The most complete existing works dealing with the mythical origins of the constellations are by the Hellenistic writer known as pseudo-Eratosthenes and an early Roman writer styled pseudo-Hyginus.
A group of stars that can be connected to form a figure or a picture is called an asterism, whereas a constellation is a defined area on the sky.
The Sun appears to pass through the 12 constellations of the zodiac (plus Ophiuchus), and ancient Greek astronomers believed they had some special significance.
All modern constellation names are Latin proper names or words, and some stars are named using the genitive (or sometimes the ablative) of the constellation in which they are found.
Clarification was necessary to determine which groupings are constellations and which stars belonged to them.
The term constellation is also used to describe the arrangement and orbits of artificial satellite systems, such as those of various Global navigation satellite systems including GPS.
Nonetheless, some modern, well known constellations go back at least as far as the Sumerians.
The constellation boundaries were drawn up by Eugиne Delporte in 1930, and he drew them along vertical and horizontal lines of right ascension and declination.
Some well-known constellations contain striking and familiar patterns of bright stars.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) divides the sky into 88 official constellations with exact boundaries, so that every direction or place in the sky belongs within one constellation.
Many of their proposed constellations have been accepted, the rest remaining asterisms, mostly obsolete.
The Chinese counterpart of the 12 western zodiac constellations are the 28 "Xiu" (?) or "mansions" (a literal translation).
Australian Aboriginal astronomy also used dark nebulae in some constellations, the most famous being the "emu in the sky" whose head is formed by the coalsack.
Chinese constellations are different from the Western constellations, due to the independent development of ancient Chinese astronomy.
The first ancient Greek works that dealt with the constellations were books of star myths.
Identification of stars within a given constellation includes the use of Bayer designations such as Alpha Centauri, Flamsteed designations such as 61 Cygni, and variable star designations such as RR Lyrae.
The formal astronomical definition of constellation is slightly different.
Frequently, the abbreviated form of the constellation name is used in the star designation, e.g.
Such groupings of stars were essentially arbitrary, and different cultures developed different constellations, although some of the prominent ones tended to recur.
Historically, without an "official" list, there was really no difference between a constellation and an asterism.
Clarification was necessary to determine which groupings are constellations and which stars belonged to them.
Virgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for virgin, and its symbol is ♍. Lying between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it is the second-largest constellation in the sky (after Hydra). It can be easily found through its brightest star, Spica.
The zodiacal constellation Sagittarius represents the centaur Chiron. Most of the centaurs were regarded in myth as bestial--they were, after all, half horse. ... In fact, Chiron was renowned for his gentleness. He was an excellent archer, musician, and physician, and tutored the likes of Achilles, Jason, and Hercules.
Capricornus /ˌkæprɪˈkɔːrnəs/ is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for "horned goat" or "goat horn" or "having horns like a goat's", and it is commonly represented in the form of a sea-goat: a mythical creature that is half goat, half fish. Its symbol is (Unicode ♑).
This sky map shows the location of the constellation Capricornus in the October evening sky as viewed from mid-northern latitudes. Credit: Starry Night Software. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, Capricornus represents a creature that is a blend of fish and goat; the name means "goat horn" in Latin.Jun 7, 2017
Capricornus constellation is home to several notable stars, as well as to the famous globular cluster Messier 30.FACTS, LOCATION & MAP. ... MYTH. ... MAJOR STARS IN CAPRICORNUS.Deneb Algedi – δ Capricorni (Delta Capricorni) ... Dabih – β Capricorni (Beta Capricorni) ... Algiedi – α Capricorni (Alpha Capricorni)More items...
The constellation Capricornus the Sea-goat is best seen at early evening in September and October. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, and are familiar with the Summer Triangle asterism, draw an imaginary line from the star Vega and through Altair to find this arrowhead-shaped constellation low in the southern sky.Aug 31, 2017
Cancer (constellation) Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of March. Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as one.
Canis Major contains Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, known as the "dog star". It is bright because of its proximity to the Solar System. In contrast, the other bright stars of the constellation are stars of great distance and high luminosity.