and other space objects.

Conclusion

So, as you can see, the names of the constellations are quite varied and unique. Each of them has its own interesting objects, stars. Of course, today we do not know even half of all the secrets of the cosmic order, but there is hope for the future. The human mind is quite inquisitive, and if we do not die in global catastrophe, that is, the possibility of conquering and exploring space, building new and more powerful instruments and ships to obtain knowledge. In this case, we will not only know the name of the constellations, but also comprehend much more.

Constellations - These are areas of the sky into which the celestial sphere is distributed in order to conveniently navigate the starry sky. In ancient times, constellations were various kinds of figures that were formed by bright stars, often these were the names of heroes of Greek mythology. Our entire starry sky is divided into 88 constellations, which were recorded by the International Astronomical Union in 1930. To date, the names of these constellations have been decided to be considered unchanged, as well as other names of bright stars. Some famous astronomers named discovered stars after themselves, but such names were never officially recognized. There are some companies that sell so-called “certificates” for naming the name of the star you like. So if you think what to give your girlfriend on March 8 or Valentine's Day then give her a “star in the sky.”

Constellations are rightfully considered reminders of the ancient culture of mankind, its myths and its first interest in celestial bodies. They help historians, astronomers and mythologists very well to understand the way of life and thinking of ancient people. Today, constellations help bright minds in astronomy navigate the sky and quickly determine the positions of various kinds of objects.

The most famous and most noticeable constellations of the zodiac signs

Orion constellations

Location of stars and constellations

Content:

There is probably no such person who would not peer into the night sky. It is simply mesmerizing, thousands of stars twinkle and glow: some are barely noticeable, others stand out brightly against a dark background. One involuntarily thinks that at this time many other people are looking at the twinkling of the same stars. After all, they are located so far from the earth that they can be seen from all places on the globe.

Long ago, in the old days, people very often turned to the stars for help: they found their way home, determined the time of planting, set the weather for tomorrow, and even told fortunes.

These are areas in the sky that are visually divided into border segments, for the convenience of astrologers, and even the inhabitants themselves. Even in the ancient world, constellations were the name given to bright areas of stars, visually connecting them to form star images.

The Union of Astrologers from various countries officially legalized 88 constellations. It is considered interesting that they were adopted in 1930, of which 48 are known since the time of Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD.

The names were given due to the fact that they appearance closely associated with the images of true or fictitious representatives of the fauna (Ursa Major, Lion, Dragon, etc.), with famous characters from Greek legends (Andromeda, Perseus, etc.), with the names of certain object objects that clearly defined the lines of connections of shining stars (Libra, Crown, Southern Cross, etc.).

Only 58 known star clusters contain the brightest stars (alphas) ​​that have names.

In 13 star figures, the shining lights are called beta, the rest are identified only by Greek alphabetic letters.

The largest is Hydra, its size is determined at 1303 degrees squared. And the smallest of them have the stellar composition of the Southern Cross; they have 68 square degrees.

The most known to everyone since childhood is the Big Dipper (otherwise called the Big Dipper). She is visible from various places earth, its dimensions are slightly smaller than those of Hydra, they are determined at 1280 degrees.

Big Dipper

Refers to the constellation of the celestial hemisphere on the northern side. The stars present on it (there are 7 of them) form the most famous image in the sky. Visually, a certain scoop is immediately noticeable; two of their luminaries on the extreme side, Dubhe and Merak, indicate the direction towards the familiar Polaris star. The most picturesque of them is Aliot, and the most famous is the Mizar (double) system. There is an opinion that anyone who clearly sees and distinguishes these two stars has excellent vision.

In the location of the Bucket, 2 galaxies (spiral type) are observed: M81 and M101. They can be clearly seen even with an amateur telescope.

M81 is significant in that it is very similar to our Galaxy. Not far from it is the small Galaxy M82, where a huge explosion occurred many years ago (millions). Modern astrologers are interested in this event, because little by little it clarifies the history of the emergence and development of galactic systems.

On the territory allocated to this image, there is an even more interesting cosmic image - “Owl”. She received her name for her strong resemblance to her. It can be seen without problems in telescopic equipment of low power.

As described above, there are 2 galactic systems in the constellation.

  • M81 is a stunning Sb galactic spiral with a brightness of 6.9m. Together with it is M82, a system of asymmetrical configuration and, compared to its neighbor, the weakest. Since Galaxy M81 is the strongest, it deforms its neighbor with its gravity.

Hubble's space equipment makes it possible to thoroughly study 32 non-permanent objects. Using the data obtained, it was possible to find out the distance to the Galaxy - it is 11 million light years.

  • M101 – Sc type galaxy with a brightness of 7.9 m. If you observe from small telescopes, you can clearly see its central part. Looking at the photographs taken with the largest devices, you can see that it is not symmetrical. The core is as far away from the disk middle as possible. The range to M101 is determined with the assistance of Cepheids by the Hubble telescopic equipment and is summed up at approximately 24 million light years. years.

Historical studies

In 1603 there was a discovery historical significance. An astrologer from Germany, Johann Bayer, produced his cosmic atlas “Uranometry,” which maximally clarified the location of stellar objects in the sky. They originally designated the stars with letters Greek alphabet, this also included all 7 stellar components of the Big Dipper according to the direction of the pattern with west side to the east. At the same time, Bayer made its own adjustments to the rules, according to which stellar brightness must correspond to the Greek alphabet. The most radiant of them is Alpha, the next in line is Beta, etc. The fundamental rules for the atlas were the information collected over the years by the scientist Tycho Brahe.

Ursa Major is one of the most popular and famous space objects, which is familiar to almost every person from childhood. It bears strong resemblances to a shining, mesmerizing bucket, which can be beautifully beheld without any effort from anywhere in the world and throughout the year. It is located close to the North Pole and is classified among the latitudes of the north of clusters of stellar objects that do not set. This cluster of stars is named after the nymph Callisto.

Observations

The bear is classified as one of the group of space objects whose location is widely known and familiar to everyone. Indeed, people become familiar with it almost first of all, due to the fact that the bear’s ladle has a rather unique shape in its appearance.

On the eastern side of it are perfectly visible Perseus and Cassiopeia (mythical characters). The Giraffe located next door does not have bright lights; it is quite problematic to navigate along it. Bootes and his shining star Arcturus, located from the southeast, appear to be running after the she-bear.

The most convenient time for visibility is spring (March and April). The star cluster can be perfectly observed from all regions of Russia.

Mythology

Since ancient times there has been a beautiful and beautiful story origin of the constellation. According to ancient legends, the ever-young goddess of the hunt, Artemis, walked with a spear and sharp arrows along mountain slopes and forests in pursuit of prey. She was accompanied by her faithful serving girls. They were all amazingly beautiful, one better than the second one, but the most beautiful and charming among them was a young girl named Callisto. Zeus (Jupiter in myths) noticed the young beauty and was struck by her grace and youth. But the surrounding girls were strictly forbidden to enter into marriage relationships and start families. However, Zeus came up with a cunning plan and took possession of the wonderful girl, taking the form of Artemis. Callisto had a wonderful son from Zeus, and they named him Arkadam, who grew up simply rapidly and turned into a beautiful and dexterous young man.

Zeus's wife Hera was very jealous and, having learned that her husband was cheating on her, she sent a lot of curses on her rival and turned her into a huge and unsightly bear.

A short amount of time later, Arkad's son came across her while hunting and shot an arrow at her, not knowing that she was his mother. At this time, Zeus, zealously protecting his beloved from all misfortunes, was able to deflect the deadly arrow at the decisive moment.

After the events that took place, Zeus turned his son into a small bear cub and placed him and his mother in outer space. So they remained to shine in the sky with two constellations - the Little and the Great Bear. Not a single day passes without at least one person turning his gaze upward and peering into the starry expanse in search of these famous images.

The Big Dipper rotates around the pole and once a day, descends to the smooth surface of the sea to drink and quench its thirst. Having drunk plenty of clean water, she rises up again, attracting admiring human gazes.

Ursa Minor

Many different mythical stories and legends are associated with the appearance of this image. The small bucket is a small space image that is perfectly placed in the north side. Since ancient times, it was given an affectionate name - “little bear”. He was recognized by astrologers back in the 2nd century by a Greek astronomer.

As a rule, the Little Dipper is depicted as a small bear cub with a large tail. There is an opinion that the tail is long because the baby uses it to cling to the earth's pole.

The seven brightest stars in this cosmic figure form the shape of a scoop; at the end of the handle is the North Star. This is a multi-star texture and is located approximately at 430 sv. years from the globe.

This luminary is the most popular and has excellent fame in many areas. It is considered a navigation star; because of its bright light and specific location, lost sailors or hunters find their way home.

The Bedouins gave it the name “goat” and use it perfectly for night wanderings (the second star for orientation is the star Canopus).

Finding a constellation in the sky is quite easy. Its stellar neighbors are Giraffe, Cepheus and Draco. However, to find Ursa Minor, it is enough to know the location of Ursa Major. You need to find two of its stars located on the edge, count five distances between them and you can discover the North Star. This is where the beginning of the “handle” begins, which is much smaller compared to a large ladle. It is not as bright as its older sister, but is clearly visible in the starry sky. In the Northern Hemisphere you can see it all year round.

The pole is considered to be the center of the celestial sphere, which to the average person on earth seems motionless, but at this time all the stars revolve around. If there is a bright shining star nearby, then it can be a landmark; its placement depends on the time of day. Depending on the earth's movements, this point is always moving, but on a secular scale it is almost impossible to notice this. Today, the North Star is located closest to the pole. In angular calculations, it moves away from it by 40 arc minutes.

Major and minor constellations

Today, astronomers have recorded various constellations, large and small in size.

One of the larger size list is Hydra. It occupies a significant volume of the sky and is calculated at 1302.84 degrees squared. So, thanks to its size, it got its name. It is a thin and very long line, occupying a quarter of the entire celestial space. The main location of Hydra is the southern side along the equator. In terms of its characteristic stellar composition, the constellation is relatively dim. It includes only two shining luminaries that can be easily seen in the sky: Alphard and Gamma Hydra.

In addition, there is also a scattered cosmic concentration, called M48.

The next largest place in terms of size belongs to Virgo. In terms of its volume, it has minor differences from Hydra.

The Southern Cross is considered to be one of the small ones in the starry sky. It is located in the southern hemisphere. It is recognized as a similarity to the Big Dipper from the north. Its volume is 68 0. According to ancient astrologers, in the past it was an integral part of Centauri. However, in 1589 this constellation was recognized as separate. In the stellar cross-content, even with an untrained eye, about 30 stellar units can be observed. In addition, there is a darkened nebula called the Coal Sack. It is significant for the fact that it has the ability to independently form stars.

Unique constellations

All figures in the starry sky and their original names are unique. Almost everyone has their own unique legend of education; extraordinary luminaries are included in the space community. It is possible to add to them the cosmic images of the Toucan and the Golden Fish. In the latter star cluster there is a Megellanic cloud of enormous size, while in the former it is small in volume. They are truly unique.

The Large Cloud in its appearance resembles a Segner circle, and the Small Cloud resembles a boxer’s projectile. In terms of their occupied territory in the sky, they are very large. Astronomy lovers notice their maximum relationship with the Milky Way. Of course, in actual dimensions they are much smaller than the famous star track. They appear to be the composition of the Milky Way, only slightly moved to the side. It is worth noting that in their content they are very similar to our Galaxy, and the constellation clouds are the stars closest to Earth.

A significant factor is that cloud clusters and our galactic system together revolve around the same axis and this forms a triple system of stars. It is worth noting that each of this stellar trinity contains a stellar concentration, nebula and other space objects.

Twins


This figure is clearly visible from all parts of our country, because it soars quite high above the horizon. In the night sky it clearly appears in a peculiar shape. On the north-eastern side of Orion, even with an untrained eye you can see 2 lines parallel to each other and the Gemini star string, however, the “parachute projectile” of Auriga can be seen on the north-western side. Some of the best times to view this unique cosmic figure are the first two winter months.

The sun sets on the Brethren's territorial domain on the twenty-first of June.

People have known Gemini since ancient times. During a cloudless night in the sky in this flickering concentration, you can safely see about 70 figures along the star contours. The most brilliant of them are Castor and Pollux.

Castor is a system of maximum complexity, including 6 stellar objects, its distance from the Solar system is 45 years. in the light dimension.

Pollux has maximum dimensions and burns with the brightest yellow fire, is much cooler than its counterpart and is located at a distance of 35 years from the Solar system (in the light dimension). It is noted that its brightness is 35 times greater than the light emanating from the Sun.

These luminaries are recognized as the main ones, they are approximately located in relation to each other, and since ancient times people began to consider them relatives, look alike brothers who are united by strong and selfless relationships.

In ancient Babylon they were also personified as two inseparable brothers and they were even given the name “shepherd and warrior.” People were sure that they were providing assistance to sailors, and in Sparta they believed that they were patronizing gymnasts.

Legend

Since ancient times, there has been a beautiful legend about selfless brotherly friendship. The king of Sparta, Tyndareus, had a beautiful wife named Leda. She was very beautiful, she was stunning with her appearance and grace. Zeus could not resist her charms either. But he was married to Hera, and she, in turn, patronized marriage relationships and protected all women during the birth of children. Then Zeus, in order not to be exposed, took the form of a beautiful slender bird and rushed to his beloved. They had mutual love, as a result of which 2 children were born - a son, Pollux, and a daughter, Elena (because of her, famous war in Troy).

From her legal husband Tyndareus, Leda had more children: son Castor and daughter Clytemnestra.

Zeus bestowed eternal life on his blood heir Pollux, and his maternal half-brother Castor was an ordinary person. The brothers grew up, gained fame, and even participated in historical journey for the golden fleece. They were close all the time, never separated, and even decided to make their own sisters their spouses. To achieve this goal, they stole his two daughters from the ruler Leucippus, but this act did not go well for them without compensation.

As a result, as the parable goes, Castor accepted death at the hands of his own relative. Then Pollux, in order to always be with his beloved brother, persuaded his father to remove immortality from him. Zeus, although he categorically did not want this, gave in to his son’s pleas and the brothers began to live in the underground kingdom. However, Zeus, so that people would always remember the sincere friendship of the two brothers, wrapped them in shining stars. And in Greece they were revered as human intercessors.

The image of the cosmic Canis Major

From Russian locations it is best to monitor him in winter time(December, January). However, in the northern regions it is not visible all the time. It can be easily found if you navigate using Orion. The stars (3 pcs.), located on the sash, are directed to the southeast side, towards the location of Sirius. Making a mistake is quite problematic, because... it shines quite brightly. The dog is clearly visible in the cold season; it is located quite close to the southern horizon. The constellation crosses the meridian at midnight, precisely at last days December and first January. However, here we are talking about the usual coincidence, Sirius crosses the main line of the south at New Year, exactly at midnight.

In addition, it is generally accepted that thanks to Sirius, residents of the North could thoroughly enjoy the Indian summer, in the autumn month of September. This is explained simply: at this time, Sirius is parallel to the Sun, and its bright light prolongs the beautiful autumn days.

Sirius is the brightest among all. This star is closest to the Earth, the seventh in a row in terms of distance from the Sun.

It is considered one of the ancient selections of stars. According to the existing parable, the Dog is the living creature of Orion.

Mythology

There has long been a legend about how Virgo, Bootes and Canis Major united with each other. The god of wine, Dionysus, walked across the earth. He visited all the places where people lived, treated them to wine and taught them how to grow grapes and make wine from them. A cheerful and noisy company visited all places, people greeted them hospitably. God generously rewarded everyone who joyfully hosted him, and so Icarius turned out to be. He generously received guests in his hospitable home. In parting, Dionysus left a vine for the friendly owner and explained how to use it. Over time, Icarius grew a beautiful plant and began to treat everyone with wine. One evening, he decided to give the shepherds a taste of the wine, who, having not tasted it before, concluded that it was poisoning. They killed him, took his body to distant mountain ranges and buried him in a crevice.

The daughter of Ikarius, named Erigona, spent a long time searching for her missing parent. One day she went on a search, taking her dog Myra with her. The dog showed her the mountainous places where they found their dead father. Full of grief and despair, the girl committed suicide next to the corpse of her father.

The god of wine Dionysus turned all three, father, daughter and their dog, into constellations and placed them in the sky. From that time on, they remained in the starry expanses, and people gave them names - Bootes, Virgo and Canis Major.

Libra is a star cluster considered to be of little interest. There are no bright lights in it, and from those present it is quite difficult to form a figure image reminiscent of scales. The only star that can be seen with the naked eye is located at the bottom on the right side, it has a slightly greenish tint. The first time it was mentioned was BC in the 1st century. To create it, a part of another constellation, Scorpio, was borrowed. The Romans called him Libra in initial period new era.

Due to the fact that changes often occurred in connection with the name, its appearance was formed much later than the others. Initially, it was represented in the form of an altar, then it was seen as a lamp, which Scorpio clamped in his huge claws, only after he unclenched them, a new heavenly appearance was born in the sky - Libra.

If the figure of Libra appeared in the northern regions, this meant for people that it was time for sowing. In Egypt, on the contrary, identification meant doing the harvest for now.

In Greece lived the fair goddess Astraea, who used scales to decide people's destinies. One of the legends says that the appearance of scales in the sky signaled that people should live strictly observing the laws.

Astraea's parents were Zeus and Themis (goddess of justice), on whose orders she made fair decisions. She did this in the following way: she blindfolded herself, took equal scales in her hands in order to make impartial decisions, help innocent victims, and severely punish thieves and deceivers. Zeus decided that his daughter's instrument of justice should be placed in the starry sky as a symbol of honesty.

Myths associated with Libra

There are many legends and stories about Libra. According to one of many, the emperor ancient Rome Augustus had a very fair and honest character. He cared about people and did legal and fair things for them. His grateful subjects decided that the name of their ruler would live forever, and placed a constellation in the sky, which received a simple and significant name - Libra. They found a place for him in the gap between Scorpio and Virgo. To carry out their plan, they needed to take away some spatial part from Scorpio. Thanks to this, Libra appeared in the sky, which still reminds us of Augustus as the most honest and just ruler.

According to other legendary events, Themis and Zeus strictly monitored the rule of law on the mountain of the gods. Themis steadily ensured that justice and honesty reigned everywhere. According to legend, Themis sat in the chair of Zeus and maintained strict control over lawlessness. She was actively assisted by her daughters - in translation their names meant Justice, Legality and Peace. Themis monitored human behavior and informed Zeus about all unjust acts discovered.

Sometimes she herself descended from her throne to people and walked through the whole world, holding scales in her hands. They were magical and measured human actions, dividing them into just and lawless. If violations of the law were discovered, then Themis appeared in front of people with a ball, with which she pierced the hearts of cruel, evil and deceitful people.

According to legend, Zeus wrapped the scales in a star image and placed them in the endless sky as a symbol of justice.

Aquarius

This figure is located between Slaves and Capricorn and is recognized as one of the ancients. The dazzling star is called Sadalsuud, which means “the happiest of the happy”.

You can observe it in the regions of Russia, from the central and southern sides, but finding it in a sky full of stars is quite problematic. The most favorable time for this is considered to be August and September. Representatives of Greece and the Arabs had completely different names for the constellation, but they meant one thing - melting in the ice.

The name goes very far back to its homeland global flood, these are the territories of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. In astrological records, rivers flow from a huge vessel in the hands of Aquarius. The eleventh month is called the curse of water. According to the Sumerians, the constellation was located in the very center of the celestial sea and therefore always indicated future rains. It has always been compared to God, who warned the people about the upcoming flood.

In Egypt, Aquarius in the celestial territory could only be observed when the water level in the Nile reached its maximum level. There was a belief that during this period the god of water turned a huge vessel of water towards the Nile.

Auriga

It is located near the polar region of the sky. People have known it since ancient times. The most shining star in it is considered to be Capella - forked, yellow. Due to the fact that it has a yellow color, it was recognized as an analogue of the Sun. Upon thorough examination, it was found that there is a similarity with him yellow and temperature. There are many different stories and legends about this constellation, however, in all atlases and maps it is constant and is depicted in the form of Auriga, with a goat sitting on his shoulder, and holding two kids in his hand. But we should not forget that in ancient times people saw him as a man tending a herd, where two kids and their mother goat were walking.

As for the goat, which was placed on his powerful shoulder, it was believed that it was she who fed Zeus with milk and he, in turn, who became a god, did not forget about her and placed her in the sky in the form of a bright and beautiful star.

Each constellation has its own history of origin and an interesting, fascinating and beautiful myth.

Constellations have accompanied people since ancient times: they were used to navigate the road, plan household work, and tell fortunes. Today people depend less on celestial bodies, but their study does not stop. continue to appear and amaze astronomy lovers.

  1. Previously, constellations were considered figures that form stars, but today they are areas celestial sphere with conventional boundaries and all celestial bodies on their territory. In 1930, the number of constellations was fixed at 88, of which 47 were described before our era, but the names and titles given to star figures in ancient times are still used today.
  2. The southern side of the sky began to be carefully studied with the beginning of the Great geographical discoveries, but the northern one was not ignored either. By the end of the 17th century, atlases of the starry sky were published with descriptions of 22 new constellations. The Triangle, Indian, Bird of Paradise appeared on the sky map of the southern hemisphere; Giraffe, Shield, Sextant and other figures were highlighted above the northern side. The last figures to be formed were above South Pole earth and their names often contain the names of various devices - Clock, Pump, Telescope, Compass, Compass.

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  3. In the list of Claudius Ptolemy, an astronomer of the 2nd century BC, there are 48 names of constellations, 47 of them have survived to this day. The lost cluster was called the Ship or Argo (the ship of the Hellas hero Jason, who mined Golden Fleece). In the 18th century, the Ship was divided into 4 smaller figures - Stern, Keel, Sail, Compass. On ancient star maps, the place of the Compass was taken by a mast.

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  4. The static nature of stars is deceptive - without special instruments it is impossible to detect their movement relative to each other. Changes in location would become noticeable if a person had the opportunity to see the constellations after at least 26 thousand years.

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  5. There are usually 12 zodiac signs - this distinction occurred more than 4.5 thousand years ago in Ancient Egypt. Today, astronomers have calculated that in the period from November 27 to December 17, another zodiac constellation, Ophiuchus, rises on the horizon.

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  6. Hydra is considered the largest of the star figures, it occupies 3.16% of the starry sky and stretches in a long strip across a quarter of the sky, located in the northern and southern hemispheres.

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  7. The brightest stars in the northern hemisphere belong to Orion, 209 of them are visible to the naked eye. The most interesting space objects in this part of the sky are the “Orion Belt” and the Orion Nebula.
  8. The most bright constellation southern sky and the smallest among all existing clusters - the Southern Cross. Its four stars were used by sailors for orientation for several thousand years; the Romans called them the “Throne of the Emperor,” but the Cross was registered as an independent constellation only in 1589.
  9. Closest to solar system constellation – Pleiades, the flight to it is only 410 light years. The Pleiades consists of 3000 stars, among which 9 are especially bright. Scientists find their images on objects in different parts of the world, since many peoples in ancient times fervently revered the Pleiades.

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  10. The least bright constellation is Table Mountain. It is located far in the south, in the region of Antarctica, and consists of 24 stars, the brightest of which reach only the fifth magnitude.

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  11. The closest star to the Sun, Proxima, is located in the constellation Centaurus, but after 9 thousand years it will be replaced by Barnard's star from the constellation Ophiuchus. The distance from the Sun to Proxima is 4.2 light years, from Barnard's star - 6 light years.

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  12. The most ancient map constellations dates back to the 2nd century BC. Created by Hipparchus of Nicaea, it became the basis for the work of astronomers of later times.

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  13. Some astronomers tried to divide large constellations in order to get new ones, give them their own names, usually associated with the names of rulers and generals, and become famous. The clergy tried to replace pagan names with the names of saints. But these ideas did not take root, and except for the Shield, which was previously called the “Shield of Jan Sobieski”, in honor of the Polish military leader, none of the names survived.
  14. WITH ancient Rus' The characteristic dipper of the Big Dipper was associated with a horse. In the old days it was called “The Frozen Horse”, and Ursa Minor were not considered a separate constellation - its stars formed a “rope” with which the horse was “tied” to North Star- just for fun.

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  15. Star figures adorn the flags of New Zealand and Alaska. The four-star Southern Cross was adopted as part of the flag of Zealand in 1902. Alaska's flags feature the Big Dipper and the North Star.

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