The names of all constellations are in Russian. How did the constellations get their current names?

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.

Union of Astrologers from various countries 88 constellations were officially legalized. 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 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). 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 (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 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 located large size 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, which 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 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 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 other, 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 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 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 solar system has 45 l. 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 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 marital relations 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, the famous war in Troy took place).

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

Zeus gifted his blood heir Pollux with eternal life, 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, did not part, 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

It is best to observe it from Russian sites 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 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 located 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 Big Dog. 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 wine to the shepherds, who had not tasted it before and 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 visible in it, and from those present it is quite difficult to form a figurative 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 getting on with harvesting 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 discovered unjust actions.

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. Among the representatives of Greece and the Arabs, the constellation had absolutely various names, but they meant one thing - melting in 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.

Since time immemorial, stars have attracted people with their mystery and unusualness. After many years of study, humanity was able to classify stars and identify constellations. Below is a list of constellations.

There are a huge number of different constellations and here are some of them:

1. Andromeda. Andromeda is located in the northern hemisphere. According to legend, the Goddess Athena placed an image of Andromeda among the stars. It was from this legend that the constellation received its name.
2. Twins. The constellation Gemini is one of the constellations of the zodiac signs and in appearance they actually resemble two brothers - the twins Castor and Pollux. Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac.
3. Big Dipper. This constellation is the third largest and lives in the northern hemisphere. Ursa Major is one of the oldest and most popular constellations. Each of us has seen it at least once or heard legends associated with it.
4. Big Dog. Canis Major is located in the southern hemisphere and is one of two dogs. The exact origin of this constellation is unknown, but some associate it with the dog Lelap, who was faster than any prey. According to the legend, he chased a fox, which turned out to be as fast as he was. In such a race there were no winners or losers, and then Zeus decided to place the dog in the starry sky to complete the competition.
5. Scales. Libra is located in the southern hemisphere. The ancient Romans considered this constellation very auspicious and worshiped it.
6. Aquarius. The constellation Aquarius is located in the southern hemisphere and is one of the constellations located on the visible path of the Sun in the sky. Aquarius is one of the oldest recognized constellations. In appearance, the constellation resembles a man holding a jug.
7. Auriga. The constellation lives in the northern hemisphere and is shaped like a charioteer's helmet, pointed towards the end.
8. Wolf. The wolf is a constellation of the southern hemisphere and was originally part of the constellation Centaurus. But the Greek astronomer Hipparchus separated it and called the constellation the beast, after which over time it acquired its present name.
9. Bootes. This constellation is located in the northern hemisphere and resembles a shepherd with a staff and two dogs. The exact origin of the constellation is unknown, but it is associated with several interesting myths.
10. Veronica's hair. Lives in the northern hemisphere. According to legend, Queen Veronica of Egypt promised to circumcise her long hair in the event that her husband returns from the hike safe and sound. Upon the return of her beloved, she cut off her locks and placed them in the temple of Aphrodite. She, in turn, being very supportive, placed Veronica’s hair in the starry sky.
11. Crow. Raven is a very small constellation located in the southern hemisphere of the starry sky. This constellation has connections with several myths. But in all the legends, the raven received punishment at the hands of Apollo.
12. Hercules. The constellation is located in the northern hemisphere and resembles the figure of a man standing over a slain dragon. Holding a mace in your hand.
13. Hydra. Hydra lives in the southern hemisphere and is the largest constellation in the starry sky. In its shape, the Hydra resembles a writhing snake.
14. Pigeon. This constellation is located in the southern hemisphere and has absolutely small sizes. The constellation looks like a bird flapping its wings and holding an olive branch in its beak.
15. Hound Dogs. It is located in the northern hemisphere and is identified with the hound dogs Asterion and Chara.
16. Virgo. Virgo is located in the southern hemisphere and is one of the constellations of the zodiac signs. The constellation is second only to Hydra in size and is located next to the constellation Libra.
17. Dolphin. The constellation is small in size and lives in the northern hemisphere.
18. Dragon. The dragon is characterized large sizes, but despite this, it cannot be seen by the human eye.
19. Unicorn. The unicorn is located at the equator. The constellation got its name from a mythical animal that appeared several times in the Bible.
20. Altar. This constellation is located in the southern hemisphere. Most often, the constellation is associated with the altar, where all the gods swore allegiance to Zeus before the battle with the Titans.

In addition to these constellations, there are the following: Painter, Giraffe, Crane, Hare, Ophiuchus, Snake, Fish, Indian, Cassiopeia, Carina, Whale, Capricorn, Compass, Poop, Swan, Lion, Flying Fish, Lyra, Chanterelle, Ursa Minor, Little Horse , Leo Minor, Canis Minor, Microscope, Fly, Pump, Square, Aries, Octant, Eagle, Orion, Peacock, Sails, Pegasus, Perseus, Furnace, Bird of Paradise, Cancer, Lynx, Northern Crown, Sextant, Grid, Scorpio, Sculptor , Table Mountain, Arrow, Sagittarius, Telescope, Taurus, Triangle, Toucan, Phoenix, Chameleon, Centaurus, Cepheus, Compasses, Clock, Bowl, Shield, Eridanus, Southern Hydra, Southern Crown, Southern Fish, Southern Cross, Southern Triangle, Lizard .

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> Constellations

Explore everything constellations in the sky of the Universe: diagrams and maps of constellations, names, list, description, characteristics with photos, asterisms, history of creation, how to observe.

Constellations- These are imaginary drawings in the sky, created based on the position here, which appeared based on the imagination of poets, farmers and astronomers. They used forms that are familiar to us and have been inventing them for the last 6,000 years. The main purpose of constellations is to quickly show the location of a star and tell its features. On a perfectly dark night, you will be able to spot 1000-1500 stars. But how do you know what you're looking at? This is why the brightest constellations are needed, dividing the heavens into identifiable sectors. For example, if you find three bright stars, you will realize that you are looking at part of Orion. And then it’s a matter of memory, because Betelgeuse is hidden in the left shoulder, and Rigel is hidden in the leg. Nearby you will notice the Canes Hounds and its stars. Use diagrams and maps of constellations that show the names, brightest stars, and location in the sky. Photos, pictures and interesting facts are presented for each constellation. Don't forget to consider zodiac constellations starry sky.

All the world around us constellations are distributed by month. That is, their maximum level of visibility in the sky depends entirely on the season. Therefore, when classifying, groups are distinguished according to 4 seasons (winter, spring, summer and autumn). The main thing to remember is one point. If you track the constellations strictly according to the calendar, then you need to start at 21:00. When observing ahead of schedule, you need to push back half the month, and if you started after 21:00, then add half.

For navigation convenience, we have distributed everything names of constellations in alphabetical order. This is extremely useful if you are interested in a particular cluster. Remember that only the brightest stars are shown in the diagrams. To delve into more detail, you need to open a star chart or a planisphere - a moving version. More interesting information You can learn about constellations thanks to our articles:

Constellations of the sky in alphabetical order
Russian name	Latin name	Reduction	Area (square degrees)	Number of stars brighter than 6.0
	Andromeda	And	722	100
	Gemini	Gem	514	70
	Ursa Major	UMa	1280	125
	Canis Major	CMa	380	80
	Libra	Lib	538	50
	Aquarius	Aqr	980	90
	Auriga	Aur	657	90
	Lupus	Lup	334	70
	Boots	Boo	907	90
	Coma Berenices	Com	386	50
	Corvus	Crv	184	15
	Hercules	Her	1225	140
	Hydra	Hya	1303	130
	Columba	Col	270	40
	Canes Venatici	CVn	565	30
	Virgo	Vir	1294	95
	Delphinus	Del	189	30
	Draco	Dra	1083	80
	Monoceros	Mon	482	85
	Ara	Ara	237	30
	Pictor	Pic	247	30
	Camelopardalis	Cam	757	50
	Grus	Gru	366	30
	Lepus	Lep	290	40
	Ophiuchus	Oph	948	100
	Serpens	Ser	637	60
	Dorado	Dor	179	20
	Indus	Ind	294	20
	Cassiopeia	Cas	598	90
	Carina	Car	494	110
	Cetus	Set	1231	100
	Capricornus	Cap	414	50
	Pyxis	Pyx	221	25
	Puppis	Pup	673	140
	Cygnus	Cyg	804	150
	Leo	Leo	947	70
	Volans	Vol	141	20
	Lyra	Lyr	286	45
	Vulpecula	Vul	268	45
	Ursa Minor	UMi	256	20
	Equuleus	Equ	72	10
	Leo Minor	LMi	232	20

	Canis Minor	CMi	183	20
	Microscopium	Mic	210	20
	Musca	Mus	138	30
	Antlia	Ant	239	20
	Norma	Nor	165	20
	Aries	Ari	441	50
	Octans	Oct	291	35
	Aquila	Aql	652	70
	Orion	Ori	594	120
	Pavo	Pav	378	45
	Vela	Vel	500	110
	Pegasus	Peg	1121	100
	Perseus	Per	615	90
	Fornax	For	398	35
	Apus	Aps	206	20
	Cancer	Cnc	506	60
	Caelum	Cae	125	10
	Pisces	Psc	889	75
	Lynx	Lyn	545	60
	Corona Borealis	CrB	179	20
	Sextans	Sex	314	25
	Reticulum	Ret	114	15
	Scorpius	Sco	497	100
	Sculptor	Scl	475	30
	Mensa	Men	153	15
	Sagitta	Sge	80	20
	Sagittarius	Sgr	867	115
	Telescopium	Tel	252	30
	Taurus	Tau	797	125
	Triangulum	Tri	132	15
	Tucana	Tuc	295	25
	Phoenix	Phe	469	40
	Chamaeleon	Cha	132	20
	Centaurus	Cen	1060	150
	Cepheus	Cep	588	60
	Circinus	Cir	93	20
	Horologium	Hor	249	20
	Crater	Crt	282	20
	Scutum	Sct	109	20
	Eridanus	Eri	1138	100
	Hydrus	Hyi	243	20
	Corona Australis	CrA	128	25
	Piscis Austrinus	PsA	245	25
	Crux	Cru	68	30
	Triangulum Australe	TrA	110	20
	Lacerta	Lac	201	35

Clear boundaries between the constellations were drawn only at the beginning of the 20th century. There are 88 in total, but 48 are based on the Greek ones captured by Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The final distribution took place in 1922 with the help of American astronomer Henry Norris Russell. The boundaries were created in 1930 by the Belgian astronomer Egen Delport (vertical and horizontal lines).

Most have retained the names of their predecessors: 50 are Rome, Greece and the Middle East, and 38 are modern. But humanity has existed for more than one millennium, so constellations appeared and disappeared depending on the culture. For example, the Wall Quadrant was created in 1795, but later divided into the Dragon and Bootes.

The Greek constellation Ship Argo was divided by Nicholas Louis de Lacay into Carina, Velae and Puppis. It was officially cataloged in 1763.

When we talk about stars and objects, scientists mean that they lie within the boundaries of these constellations. The constellations themselves are not real, because in reality all stars and nebulae are separated from each other by great distances and even planes (although from the Earth we see straight lines).

Moreover, remoteness also means a time lag, because we observe them in the past, which means they can be completely different now. For example, Antares in Scorpio is 550 light years away from us, which is why we see it as before. The same applies to the three-dimensional Sagittarius Nebula (5200 light years). There are also more distant objects - NGC 4038 in the constellation Raven (45 million light years).

Constellation definition

This is a group of stars creating a specific shape. Or one of the 88 official configurations listed in the catalog. Some dictionaries insist that it is any of a specific grouping of stars that represents a being in the heavens and has a name.

History of the constellations

Ancient people, looking at the sky, noted the figures of various animals and even heroes. They started making up stories for them to make it easier to remember the location.

For example, Orion and Taurus have been revered for many centuries different cultures and had a number of legends. As soon as astronomers began creating the first maps, they took advantage of already existing myths.

The word "constellation" originates from the Latin constellātiō - "many with stars." According to the Roman soldier and historian Ammianus Marcellinus, it began to be used in the 4th century. IN English language it came in the 14th century and first referred to planetary conjunctions. It was only in the mid-16th century that it began to take on its modern meaning.

The catalog is based on the 48 Greek constellations proposed by Ptolemy. But he only listed what the Greek astronomer Eudoxus Cnidus discovered (he introduced astronomy to Babylon in the 4th century BC). 30 of them date back to antiquity, and some even extend back to the Bronze Age.

The Greeks adopted Babylonian astronomy, so the constellations began to intersect and overlap. Many of them could not be found by the Greeks, Babylonians, Arabs or Chinese because they were not visible. The southern ones were recorded at the end of the 16th century by the Dutch navigators Federico de Houtman and Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser. They were later included in Johann Bayer's star atlas Uranometria (1603).

Bayer added 11 constellations, including Toucan, Fly, Dorado, Indian and Phoenix. In addition, he gave approximately 1,564 stars Greek letters, assigning them a value based on brightness (starting with Alpha). They have survived to this day and take their place among the 10,000 stars that are visible without the use of instruments. Some have full names, because they had extremely strong brightness (Aldebaran, Betelgeuse and others).

Several constellations were added by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille. His catalog was published in 1756. He scanned the southern sky and found 13 new constellations. Notable among them are the Octant, the Painter, the Furnace, the Table Mountain and the Pump.

Of the 88 constellations, 36 are located in the northern sky and 52 in the southern sky.

History of the starry sky

Astrophysicist Anton Biryukov about Ptolemy's catalog, Christian constellations and the final list:

Constellations can be an invaluable tool in studying the stars scattered throughout the sky. Just combine them and admire the incredible wonders of space.

If you are a beginner and just knocking on the door of amateur astronomy, then you will not move unless you overcome the first obstacle - the ability to understand the constellations. You won't be able to find the Andromeda Galaxy if you can't figure out where to even start or where to look. Of course, the first attempts to understand this entire celestial array can be scary, but it is quite possible.

Constellations are areas of the starry sky. To better navigate the starry sky, ancient people began to identify groups of stars that could be linked into individual figures, similar objects, mythological characters and animals. This system allowed people to organize the night sky, making each part of it easily recognizable. This simplified the study of celestial bodies, helped measure time, apply astronomical knowledge in agriculture and navigate by the stars. The stars that we see in our sky as if in one area can actually be extremely far from each other. In one constellation there may be stars that are in no way connected with each other, both very close and very far from the Earth.

There are 88 official constellations in total. In 1922, the International Astronomical Union officially recognized 88 constellations, 48 ​​of which were described by the ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy in his star catalog Almagest around 150 BC. There were gaps in Ptolemy's maps, especially regarding the southern sky. Which is quite logical - the constellations described by Ptolemy covered that part of the night sky that is visible from the south of Europe. The remaining gaps began to be filled during the times of great geographical discoveries. In the 14th century, the Dutch scientists Gerard Mercator, Pieter Keyser and Frederic de Houtman added new constellations to the existing list, and the Polish astronomer Jan Hevelius and the French Nicolas Louis de Lacaille completed what Ptolemy had started. On the territory of Russia, out of 88 constellations, about 54 can be observed.

Knowledge about the constellations came to us from ancient cultures. Ptolemy compiled a map of the starry sky, but people used knowledge about the constellations long before that. At least in the 8th century BC, when Homer mentioned Bootes, Orion and the Big Dipper in his poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey”, people were already grouping the sky into separate figures. It is believed that the bulk of the knowledge of the ancient Greeks about the constellations came to them from the Egyptians, who, in turn, inherited it from the inhabitants of Ancient Babylon, Sumerians or Akkadians. About thirty constellations were already distinguished by the inhabitants of the Late Bronze Age, in 1650−1050. BC, judging by the records on clay tablets of Ancient Mesopotamia. References to constellations can also be found in Hebrew biblical texts. The most remarkable constellation, perhaps, is the constellation Orion: in almost every ancient culture it had its own name and was revered as special. So, in Ancient Egypt he was considered the incarnation of Osiris, and in Ancient Babylon he was called “The Faithful Shepherd of Heaven.” But the most amazing discovery was made in 1972: a piece of ivory a mammoth, more than 32 thousand years old, on which the constellation Orion was carved.

We see different constellations depending on the time of year. Throughout the year, we see different parts of the sky (and different celestial bodies, respectively) because the Earth makes its annual voyage around the Sun. The constellations we see at night are those located behind the Earth on our side of the Sun, because... During the day, behind the bright rays of the Sun, we are unable to see them.

To better understand how this works, imagine that you are riding on a merry-go-round (this is the Earth) with a very bright, blinding light emanating from the center (the Sun). You will not be able to see what is in front of you because of the light, but you will only be able to discern what is outside the carousel. In this case, the picture will constantly change as you ride in a circle. Which constellations you observe in the sky and at what time of year they appear also depends on the geographic latitude of the viewer.

Constellations travel from east to west, like the Sun. As soon as it begins to get dark, at dusk, the first constellations appear in the eastern part of the sky to pass across the entire sky and disappear with dawn in the western part. Due to the rotation of the Earth around its axis, it seems that the constellations, like the Sun, rise and set. The constellations we just observed on the western horizon just after sunset will soon disappear from our view, to be replaced by constellations that were higher up at sunset just a few weeks ago.

Constellations arising in the east have a diurnal shift of about 1 degree per day: completing a 360-degree trip around the Sun in 365 days gives about the same speed. Exactly one year later, at the same time, the stars will occupy exactly the same position in the sky.

The movement of stars is an illusion and a matter of perspective. The direction in which stars move across the night sky is determined by the rotation of the Earth on its axis and really depends on the perspective and which direction the observer is facing.

Looking north, the constellations appear to move counterclockwise around a fixed point in the night sky, the so-called north celestial pole, located near the North Star. This perception is due to the fact that the earth rotates from west to east, i.e. the earth under your feet moves to the right, and the stars like the Sun, Moon and planets above your head follow the east-west direction, i.e. to the right left. However, if you face south, the stars will appear to move clockwise, from left to right.

Zodiac constellations- these are those through which the Sun moves. The most famous constellations out of the 88 existing ones are the zodiacal ones. These include those through which the center of the Sun passes during the year. It is generally accepted that there are 12 zodiacal constellations in total, although in fact there are 13 of them: from November 30 to December 17, the Sun is in the constellation Ophiuchus, but astrologers do not classify it as a zodiac constellation. All zodiacal constellations are located along the visible annual path of the Sun among the stars, the ecliptic, at an inclination of 23.5 degrees to the equator.

Some constellations have families are groups of constellations located in the same area of ​​the night sky. As a rule, they assign the names of the most significant constellation. The most “largely populated” constellation is Hercules, which has as many as 19 constellations. Other major families include Ursa Major (10 constellations), Perseus (9) and Orion (9).

Celebrity constellations. The largest constellation is Hydra, which covers more than 3% of the night sky, while the smallest constellation, the Southern Cross, covers just 0.165% of the sky. Centauri boasts the largest number visible stars: 101 stars are included in the famous constellation of the southern hemisphere of the sky. The constellation Canis Major includes the brightest star in our sky, Sirius, whose brilliance is −1.46m. But the constellation called Table Mountain is considered the dimmest and does not contain stars brighter than 5th magnitude. Let us recall that in the numerical characteristic of the brightness of celestial bodies than less value, those brighter object(the brightness of the Sun, for example, is −26.7m).

Asterism- this is not a constellation. An asterism is a group of stars with an established name, for example, the “Big Dipper,” which is part of the constellation Ursa Major, or “Orion’s Belt,” three stars encircling the figure of Orion in the constellation of the same name. In other words, these are fragments of constellations that have secured a separate name for themselves. The term itself is not strictly scientific, but rather simply represents a tribute to tradition.