Names of constellations and stars that can be seen. Names of constellations and proper names of stars

Watching the stars, it seems that they are all chaotically scattered across the sky and do not correspond to their names at all. What guided astronomers when singling them out into constellations and giving them names? We'll figure out.

Small Lions and large Hydras

The stars we see from earth may be millions of light years away from each other, but it seems to us that they are very close and fold into a certain figure– cross, crown, triangle... The first constellations were identified a long time ago, about five thousand years ago. It all started with the fact that people noticed that the sky was not randomly dotted with sparkling dots, that every night the same stars with familiar outlines appeared from behind the horizon. In fact, the constellations we know are very different from how the ancients imagined them.

In the era of the Ancient World and the Middle Ages, people identified only groups of the brightest stars. It often happened that dim and inconspicuous stars were not included in any constellations.

Only in the XVI-XVII centuries. they were included in star atlases. Even ancient astronomers mentioned several stars above the bright constellation Leo, but only in 1690 the Pole Jan Hevelius gave them a name and called them “Little Leo”. In 1922, at the First Assembly of the International Astronomical Union, the sky was divided into 88 sectors, according to the number of recognized constellations. Of these, about fifty were known to the ancient Greeks, and the names of the rest appeared later, when the stars of the Southern Hemisphere were discovered.

Modern constellations are not the figures of lions and unicorns: the sky is divided into conventional areas, between which precise boundaries are drawn; the brightest stars are designated by Greek letters (Alpha, Beta, Gamma...). The largest constellation by area is Hydra; it occupies 3.16 percent of the sky, the smallest being the Southern Cross.

There are also “unofficial” constellations - bright stars inside other constellations that have their own name (sometimes called “asterisms”) - for example, Orion’s Belt inside the constellation Orion or the Northern Cross in the constellation Cygnus.

If an ancient astronomer had looked at the current map of constellations, he would hardly have been able to understand anything about it.

Over centuries and millennia, the stars have changed their position greatly.

So, for example, the large star Sirius from the Canis Constellation changed its location by four diameters of the Moon, the star Arcturus in the constellation Bootes moved even further - by eight diameters of the Moon, and many even moved to another constellation. Any constellations are very arbitrary; they include luminaries from different areas of outer space, different distances from the Earth, different brightnesses, which accidentally find themselves in the same part of the sky. Nothing more unites the stars of the same constellation, except that from Earth we see them in the same part of the sky.

In 1952, American children's writer and amateur astronomer H.A. Ray came up with new shapes for the constellations. He guessed to connect the most noticeable stars with lines into simple figures that corresponded to the name of the constellation. Sometimes Ray's diagrams look strange or funny (for example, why in the constellation Virgo the brightest star, Spica, was somewhere below Virgo's back?), but the figure of a girl in a short skirt is easier to remember and then see in the sky than just a dozen lines.

Ancient hunt

What people see in the sky is directly related to their material culture. Thus, many peoples see Ursa Major as hunters and prey. In this constellation, next to the star Mizar, there is a tiny star - Alcor. Many tribes of North American Indians and the peoples of Siberia believed that Alcor was a kettle for cooking meat.

The Iroquois said that one day six hunters went after a bear. One pretended to be sick, and the others carried him on a stretcher; a man with a bowler hat walked behind. When the tired hunters saw the bear, the cunning man jumped off the stretcher and was the first to catch up with the beast. They all ended up in heaven; That’s why the leaves turn red in the fall—bear’s blood drips from the sky onto them.

The Khanty, Kets and Evenks know similar stories in Siberia. The Mohawk Indians consider the dipper of the Big Dipper to be a bear, and the stars in the “handle” of the dipper to be hunters with a dog (Alcor). Alcor and many other peoples – Ukrainians, Estonians, Basques – consider Alcor to be a dog or a wolf.

The ancient Greek astronomer Arat wrote that Ursa Major and Ursa Minor - Gelika and Kinosura - were she-bears who nursed the god Zeus with their milk. According to other versions, Ursa Major was once the lover of Zeus and her name was Callisto; Zeus turned her into a bear and took her to heaven.

Orion - a hunchbacked hunter with a large sword

Three bright stars - Orion's belt - are easy to spot in the sky. Orion is known to almost all peoples of the world. Usually in this constellation they see not only the belt, but also the sword, shield and club of Orion.

Among the Greeks, Orion was a hunter who haunted the seven Pleiades sisters, daughters of the titan Atlas and the nymph Pleione. Orion boasted that he could kill all the animals on earth; Frightened, Mother Earth sent a scorpion to him, which bit him and the hunter died. Orion, Scorpio, and the Pleiades appeared in the sky and became constellations.

The Australians believed that Orion was an old man who chased his seven sisters and drowned them when they rejected him. But the Chukchi thought that Orion’s belt was his back. It turns out that Orion was married, and his wife did not like him pestering the Pleiades. The wife hit Orion on the back with a board; after that he became hunchbacked. The Pleiades rejected the hunchback. He tried to kill them, but missed: the star Aldebaran is his arrow. By the way, both the Chukchi and the peoples of the Sahara believe that the sword of Orion is not a sword at all, but part of the body of a loving hunter.

In addition to Scorpio, thanks to Orion, the constellations included the hunting Dog (the constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor), as well as the Hare: “Below both feet of Orion, the Hare rotates, chased day and night,” wrote Arat.

"Animal Circle"

The most famous constellations are the 12 constellations located along the path along which the Sun, Moon and planets move. The Greeks called this orbit the zodiac, which literally means “beast circle.”

The Greco-Roman zodiac known to us came from Babylonia, but in ancient times it was a little different: there was no Libra (this group of stars was considered the claws of Scorpio) and the circle of the zodiac began not with Aries, but with Cancer - the days associated with this sign fall summer solstice.

The ancient Sumerians called Aries the “Mercenary” (“Penor”). This rural worker began to be identified with the shepherd god Dumuzi, and from here it is not far to the ram-Aries. The Greeks believed that this was the same ram that had a magical skin - the golden fleece. As for Taurus, both the Sumerians and the Greeks saw only half a bull in the sky. According to myth, the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh rejected the love of the goddess Inanna; she sent the monstrous bull Gugalanna to attack him. Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu killed the bull, and Enkidu tore off its hind legs. Therefore, only the front part of the bull was in the sky.

In the constellation Gemini, two bright stars shine: the ancient Greeks considered them twins - Castor and Polydeuces (Pollux in Latin). They were the brothers of Helen of Troy and the sons of Leda, and the father of Polydeuces was Zeus, and Castor was a mortal. When Castor died, Polydeuces persuaded Zeus to allow his brother to return from the kingdom of the dead and grant him immortality. In ancient Mesopotamia, the Gemini people were believed to be called Lugalgir (Great King) and Meslamtaea (He who returned from the underworld). Sometimes they were identified with the moon god Sin and the god of the underworld Nergal.

The Greeks considered the constellation Cancer to be a monster cancer that attacked Hercules; in Babylon it was called the Crab, and the ancient Egyptians called it a sacred scarab. In the constellation Leo, the Babylonians distinguished the Breast, Thigh and even Hind Paw(now this is the star Zaviyava, or Beta Virgo). In Greece it was the Nemean lion that Hercules killed.

The Heavenly Maiden was considered Rhea, the wife of Kronos (Saturn) or the goddess Astraea - the defender of goodness and truth. In ancient Mesopotamia, the Virgin was called the Furrow.

The patroness of this constellation was the goddess Shala, who was depicted with an ear of corn in her hand: the star, now called Gamma Virgo, was considered by the Babylonians to be the Ear of Barley. The Greeks did not know the constellation Libra in ancient times, but the Babylonians did; Libra in Mesopotamia was considered the patron of justice and called this constellation “Judgment.”

Scorpio, the killer of Orion, was revered and feared in Mesopotamia. In the constellation Scorpio, the Babylonians distinguished the Tail, Sting, Head, Chest and even the Navel of Scorpio. In the constellation Sagittarius, the Greeks saw a centaur, and the Sumerians called Sagittarius Pabilsag - “Priest” or “Elder”. Pabilsag was one of the oldest Sumerian gods; The Assyrians depicted him as a winged centaur with two heads - a man and a lion, and two tails (a horse and a scorpion).

The Greeks considered Capricorn to be the harmless goat Amalthea, who fed Zeus with her milk. In antiquity, the constellation Aquarius was associated with the global flood and with the hero Deucalion, who survived the catastrophe. Among the Sumerians, Aquarius was a good river god named Gula (“Giant”); then he was also called Lahmu (“Hairy”). He was depicted as a naked, hairy giant, from whose shoulders flowed streams of water full of fish.

The Greeks depicted fish in the form of two fish connected with a rope: they say that one day the goddess of love Aphrodite and her son Eros walked along the river. The monster Typhon chased after them. Aphrodite and Eros jumped into the river, turned into fish and at the same time tied themselves with a rope so as not to get lost. In Mesopotamia, it was believed that one fish in this constellation was a flying one (it was also called the Swallow-Fish), and the other was the incarnation of the goddess of war Anunitu.

How the fox's goose was taken away from him

In the era of the Great geographical discoveries Europeans saw the sky of the southern hemisphere for the first time. Peter Keyser, a navigator on the ship of the Dutch merchant de Houtman, while sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in 1595-1596, saw and named twelve southern constellations. Among them were Crane, Golden Fish, Fly, Peacock, Southern Triangle and others. In the northern hemisphere, several new constellations have also been identified - the Fox with the Goose, the Lizard, the Lynx. Not all of these constellations have received recognition: for example, Chanterelle became simply Chanterelle (although the brightest star of Chanterelle is still called Goose).

IN mid-18th century V. Frenchman Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, at the same Cape of Good Hope, described seventeen more southern constellations. He chose names mainly from the field of science and art: Telescope, Compass, Painter's Easel, Chemical Furnace. Big constellation The "Ship Argo", which the Greek sailors could see low above the horizon, was divided by Lacaille into Keel, Stern and Sails. He named another constellation Table Mountain - after the mountain on the Cape Peninsula in South Africa, where he conducted astronomical observations.

Subsequently, these constellations were redrawn and renamed more than once. In the 18th century They proposed placing in the sky, in addition to just the Telescope, the Herschel Telescope (with the help of which Herschel discovered the planet Uranus) and the Small Herschel Telescope: this idea did not find support. Gradually, the “Chemical Furnace” became simply a Furnace, the “Sculptor’s Workshop” became a Sculptor, and the “Painter’s Easel” became a Painter. The Printing House, the Electric Machine, and the Wall Quadrant could not stay in the sky.

Of course, the inhabitants of the southern hemisphere had their own names for the constellations even before the arrival of Europeans. The Polynesians had a constellation of the Great Bird (Manuk): Sirius considered it the head (or body), Canopus and Procyon - the wings. The Southern Cross was called the triggerfish (Bubu). Polynesia was also well aware of the Magellanic clouds, which Europeans saw only in the 15th-16th centuries: in Tonga they were called Ma'afu lele "Flying Fire" and Ma'afu Toka "Standing Fire", and in Fiji they were called Matadrava ni sautu - " A center of peace and abundance."

Loyal Stars

Scientists and courtiers of the 17th-18th centuries. They came up with a lot of names that could flatter the crowned persons. Edmund Halley in 1679 carved the “Charles Oak” from the long-suffering Argo Ship (in his youth, Charles II hid in the foliage of an oak tree from Cromwell’s soldiers). In honor of another English king, George III, was named George's Harp (part of the constellation Eridanus). From the same Eridanus, the Prussian astronomer G. Kirch identified the Brandenburg Scepter, and from several other constellations - the Swords of the Elector of Saxony.

In memory of the Prussian king Frederick the Great, the astronomer I. Bode named the constellation “Frederick’s Regalia” or “Frederick’s Glory,” almost tearing off Andromeda’s hand for this.

Sometimes, “through acquaintance,” less illustrious persons also went to heaven. Thus, the French astronomer Lalande in 1799 proposed highlighting the constellation Cats: “I love cats, I adore them. I hope that they will forgive me if, after my sixty years of tireless labor, I place one of them in heaven.” Unfortunately, the Cat (and also the Lonely Blackbird, Reindeer and Turtle) were unlucky: they were also not included in the modern list of constellations.

1. ANDROMEDA (Andromeda) α Alferats ar, Al Surrat al Faras - *horse navel* Sirrah, Alpharet β Mirakh γ Alamak 2. GEMINI (Gemini) α Castor gr, the mythical name of one of the Dioscuri twins, after whom it was named the constellation itself β Pollux lat. gr. the mythical name of one of the Dioscuri twins, after whom the constellation γ Alchena sole was named? in. Algieba δ Wazad ε Mebsuta ζ Mekbuda η Pass 3. URSA MAJOR (Ursa Major) α Dubhe ar, *bear* β Merak ar, *lower back* γ Phekda ar, *thigh* δ Megrets ar. *root* (beginning of tail) ε Aliot ar., meaning is not clear ζ Mizar ar., *loincloth* η Benetash ar. *owner* Alkaid g (80) Alcor pers. *insignificant*, *forgotten* 4. BIG DOG (Canis Major) α Sirius probably from gr. seirios - *brightly burning*, possibly from Lat.gr. *shimmering*, *sparkling* or from ar. Sirai - *sparkling* or al-Shira - *opening the door* among the ancient Greeks - a dog, among the Romans - a dog (canicula) name from the name of the constellation α (B) “Puppy” is how modern astronomers nicknamed the satellite of this bright star β Mirtsam in . Mirzam δ Vezen ε Adara ζ Furud η Aludra 5. LIBRA (Libra) α Zubenesh from ar. *Northern Claw* β Zuben spruce Genubi ar. Al Zuban al Yanubiyyah - *Southern Claw* 6. AQUARIUS (Aquarius) α Sadalmelik ar. Sa'ad al Malik - *happiness of the ruler*, *happiness of the kingdom* β Sadalsuud Ar. *happiest of happy ones* γ Sadakhbia ar. *happiest of treasures* δ Skat Sheat Ar. *desire* ε Albali 7. CHARAITI (Auriga) α Capella lat. *goat*, *little goat* ar. El-Nat Sumerians, Greeks and Arabs called it *goat star* β Menkalinan ε and η Little Goats This is how the ancient Greeks called these stars Primichaniye. The star γ Aurigae is identical to β Taurus (Nat) 8. WOLF (Lupus) α Men 9. BOOTES (Bootes) α Arcturus gr. *guardian bear* β Nikkar γ Segina ε Itzar Pincherima Pulcherrima - the name was given by the Russian astronomer V. Ya. Struve in 1835 η Mufrid 10. VERONICA’S HAIR (Coma Berenices) 11. RAVEN (Corvus) α Alshiba Ar. *tent* or from ar. Al-Minhar Al-Ghurab - *raven's beak* In. Alchiba β Kratz γ Hyena δ Algorab ε Minkar 12. HERCULES (Hercules) α Ras Algeti Ar. *head of a kneeling [man]* β Korneforos γ δ Sarin 13. HYDRA (Hydra) α Alphard ar. *lonely*, or perhaps from ar. Al Faqar Al Shuja - *snake spine* in. modern Heart of the Hydra or Heart of the Great Serpent 14. DOVE (Columba) α Fact 15. HOUND DOGS (Canes Venatici) α Hara gr. *dear to the owner’s heart*, on behalf of one of the dogs, in whose honor the constellation Cor Caroli (Heart of Charles) was formed in the lane. from Cor Caroli, the name of the star was given by E. Halley in 1725. in honor of the English king Charles II β Asterion gr. *rich in stars* 16. VIRGO (Virgo) α Spica lat. *spike* β Alaraf γ Porrima δ Auva ε Vindemiatrix gr. *vinedresser*, the name of the star has been mentioned since the ancient era ζ Heze 17. DOLPHIN (Delphinus) α Sualotsin inverted Nikolaus, the name of the star was given by the astronomer of the Palermo Observatory Nikolai Venator β Rotanev 18. DRAGON (Draco) α Thuban ar. *dragon* β Rastaban γ Etamin δ Altais ι Ed Asikh? 19. UNICORN (Monoceros) 20. ALTAR (Ara) 21. PAINTER (Pictor) 22. GIRAFFE (Camelopardalis) 23. CRANE (Grus) α Alnair β γ Aldanab 24. HARE (Lepus) α Arneb ar.*hare* β Nihal 25. Ophiuchus (Ophiuchus) α Ras-Alhage ar. Ras al Hagge - *head of a snake charmer* β Kolb-ar-rai in. Tselbalrai η Sabik GL699 Barnard's Flying Named in honor of the American astronomer who discovered the fact of the unusually rapid movement of this star among other stars. 26. SNAKE (Serpens) α Unuk al Hey ar. Unuk al Hayyah - *neck of the snake* in. Unuk al Hay etc. Kor Serpentis θ Alua 27. GOLDEN FISH (Dorado) 28. INDIAN (Indus) 29. CASSIOPEIA (Cassiopeia) α Shedar ar. Al-Sadr - *chest* β Kaf γ Tsikh δ Rukba ε Segin η Akhir 30. KIL (Carina) α Canopus β Miaplacidus ε Avior 31. KIT (Cetus) α Menkar ar. Al Minhar - *nose*, *nostril* in. Menkab β Difda Deneb Keitos γ Kaffalidma ζ Baten Keitos in. Botein Keitos ι Deneb al Shemali ο Mira lat. *amazing* v Noyub? 32. CAPRICORN (Capricornus) α Algedi ar. Al Jadi - *forehead* in. Giedi β Dabi in. Dabih γ Nashira δ Deneb Algedi 33. COMPASS (Pyxis) 34. STERN (Puppis) ζ Naos 35. SWAN (Cygnus) α Deneb ar. Al Dhanab al Dajadnah - *chicken tail* β Albireo γ Sadr ε Gienah 36. LION (Leo) α Regulus ar. *king*, lat. *prince* β Denebola ar. *Lion's tail* γ Algieba δ Zosma θ Tsoksa 37. FLYING FISH (Volans) 38. LYRA (Lyra) α Vega ar. al-vaki - *falling* or from ar. Wakki - *vulture bird* β Sheliak γ Sulafat 39. CHANTELLER (Vilpecula) 40. URSA MINOR (Ursa Minor) α Polar Russian. etc. Kinosura. Among the Arabs - *kid* β Kohab ar. *northern* γ Ferkad δ Yildun β and ε Horevts gr. 41. SMALL HORSE (Equuleus) α Kitalfa ar. al Kitah al Faras - *part of a horse* 42. SMALL LION (Leo Minor) 43. SMALL DOG ​​(Canis Minor) α Procyon β Gomeisa 44. MICROSCOPE 45. FLY (Musca) 46. PUMP (Antila) 47. SQUARE (Norma) 48. ARIES (Aries) α Gamal β Sheratan γ Mesarthim δ Botein 49. OCTANT (Octant) 50. EAGLE (Aquila) α Altair β Alshain γ Tarazed 51. ORION (Orion) α Betelgeuse β Rigel γ Bellatrix δ Mintaka ε Alnilam ζ Alnitak κ Saif π3 Thabit 52. PEACOCK (Pavo) α Peacock 53. SAILS (Vela) γ Regor λ Al Suhail 54. PEGASUS (Pegasus) α Markab β Sheat γ Algenib ε Enif ζ Homam η Matar θ Baham μ Sadalbari 55. PERSEUS (Perseus) α Mirfak β Algol κ Misam ο Atik ξ Menkib 56. OVEN (Fornax) 57. BIRD OF PARADISE (Apus) 58. CANCER (Cancer) α Akubens β Tarf 59. INCISER (Caelum) 60. FISH (Pisces) α Alrisha 61. LYNX (Lynx) 62. NORTHERN CROWN (Corona Borealis) α Alphecca Gemma β Nusakan 63. SEXTANT (Sextans) 64. NET (Reticulum) 65. SCORPIO (Scorpius) α Antares β Acrab δ Jubba θ Sargass λ Shaula 66. SCULPTOR (Sculptor) 67. TABLE MOUNTAIN ( Mensa) 68. ARROW (Sagitta) 69. SAGITTARIUS (Sagittarius) α Al-Rishi (Al-Rami, Rukbat) from Ar. Rukbat alb Rami - *arrow's knee* δ Kaus Meridionalis in. Acrab ε Kaus Australis ζ Ascella (Askella) λ Kaus Borealis σ Nunki 70. TELESCOPE (Telescopium) 71. TAURUS (Taurus) α Aldebaran ar. Al Dabaran - *next, following* in. Ox Eye β Nat η Alcyone (Alcyone) – from the Pleiades Pleiades: q - Taygeta, 17 - Electra, 20 - Maya, 27 - Atlas, 28 Pleione, 21 Asterope (Sterope), 23 Merope, Keleno. 7 Pleiades, the remaining 2 were added (received names) by G. Riccioli (1598-1671) in honor of the parents of the Pleiades Atlas and Pleione. Hyades: Theropes, Clea. Eudora, Faeo – γ, δ, ε, σ Taurus. Their names were mentioned by Hesiod in the 7th century BC. 72. TRIANGLE (Triangulum) 73. TOUCAN (Tucana) 74. PHOENIX (Phoenix) α Ankaa 75. CHAMELEON (Chamaeleon) 76. CENTAUR (Centaurus) α A Toliman (Rigl Centaurus - Ar. *centaur leg*) α B Proxima ( Nearest) β Hadar (Algena, Agena) θ Menkent 77. CEPHEUS (Cepheus) α Alderamin ar. Dhira Al Amin - *right hand* β Alfirk (Alfekka) γ Alrai (Arlana) μ Erakis (Garnet) the name was given by W. Herschel 78. COMPASS (Circinus) 79. CLOCK (Horologium) 80. BOWL (Crater) α Alkes ar. *bowl* 81. SHIELD (Scutum) 82. ERIDAN (Eridanus) α Achernar ar. *end of the river* β Kursa in. Akar γ Zaurak in. Zaimak δ Rana θ Akamar in. Bade? 83. SOUTHERN HYDRA (Hudrus) 84. SOUTHERN CROWN (Corona Australis) 85. SOUTHERN FISH (Piscis Austrinus) α Fomalhaut ar. Fum Al Khut - *mouth of the southern fish* 86. SOUTHERN CROSS (Crux) α Acrux β Becrux in. Mimosa γ Gacrux in. Kostrix δ Vetrix 87. SOUTHERN TRIANGLE (Triangulum Australe) α Atria 88. LIZARD (Lacerta) According to the list here - 203 stars that have names and also “second”, “other” names of stars of a different origin - 27 (without altering the pronunciation). There are 230 star names in total.

Pleshakov developed good idea- create an atlas for children that will make it easy to identify stars and constellations. Our teachers picked up this idea and created their own atlas-identifier, which is even more informative and visual.

What are constellations?

If you look up into the sky on a clear night, you can see many sparkling lights of different sizes, like a scattering of diamonds, decorating the sky. These lights are called stars. Some of them seem to be collected in clusters and, upon prolonged examination, they can be divided into certain groups. Man called such groups “constellations.” Some of them may resemble the shape of a ladle or the intricate outlines of animals, however, in many respects this is just a figment of the imagination.

For many centuries, astronomers tried to study such clusters of stars and gave them mystical properties. People tried to systematize them and find a common pattern, and that’s how the constellations appeared. For a long time, constellations were carefully studied, some were divided into smaller ones, and they ceased to exist, and some, after clarification, were simply adjusted. For example, the constellation Argo was divided into smaller constellations: Compass, Carina, Parus, Poop.

The history of the origin of the names of the constellations is also very interesting. To make it easier to memorize, they were given names united by one element or literary work. For example, it was noticed that during heavy rains The sun rises from the direction of certain constellations, which were given the following names: Capricorn, Whale, Aquarius, the constellation Pisces.

In order to bring all constellations to a certain classification, in 1930, at a meeting of the International Astronomical Union, it was decided to officially register 88 constellations. According to the decision taken constellations do not consist of groups of stars, but are sections of the starry sky.

What are the constellations?

Constellations vary in the number and brightness of the stars that make up them. The 30 most noticeable groups of stars are identified. The largest constellation in terms of area is Ursa Major. It consists of 7 bright and 118 stars visible to the naked eye.

The smallest constellation, located in the southern hemisphere, is called the Southern Cross and cannot be seen with the naked eye. It consists of 5 bright and 25 less visible stars.

Lesser Horse is the smallest constellation in the northern hemisphere and consists of 10 faint stars that can be seen with the naked eye.

The most beautiful and brightest constellation is Orion. It consists of 120 stars visible to the naked eye, and 7 of them are very bright.

All constellations are conventionally divided into those located in the southern or northern hemisphere. Those who live in the southern hemisphere of the Earth cannot see star clusters located in the northern hemisphere and vice versa. Of the 88 constellations, 48 ​​are in the southern hemisphere, and 31 are in the northern hemisphere. The remaining 9 groups of stars are located in both hemispheres. The Northern Hemisphere is easily identified by the North Star, which always shines very brightly in the sky. She is the extreme star on the handle of the Ursa Minor dipper.

Due to the fact that the Earth rotates around the Sun, which prevents some constellations from being seen, the seasons change and the position of this star in the sky changes. For example, in winter the location of our planet in its circumsolar orbit is opposite to that in summer. Therefore, at each time of the year you can only see certain constellations. For example, in the summer, in the night sky you can see a triangle formed by the stars Altair, Vega and Deneb. In winter, there is an opportunity to admire the infinitely beautiful constellation Orion. That’s why they sometimes say: autumn constellations, winter, summer or spring constellations.

Constellations are best seen in summer time and it is advisable to observe them in open space, outside the city. Some stars can be seen with the naked eye, while others may require a telescope. The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, as well as Cassiopeia, are best visible. In autumn and winter, the constellations Taurus and Orion are clearly visible.

Bright constellations that are visible in Russia

The most beautiful constellations of the northern hemisphere visible in Russia include: Orion, Ursa Major, Taurus, Canis Major, Canis Minor.

If you look closely at their location and give free rein to your imagination, you can see a hunting scene, which, like an ancient fresco, has been depicted in the sky for more than two thousand years. The brave hunter Orion is always depicted surrounded by animals. Taurus runs to his right, and the hunter swings his club at him. At Orion's feet are the faithful Canis Major and Canis Minor.

Constellation Orion

This is the largest and most colorful constellation. It is clearly visible in autumn and winter. Orion can be seen over the entire territory of Russia. The arrangement of its stars resembles the outline of a person.

The history of the formation of this constellation originates from ancient Greek myths. According to them, Orion was a brave and strong hunter, the son of Poseidon and the nymph Emvriala. He often hunted with Artemis, but one day, for defeating her during a hunt, he was struck by the goddess’s arrow and died. After death, he was turned into a constellation.

Orion's brightest star is Rigel. She is 25 thousand times brighter than the sun and 33 times its size. This star has a bluish-white glow and is considered supergiant. However, despite such impressive dimensions, it is significantly smaller than Betelgeuse.

Betelgeuse adorns Orion's right shoulder. It is 450 times larger than the diameter of the Sun and if we put it in the place of our star, then this star will take the place of four planets before Mars. Betelgeuse shines 14,000 times brighter than the Sun.

The constellation Orion also includes nebulae and asterisms.

Constellation Taurus

Another big and unimaginable beautiful constellation Northern Hemisphere is Taurus. It is located northwest of Orion and is located between the constellations Aries and Gemini. Not far from Taurus there are such constellations as: Auriga, Cetus, Perseus, Eridanus.

This constellation in mid-latitudes can be observed throughout almost the entire year, with the exception of the second half of spring and early summer.

The history of the constellation dates back to ancient myths. They talk about Zeus turning into a calf in order to kidnap the goddess Europa and bring her to the island of Crete. This constellation was first described by Eudoxus, a mathematician who lived long before our era.

The brightest star not only of this constellation, but also of the other 12 groups of stars is Aldebaran. It is located on the head of Taurus and was previously called the “eye”. Aldebaran is 38 times the diameter of the Sun and 150 times brighter. This star is located 62 light years away from us.

The second brightest star in the constellation is Nat or El-Nat (the horns of the bull). It is located near Auriga. It is 700 times brighter than the Sun and 4.5 times larger.

Within the constellation there are two incredibly beautiful open clusters of stars, the Hyades and the Pleiades.

The age of the Hyades is 650 million years. They can be easily found in the starry sky thanks to Aldebaran, which is clearly visible among them. They include about 200 stars.

The Pleiades got its name from its nine parts. Seven of them are named after the seven sisters of Ancient Greece (the Pleiades), and two more are named after their parents. The Pleiades are very visible in winter. They include about 1000 stellar bodies.

An equally interesting formation in the constellation Taurus is the Crab Nebula. It was formed after a supernova explosion in 1054 and was discovered in 1731. The distance of the nebula from the Earth is 6500 light years, and its diameter is about 11 light years. years.

This constellation belongs to the Orion family and borders the constellations Orion, Unicorn, Canis Minor, and Hare.

The constellation Canis Major was first discovered by Ptolemy in the second century.

There is a myth according to which the Great Dog used to be Lelap. It was a very fast dog that could catch up with any prey. One day he chased a fox, which was not inferior to him in speed. The outcome of the race was a foregone conclusion, and Zeus turned both animals to stone. He placed the dog in heaven.

The constellation Canis Major is very visible in winter. The brightest star not only of this, but also of all other constellations is Sirius. It has a bluish luster and is located quite close to Earth, at a distance of 8.6 light years. In terms of brightness in our solar system, it is surpassed by Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon. Light from Sirius takes 9 years to reach Earth and is 24 times stronger than the sun. This star has a satellite called "Puppy".

The formation of such a concept as “Holidays” is associated with Sirius. The fact is that this star appeared in the sky during the period summer heat. Since Sirius is translated from Greek as “canis,” the Greeks began to call this period vacation.

Constellation Canis Minor

Canis Minor borders on such constellations as: Unicorn, Hydra, Cancer, Gemini. This constellation represents the animal that, together with Canis Major, follows the hunter Orion.

The history of the formation of this constellation, if we rely on myths, is very interesting. According to them, Canis Minor is Mera, the dog of Icaria. This man was taught how to make wine by Dionysus and the drink turned out to be very strong. One day his guests decided that Ikaria had decided to poison them and killed him. The mayor was very sad for his owner and soon died. Zeus placed it in the form of a constellation in the starry sky.

This constellation is best observed in January and February.

The brightest stars in this constellation are Porcyon and Gomeisa. Porcyon is located 11.4 light years from Earth. It is somewhat brighter and hotter than the Sun, but physically differs little from it.

Gomeiza is visible to the naked eye and glows with a blue-white light.

Constellation Ursa Major

Ursa Major, shaped like a ladle, is one of the three largest constellations. It is mentioned in the writings of Homer and in the Bible. This constellation is very well studied and has great significance in many religions.

It borders with such constellations as: Waterfall, Leo, Canes Venatici, Dragon, Lynx.

According to ancient Greek myths, the Big Dipper is associated with Callisto, a beautiful nymph and lover of Zeus. His wife Hera turned Callisto into a bear as punishment. One day, this bear came across Hera and her son, Arcas, with Zeus in the forest. To avoid tragedy, Zeus turned his son and nymph into constellations.

The big ladle is formed by seven stars. The most striking of them are three: Dubhe, Alkaid, Aliot.

Dubhe is a red giant and points to the North Star. It is located 120 light years from Earth.

Alkaid, the third brightest star in the constellation, expresses the end of the tail of Ursa Major. It is located 100 light years away from Earth.

Alioth is the brightest star in the constellation. She represents the tail. Because of its brightness, it is used in navigation. Alioth shines 108 times brighter than the Sun.

These constellations are the brightest and most beautiful in the northern hemisphere. They can be perfectly seen with the naked eye on an autumn or frosty winter night. The legends of their formation allow your imagination to run wild and imagine how the mighty hunter Orion, together with his faithful dogs, runs after his prey, while Taurus and Ursa Major watch him closely.

Russia is located in the northern hemisphere, and in this part of the sky we are able to see only a few of all the constellations existing in the sky. Depending on the time of year, only their position in the sky changes.

The night sky amazes with its beauty and countless number of heavenly fireflies. What is especially fascinating is that their arrangement is structured, as if they were specially placed in the right order, forming star systems. Since ancient times, stargazers have tried to count all these myriads of heavenly bodies and give them names. Today, a huge number of stars have been discovered in the sky, but this is only a small part of all existing vast Universe. Let's look at what constellations and luminaries there are.

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Stars and their classification

A star is a celestial body that emits enormous amounts of light and heat.

It consists mainly of helium (lat. Helium), as well as (lat. Hydrogenium).

The celestial body is in a state of equilibrium due to the pressure inside the body itself and its own.

Emits warmth and light as a result of thermonuclear reactions, occurring inside the body.

What types are there depending on life cycle and structure:

• Main sequence. This is the main life cycle of the star. This is exactly what it is, as well as the vast majority of others.
• Brown dwarf. A relatively small, dim object with a low temperature. The first one was opened in 1995.
• White dwarf. At the end of its life cycle, the ball begins to shrink until its density balances gravity. Then it goes out and cools down.
• Red giant. A huge body that emits a large amount of light, but is not very hot (up to 5000 K).
• New. New stars do not light up, just old ones flare up with renewed vigor.
• Supernova. This is the same new one with the release of a large amount of light.
• Hypernova. It's a supernova, but much more large sizes.
• Bright Blue Variables (LBV). The biggest and also the hottest.
• Ultra X-ray sources (ULX). They release large amounts of radiation.
• Neutron. Characterized by rapid rotation and a strong magnetic field.
• Unique. Double, with different sizes.

Types depending from the spectrum:

• Blue.
• White and blue.
• White.
• Yellow-white.
• Yellow.
• Orange.
• Red.

Important! Most of the stars in the sky are entire systems. What we see as one may actually be two, three, five or even hundreds of bodies of one system.

Names of stars and constellations

The stars have always fascinated us. They became the object of study, both from the mystical side (astrology, alchemy) and from the scientific side (astronomy). People looked for them, calculated them, counted them, put them into constellations, and also give them names. Constellations are clusters of celestial bodies located in a certain sequence.

In the sky under certain conditions with different points you can see up to 6 thousand stars. They have their own scientific names, but about three hundred of them also have personal names that they received from ancient times. Stars mostly have Arabic names.

The fact is that when astronomy was actively developing everywhere, the Western world was experiencing “ dark ages", so its development has lagged significantly behind. Here Mesopotamia was most successful, China less so.

The Arabs not only discovered new but they also renamed the heavenly bodies, who already had a Latin or Greek name. They went down in history with Arabic names. The constellations mostly had Latin names.

Brightness depends on the light emitted, size and distance from us. The brightest star is the Sun. It is not the largest, not the brightest, but it is closest to us.

The most beautiful luminaries with the greatest brightness. The first among them:

1. Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris);
2. Canopus (Alpha Carinae);
3. Toliman (Alpha Centauri);
4. Arcturus (Alpha Bootes);
5. Vega (Alpha Lyrae).

Naming periods

Conventionally, we can distinguish several periods in which people gave names to heavenly bodies.

Pre-Antique period

Since ancient times, people have tried to “understand” the sky and gave the night luminaries names. No more than 20 names from those times have reached us. Scientists from Babylon, Egypt, Israel, Assyria and Mesopotamia worked actively here.

Greek period

The Greeks didn't really delve into astronomy. They gave names to only a small number of luminaries. Mostly, they took names from the names of the constellations or simply attributed existing names. All astronomical knowledge ancient Greece, as well as Babylon were collected Greek scientist Ptolemy Claudius(I-II centuries) in the works “Almagest” and “Tetrabiblos”.

Almagest (Great Construction) is the work of Ptolemy in thirteen books, where he, based on the work of Hipparchus of Nicea (c. 140 BC), tries to explain the structure of the Universe. He also lists the names of some of the brightest constellations.

Table of celestial bodies described in the Almagest

Name of the stars	Name of constellations	Description, location
Sirius	Big dog	Located in the mouth of the constellation. She is also called the Dog. The brightest of the night sky.
Procyon	Small dog	On the hind legs.
Arcturus	Bootes	Did not enter Bootes form. It is located below it.
Regulus	a lion	Located in the heart of Leo. Also called Tsarskaya.
Spica	Virgo	On the left hand. It has another name - Kolos.
Antares	Scorpion	Located in the middle.
Vega	Lyra	Located on the sink. Another name is Alpha Lyra.
Chapel	Auriga	Left shoulder. Also called - Goat.
Canopus	Ship Argo	On the keel of the ship.

Tetrabiblos is another work of Ptolemy Claudius in four books. The list of celestial bodies is supplemented here.

Roman period

The Roman Empire was engaged in the study of astronomy, but when this science began to actively develop, Rome fell. And behind the state, its science fell into decay. However, about a hundred stars have Latin names, although this does not guarantee that they were given names their scientists are from Rome.

Arab period

The fundamental work of the Arabs in the study of astronomy was the work of Ptolemy Almagest. They transferred most of it to Arabic. Based on the religious beliefs of the Arabs, they replaced the names of some of the luminaries. Names were often given based on the location of the body in the constellation. So, many of them have names or parts of names meaning neck, leg or tail.

Table of Arabic names

Arabic name	Meaning	Stars with Arabic names	Constellation
Ras	Head	Alpha Hercules	Hercules
Algenib	Side	Alpha Persei, Gamma Persei	Perseus
Menkib	Shoulder	Alpha Orionis, Alpha Pegasus, Beta Pegasus, Beta Aurigae, Zeta Persei, Phita Centauri	Pegasus, Perseus, Orion, Centaurus, Auriga
Rigel	Leg	Alpha Centauri, Beta Orionis, Mu Virgo	Centaurus, Orion, Virgo
Rukba	Knee	Alpha Sagittarius, Delta Cassiopeia, Upsilon Cassiopeia, Omega Cygnus	Sagittarius, Cassiopeia, Swan
Sheat	Shin	Beta Pegasus, Delta Aquarius	Pegasus, Aquarius
Mirfak	Elbow	Alpha Persei, Capa Hercules, Lambda Ophiuchus, Phita and Mu Cassiopeia	Perseus, Ophiuchus, Cassiopeia, Hercules
Menkar	Nose	Alpha Ceti, Lambda Ceti, Upsilon Crow	Keith, Raven
Markab	That which moves	Alpha Pegasus, Tau Pegasus, Cape of Sails	Ship Argo, Pegasus

Renaissance

Since the 16th century in Europe, antiquity has been revived, and with it science. Arabic names did not change, but Arabic-Latin hybrids often appeared.

New clusters of celestial bodies were practically not discovered, but old ones were supplemented with new objects. A significant event of that time was the release of the starry atlas “Uranometry”.

Its compiler was the amateur astronomer Johann Bayer (1603). On the atlas he painted an artistic image of the constellations.

And most importantly, he suggested principle of naming luminaries with the addition of letters of the Greek alphabet. The brightest body of the constellation will be called “Alpha”, the less bright “Beta” and so on until “Omega”. For example, the brightest star in Scorpii is Alpha Scorpii, the less bright Beta Scorpii, then Gamma Scorpii, etc.

Nowadays

With the advent of powerful ones, a huge number of luminaries began to be discovered. Now they are not allowed beautiful names, but simply assign an index with a digital and alphabetic code. But it happens that celestial bodies are given personal names. They are called by names scientific discoverers, and now you can even buy the opportunity to name the luminary as you wish.

Important! The sun is not part of any constellation.

What are the constellations?

Initially, the figures were figures formed by bright luminaries. Nowadays scientists use them as landmarks of the celestial sphere.

The most famous constellations in alphabetical order:

1. Andromeda. Located in the northern hemisphere of the celestial sphere.
2. Twins. The brightest luminaries are Pollux and Castor. Zodiac sign.
3. Big Dipper. Seven stars forming the image of a ladle.
4. Big Dog. It has the brightest star in the sky - Sirius.
5. Scales. Zodiac, consisting of 83 objects.
6. Aquarius. Zodiac, with an asterism forming a jug.
7. Auriga. Its most outstanding object is the Chapel.
8. Wolf. Located in the southern hemisphere.
9. Bootes. The brightest luminary is Arcturus.
10. Veronica's hair. Consists of 64 visible objects.
11. Crow. It is best seen in mid-latitudes.
12. Hercules. Has 235 visible objects.
13. Hydra. The most important luminary is Alphard.
14. Pigeon. 71 bodies of the southern hemisphere.
15. Hound Dogs. 57 visible objects.
16. Virgo. Zodiac, with the brightest body - Spica.
17. Dolphin. Visible everywhere except Antarctica.
18. The Dragon. Northern hemisphere, practically a pole.
19. Unicorn. Located on the milky way.
20. Altar. 60 visible stars.
21. Painter. Includes 49 objects.
22. Giraffe. Faintly visible in the northern hemisphere.
23. Crane. The brightest is Alnair.
24. Hare. 72 celestial bodies.
25. Ophiuchus. The 13th sign of the zodiac, but not included in this list.
26. Snake. 106 luminaries.
27. Golden Fish. 32 objects visible to the naked eye.
28. Indian. Faintly visible constellation.
29. Cassiopeia. It's shaped like the letter "W".
30. Keel. 206 objects.
31. Whale. Located in the “water” zone of the sky.
32. Capricorn. Zodiac, southern hemisphere.
33. Compass. 43 visible luminaries.
34. Stern. Located on the milky way.
35. Swan. Located in the northern part.
36. A lion. Zodiac, northern part.
37. Flying fish. 31 objects.
38. Lyra. The brightest luminary is Vega.
39. Chanterelle. Dull.
40. Ursa Minor. Located above the North Pole. It has the North Star.
41. Small Horse. 14 luminaries
42. Small Dog. Bright constellation.
43. Microscope. South part.
44. Fly. At the equator.
45. Pump. Southern sky.
46. Square. Passes through the Milky Way.
47. Aries. Zodiacal, having bodies Mezarthim, Hamal and Sheratan.
48. Octant. At the South Pole.
49. Eagle. At the equator.
50. Orion. Has a bright object - Rigel.
51. Peacock. Southern Hemisphere.
52. Sail. 195 luminaries of the southern hemisphere.
53. Pegasus. South of Andromeda. Its brightest stars are Markab and Enif.
54. Perseus. It was discovered by Ptolemy. The first object is Mirfak.
55. Bake. Almost invisible.
56. Bird of paradise. Located near the south pole.
57. Cancer. Zodiac, faintly visible.
58. Cutter. South part.
59. Fish. A large constellation divided into two parts.
60. Lynx. 92 visible luminaries.
61. Northern Crown. Crown shape.
62. Sextant. At the equator.
63. Net. Consists of 22 objects.
64. Scorpion. The first luminary is Antares.
65. Sculptor. 55 celestial bodies.
66. Sagittarius. Zodiac.
67. Calf. Zodiac. Aldebaran is the brightest object.
68. Triangle. 25 stars.
69. Toucan. This is where the Small Magellanic Cloud is located.
70. Phoenix. 63 luminaries.
71. Chameleon. Small and dim.
72. Centaurus. Its brightest star for us, Proxima Centauri, is the closest to the Sun.
73. Cepheus. Has the shape of a triangle.
74. Compass. Near Alpha Centauri.
75. Watch. It has an elongated shape.
76. Shield. Near the equator.
77. Eridanus. Big constellation.
78. South Hydra. 32 celestial bodies.
79. Southern Crown. Dimly visible.
80. Southern Fish. 43 objects.
81. South Cross. In the form of a cross.
82. Southern Triangle. Has the shape of a triangle.
83. Lizard. No bright objects.

What are the constellations of the Zodiac?

Zodiac signs - constellations through which the earth passes through throughout the year, forming a conditional ring around the system. Interestingly, there are 12 accepted zodiac signs, although Ophiuchus, which is not considered a zodiac, is also located on this ring.

Attention! There are no constellations.

By and large, there are no figures at all made up of celestial bodies.

After all, when we look at the sky, we perceive it as plane in two dimensions, but the luminaries are located not on a plane, but in space, at a huge distance from each other.

They do not form any pattern.

Let's say that light from Proxima Centauri, closest to the Sun, reaches us in almost 4.3 years.

And from another object of the same star system Omega Centauri - reaches the earth in 16 thousand years. All divisions are quite arbitrary.

Constellations and stars - sky map, interesting facts

Names of stars and constellations

Conclusion

It is impossible to calculate a reliable number of celestial bodies in the Universe. You can't even get close to the exact number. Stars unite into galaxies. Our Milky Way galaxy alone numbers about 100,000,000,000. From Earth using the most powerful telescopes About 55,000,000,000 galaxies can be detected. With the advent of the Hubble telescope, which is in orbit around the Earth, scientists have discovered about 125,000,000,000 galaxies, each with billions, hundreds of billions of objects. What is clear is that there are at least a trillion trillion luminaries in the Universe, but this is only a small part of what is real.

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 their appearance was 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 subject objects that clearly defined the lines of connections of shining stars (Libra, Corona, Southern Cross, etc.).

Only 58 known star clusters contain the maximum brightest stars(alpha) having 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). It is visible from various places on the 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 (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 known system Mizar (double). There is an opinion that whoever 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 asymmetric 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 of the Greek alphabet, and this also included all 7 stellar components of the Big Dipper in the direction of the pattern from the west to the east. At the same time, Bayer made his 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 ranked among the northern latitudes of clusters of stellar non-setting objects. 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 wonderful and beautiful story of the origin of the constellation. According to ancient legends, the ever-young goddess of the hunt Artemis walked with a spear and sharp arrows along the mountain slopes and forest areas in catching 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 Lesser and big 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 revolves 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, which 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, a 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, much cooler than its counterpart and 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 as siblings, similar 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 took part in the 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

WITH Russian places It is best to monitor it in winter (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 in the last days of December and the first of January. However, here we're talking about about normal 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, the inhabitants of the North could enjoy 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 Ikarius 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 BC was in the 1st century. To create it, a part of another constellation, Scorpio, was borrowed. The Romans called it Libra in the early period of the 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 of ancient Rome, Augustus, was distinguished by 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 implement 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”.

It can be observed in the regions of Russia, from the central and southern sides, but can be found in the sky, full of stars, 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 to the homeland of the 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. Because of what she has yellow, 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, but in all atlases and maps it is constant and is depicted as 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.