1. ANDROMEDA (Andromeda) α Alferatz ar, Al Surrat al Faras - *horse's navel* Sirrah, Alpharet β Mirach γ Alamak the constellation β Pollux lat. gr. the mythical name of one of the Dioscuri twins, in whose honor the very constellation γ Alchena sole was named? in. Algieba δ Vazad ε Mebsuta ζ Mekbuda η Skip 3. URSA MAJOR (Ursa Major) α Dubhe ar, *bear* β Merak ar, *loin* γ Fekda ar, *thigh* δ Megrets ar. *root* (beginning of tail) ε Aliot ar., the meaning is not clear ζ Mizar ar., *loincloth* η Benetash ar. *master* Alkaid g (80) Alcor pers. *insignificant*, *forgotten* 4. BIG DOG (Canis Major) α Sirius probably from gr. seirios - *bright-burning*, possibly from lat.gr. * flickering *, * sparkling * or from ar. Sirai - * sparkling * or al-Shira - * opening the door * among the ancient Greeks - a dog, among the Romans - a dog (canicula) a name from the name of the constellation α (B) "Puppy" so modern astronomers called the satellite of this bright star β Mirtsam in . Mirzam δ Wezen ε Adara ζ Furud η Aludra 5. SCALES (Libra) α Zubenesh from are. *Northern Claw* β Zuben spruce Genubi ar. Al Zuban al Yanubiyah - *Southern Claw* 6. AQUARIUS (Aquarius) α Sadalmelik ar. Sa'ad al Malik - * happiness of the ruler *, * happiness of the kingdom * β Sadalsuud Ar. *the happiest of the happy* γ Sadakhbia ar. *happiest of treasures* δ Skat Sheat Ar. *desire* ε Albali 7. CHARIER (Auriga) α Capella lat. *goat*, *little goat* are. El-Nat, the Sumerians, Greeks and Arabs - called it * the star of the goat * β Menkalinan ε and η Goats So these stars were called by the ancient Greeks Primichaniye. Star γ Aurigae is identical to β Taurus (Nat) 8. WOLF (Lupus) α Men 9. BOOTES (Bootes) α Arcturus gr. *guardian of the bear* β Nikkar γ Seghina ε Itzar Pincherima Pulcherrima – the name was given by the Russian astronomer V. Ya. * tent * or from are. Al-Minhar Al-Ghurab - *crow's beak* In. Alchiba β Kratz γ Hyena δ Algorab ε Minkar 12. HERCULES (Hercules) α Ras Algeti Ar. *head of a kneeling [human]* β Cornephoros γ δ Sarin 13. HYDRA (Hydra) α Alphard ar. *single*, or possibly from ar. Al Faqar Al Shuja - * backbone of the snake * in. modern Heart of the Hydra or Heart of the Great Serpent 14. DOVE (Columba) α Fact 15. HOUNDS (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 Karl) 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. *ear* β Alaraf γ Porrima δ Auva ε Vindemiatrix gr. *grower*, the name of the star has been mentioned since ancient times ζ Heze 17. DOLPHIN (Delphinus) α Sualocin inverted Nikolaus, the name of the star was given by the astronomer of the Palermo Observatory Nikolai Venator β Rotanev 18. DRAGON (Draco) α Tuban ar. *dragon* β Rastaban γ Ethamine δ Altais ι Ed Asih? 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 the snake charmer * β Kolb-ar-rai in. Tselbalrai η Subic GL699 Flying Barnard Named after the American astronomer who discovered the fact of the unusually fast movement of this star among other stars. 26. SNAKE (Serpens) α Unuk al Hey ar. Unuk al Khayyah - * neck of the snake * in. Unuk al Hai dr. Kor Serpentis θ Alua 27. GOLDFISH (Dorado) 28. INDIAN (Indus) 29. CASSIOPEIA (Cassiopeia) α Shedar ar. Al-Sadr - *chest* β Kaf γ Tsikh δ Rukba ε Segin η Ahir 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. *awesome* v Novyoub? 32. CAPRICORN (Capricornus) α Algedi ar. Al Jadi - *forehead* in. Giedi β Dabi in. Dabih γ Nashira δ Deneb Algedi 33. KOMPAS (Pyxis) 34. KORM (Puppis) ζ Naos 35. SWAN (Cygnus) α Deneb ar. Al Dhanab al Dajadnah - *chicken tail* β Albireo γ Sadr ε Hyenas 36. LION (Leo) α Regular 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. VOX (Vilpecula) 40. Ursa Minor (Ursa Minor) α Polar Rus. other Kinosura. The Arabs have * goat * β Kokhab ar. *northern* γ Ferkad δ Yildun β and ε Khorevty 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 Gomeis 44. MICROSCOPE 45. FLY (Musca) 46. PUMP (Antila) 47. SQUARE (Norma) 48. ARIES α Gamal β Sheratan γ Mesartchim 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 Tabit 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 Bahham μ Sadalbari 55. PERSEUS (Perseus) α Mirfak β Algol κ Misam ο Atik ξ Menkib 56. FURNACE (Fornax) 57. BIRD OF PARADISE (Apus) 58. CANCER (Cancer) α Akubens β Tarf 59. CHISEL (Caelum) 60. FISHES (Pisces) α Alrisha 61. LYNX (Lynx) 62. NORTHERN CROWN (Corona Borealis) α Alphekka Gemma β Nusakan 63. SEXTAN (Sextans) 64. NET (Reticulum) 65. SCORPIO (Scorpius) α Antares β Akrab δ Jubba θ Sargas λ Shaula 66. Sculptor (Sculptor) 67. TABLE MOUNT ( Mensa) 68. ARROW (Sagitta) 69. SAGITTARIUS (Sagittarius) α Al-Rishi (Al-Rami, Rukbat) from are. Rukbat alb Rami - *knee of the arrow* δ Kaus Meridionalis in. Akrab ε Caus Australis ζ Ascella (Askella) λ Caus Borealis σ Nunki 70. TELESCOPE (Telescopium) 71. TAURUS (Taurus) α Aldebaran ar. Al Dabaran - * next, following * in. Ox's Eye β Nat η Alcyone (Alcyone) - from the Pleiades Pleiades: q - Taygeta, 17 - Electra, 20 - Maya, 27 - Atlas, 28 Pleion, 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: Feropa, Clay. Evdora, Faeo - γ, δ, ε, σ Taurus. Their names are mentioned by Hesiod in the 7th century BC. 72. TRIANGULUM 73. TUCAN (Tucana) 74. PHOENIX (Phoenix) α Ankaa 75. CHAMELEON (Chamaeleon) 76. CENTAURUS (Centaurus) α A Toliman (Rigl Centaurus - Ar. *centaur foot*) α B Proxima ( Nearest) β Hadar (Algena, Agena) θ Menkent 77. CEPHEI (Cepheus) α Alderamin ar. Dhira Al Amin - *right hand* β Alfirk (Alfecca) γ Alrai (Arlana) μ Erakis (Pomegranate) the name was given by W. Herschel 78. COMPASS (Circinus) 79. CLOCK (Horologium) 80. BOWL (Crater) α Alkes ar. *cup* 81. SHIELD (Scutum) 82. ERIDANUS (Eridanus) α Achernar ar. *end of the river* β Course in. Akar γ Zaurak in. Zaymak δ Rana θ Akamar in. Beid? 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 Akruks β Bekruks in. Mimosa γ Gacrux in. Kostrix δ Vetrix 87. SOUTHERN TRIANGLE (Triangulum Australe) α Atria 88. LIZARD (Lacerta) According to the list, there are 203 stars that have names and also "second", "other" names of stars of a different origin - 27 (without changing the pronunciation). There are 230 names of stars in total.
Until recently, stars didn't have names. Yes, yes, there were no official names of the stars, there were only unofficial, historically established ones. However, in 2016, the IAU, the only organization that regulates the names of astronomical objects, changed its mind about the names of stars and decided to give them.
But I will start with the historical names of the stars, or rather those that have developed in the European tradition.
And China with its astornomy?
I do not consider Chinese names: China had its own well-developed astronomical tradition, and I hope that it will still find its conscientious descriptor.
Historical names of stars
Although there are very few common names for stars - a couple of dozen - meticulous lovers of rarities can count several hundred named stars. There are about 500 of them on this site, and it’s not at all a fact that I took them all into account. Most of these stars have alternative historical names, and the vast majority - the variability of reading names.
The names of the stars appeared at different stages of the centuries-old history of astronomical observations, but they are distributed along the time axis extremely unevenly: the vast majority of names appeared among the Arabs of the Middle Ages. However, the first names of the stars began to be given much earlier.
Pre-Greek period
Of course, proper names were given to the stars from the most hoary antiquity; of course, in the main historical centers of astronomical science, in Egypt and Asia Minor, there were names for many stars and asterisms, and specialists in the history of astronomy in these regions have restored some of their hypothetical names.
Nevertheless, among the modern names of such ancient names of stars, there are extremely few - about 20. Among them there are even Sanskrit names (however, doubtful), but most of the indicated regions: Akkadian, Assyrian, Sumerian, Coptic, Semitic ...
Such names include, for example, the well-known Sirius and Canopus, which probably go back to ancient roots.
Despite the fact that the Greeks learned basic astronomical knowledge in Babylon, they did not remember the names of the stars.
Antiquity
Greece
Probably the Greeks were not very interested in individual stars: there are a few proper names of stars that they used. Some of them are borrowed from predecessors, others are just duplicates of the names of the corresponding constellations, and only a few are original.
Gemin of Rhodes
Somewhat later, new northern constellations appear - and then often disappear - huddled between the classical ones: their existence is occasionally reflected in the often phantom names of stars: say, Yanina in the Shield.
The history of star naming freezes.
Newest time
After Bayer and Flamsteed, the names of stars are no longer needed. Those isolated cases of the original names of the current time are associated with specific astronomical personalities who studied this or that star in detail: Barnard's flying star ... or with the uniqueness of the physical features of stars: Proxima, Garnet, etc.
Several of the most recent names are almost anecdotal: see, for example, the history of the trinity of stars Regor (γ Sails), Dnokes (κ Ursa Major) and Navi (γ Cassiopeia).
"Named" stars
- Barnard's Flying Star (Ophiuchus
- Herschel's pomegranate star (Cepheus) is one of the reddest stars;
- the star of Leiten (Small Dog) is one of the nearest stars;
- Teegarden's star (Aries) - high own speed;
- Kapteyn's star (Painter) - high own speed;
- the star of van Maanen (Pisces) is one of the nearest white dwarfs;
- the star of Ksheminsky (Centaurus) - the visible component of the pair to the neutron star-pulsar;
- Przybylsky's star (Centaurus) - a unique chemical spectral composition;
- object Sakurai (Sagittarius) - "slow nova", named after an amateur;
- object Kuvano (Chanterelle) - new-like;
- Popper's star (Centaurus) - the first helium star;
- van Bisbrook's star (Eagle) - a red dwarf, a component of a binary system, of extremely low mass;
- star Plasketta (Unicorn);
- Babcock's star (Lizard) - extreme magnetic field;
- Campbell's star
In 2016, the IAU formed a working group called WGSN to "legalize" traditional star names and catalog official star names. The first bulletin with a list of titles was published in July 2016, the second in November.
Why is it needed
So, stars (unlike other astronomical objects such as constellations, asteroids and exoplanets) did not have official names. But what about Sirius, Vega, Capella? .. These are traditional, historical names that are used informally by astronomers, like common slang. Although they are quite applicable in scientific texts. The MAC decided to formalize this situation.
This site lists over 500 stars with personal names. But there are more names themselves, probably about 700, because many stars have different names, for example, the record holder for the number of names, Alpha Carina has nine different names: the well-known and often used Canopus, but also Suheil, Alsahl, Pandrozus, Vazn, Terrestris, Proklos, Gubernaculum, Ptolemeon. In most cases, the names of stars that have come down to us from the depths of centuries and have undergone various linguistic adventures have multiple reading options: for example, the Ursa Major gamma is found in the following forms: Fegda, Fad, Fehda, Fekda, Fekha.
On the other hand, traditional names are not unique: the same name is sometimes applied to different stars! Here is the record holder Deneb (which means "tail" in Arabic) is found in application to:
- β China
- η China
- ι China
- α Cygnus (Denebol)
- δ Dolphin
- ε Dolphin
- β Leo
- δ Orla (Deneb Okab)
- ε Orla (Deneb Okab northern)
- ζ Orla (Deneb Okab southern)
- μ1 Scorpio (Denebakrab, Deneb Akrab - the tail of a scorpion).
This zoo will have to be dealt with by the MAC working group.
How does this happen
The first step is for the WGSN to approve existing traditional star names, and then to formulate requirements for new names, should they be required. The group's bulletin articulated its area of interest: stars proper, components of stellar systems, excluding exoplanets, which are dealt with by another working group (the separation of exoplanets and stellar components of systems is still to be probably clarified), and stellar remnants, excluding nebulae.
WGSN declares a careful approach to the problem, and rightly so: at the very least, modern names of stars began to appear more than two thousand years ago, and such a well-deserved tradition should be treated with due respect. Until 2019, the group only analyzes the current state of affairs and approves the existing traditional names of the stars. In the future, she will formulate requirements for new names of stars. In addition, for the first time, only bright stars will be named, namely those included in the Yale catalog of bright stars (up to magnitude 6.5). It must be said that WGSN has already violated the declared rule by approving the name Proxima in Centaurus.
Naming rules
Based on the experience of the IAU in the field of object naming, WGSN proposes to be guided by the principles:
- priority of traditional names,
- priority of short names (4-16 characters), preferably in one word, with a simple pronunciation in most languages,
- abbreviations are not allowed
- names of people as names are prohibited, with the exception of those recognized by the entire world community (??? - tau),
- political and militaristic names and terms are prohibited,
- commercial names are prohibited,
- pet names are prohibited,
- offensive names are prohibited.
- names are registered in Latin, with a capital letter, punctuation marks are prohibited, diacritics are allowed.
In addition, WGSN accepts as official names of star systems derived from the naming of exoplanets, and this is handled by another IAU group. It seems to me that this blurs the requirements of WGSN, but it is probably the only formally correct solution to maintain the status quo.
Star name catalog
To date, WGSN has named 227 stars - the official list in symbado compatible format. Most of them, 209 are traditional names, usually medieval Arabic origin. Another 18 star names were included "after the fact": they have already been assigned to the stars that have exoplanets, whose names are handled by another MAC group.
In the Catalogs section.
Not everyone knows the names of stars and constellations, but many have heard the most popular of them.
Constellations are expressive star groups, and there is a special magic in the names of stars and constellations.
The information that tens of thousands of years ago, even before the emergence of the first civilizations, people began to give them names - no one doubts. The cosmos is filled with heroes and monsters from legends, and the sky of our northern latitudes is mainly inhabited by the characters of the Greek epic.
Photos of constellations in the sky and their names
48 ancient constellations are the decoration of the celestial sphere. Each has a legend associated with it. And no wonder - the stars played a big role in people's lives. Navigation, large-scale agriculture would be impossible without a good knowledge of the celestial bodies.
Of all the constellations, non-setting ones are distinguished, located at 40 degrees of latitude or higher. They are always visible to the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere, regardless of the time of year.
5 main non-setting constellations in alphabetical order - The Dragon, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major and Minor, Cepheus . They are visible all year round, especially well in the south of Russia. Although at northern latitudes the circle of non-setting stars is wider.
It is significant that the objects of the constellations are not necessarily located nearby. To an earthly observer, the surface of the sky looks flat, but in fact some stars are much farther than others. Therefore, it would be incorrect to write “the ship made a jump into the constellation Microscope” (there is such a thing in the southern hemisphere). "The ship can make a jump towards the Microscope" - so it will be correct.
The brightest star in the sky
The brightest is Sirius in Canis Major. At our northern latitudes, it is visible only in winter. One of the closest large cosmic bodies to the sun, its light flies to us for only 8.6 years.
The Sumerians and the ancient Egyptians had the status of a deity. 3,000 years ago, the Egyptian priests, by the ascent of Sirius, accurately determined the time of the flood of the Nile.
Sirius is a double star. The visible component (Sirius A) is about 2 times more massive than the Sun and shines 25 times stronger. Sirius B is a white dwarf with a mass almost like that of the sun, with a brightness of a quarter of the sun.
Sirius B is possibly the most massive white dwarf known to astronomers. Ordinary dwarfs of this class are twice as light.
Arcturus in Bootes is the brightest in the northern latitudes and is one of the most unusual luminaries. Age - 7.3 billion years, almost half the age of the universe. With a mass approximately equal to the sun, it is 25 times larger, since it consists of the lightest elements - hydrogen, helium. Apparently, when Arcturus formed, there were not so many metals and other heavy elements in the universe.
Like a king in exile, Arcturus moves through space surrounded by a retinue of 52 smaller stars. Perhaps they are all part of the galaxy that our Milky Way swallowed up a very, very long time ago.
Arcturus is almost 37 light-years away - also not so far, on a cosmic scale. It belongs to the class of red giants and shines 110 times stronger than the Sun. The picture shows the comparative sizes of Arcturus and the Sun.
Names of stars by color
The color of a star depends on the temperature, and the temperature depends on the mass and age. The hottest are young massive blue giants, their surface temperature reaches 60,000 Kelvin, and their mass is up to 60 solar masses. The class B stars are not much inferior, the brightest representative of which is Spica, the alpha constellation Virgo.
The coldest are small, old red dwarfs. On average, the surface temperature is 2-3 thousand Kelvin, and the mass is one third of the sun. The diagram clearly shows how the color depends on the size.
By temperature and color, stars are divided into 7 spectral classes, indicated in the astronomical description of the object in Latin letters.
Beautiful names of stars
The language of modern astronomy is dry and practical; among the atlases you will not find stars with names. But the ancient people named the brightest and most important night luminaries. Most of the names are of Arabic origin, but there are also those that go back to hoary antiquity, to the times of the ancient Akkadians and Sumerians.
Polar. Dim, the last in the handle of the bucket of Ursa Minor, a guiding sign for all sailors of antiquity. Polar almost does not move and always points to the north. Every people in the northern hemisphere has a name for her. "Iron stake" of the ancient Finns, "Tethered horse" of the Khakasses, "Hole in the sky" of the Evenks. The ancient Greeks, famous travelers and sailors, called the polar "Kinosura", which translates as "dog's tail".
Sirius. The name, apparently, came from ancient Egypt, where the star was associated with the hypostasis of the goddess Isis. In ancient Rome, it was called Vacation, and our "vacation" comes straight from this word. The fact is that Sirius appeared in Rome at dawn, in the summer, during the days of the greatest heat, when the life of the city died down.
Aldebaran. In its movement it always follows the Pleiades cluster. In Arabic it means "follower". The Greeks and Romans called Aldebaran "The Eye of the Bull".
The Pioneer 10 probe, launched in 1972, is moving just in the direction of Aldebaran. The estimated time of arrival is 2 million years.
Vega. Arab astronomers called it the “Falling Eagle” (An nahr Al Wagi). In ancient Rome, the day when she crossed the horizon before sunrise was considered the last day of summer.
Vega was the first (after the Sun) photographed star. It happened almost 200 years ago in 1850, at the Oxford Observatory.
Betelgeuse. The Arabic designation is Yad Al Juza (twin's hand). In the Middle Ages, due to confusion in translation, the word was read as "Bel Juza", and "Betelgeuse" arose.
Fantasies love stars. One of the characters in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy hails from a small planet in the Betelgeuse system.
Fomalhaut. Alpha Southern Pisces. In Arabic - "Fish Mouth". 18th brightest night luminary. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of the veneration of Fomalhaut as early as the prehistoric period, 2.5 thousand years ago.
Canopus. One of the few stars whose name does not have Arabic roots. According to the Greek version, the word goes back to Canopus, the helmsman of King Menelaus.
The planet Arrakis, from the famous series of books by F. Herbert, revolves around Canopus.
How many constellations are in the sky
As it was established, people united stars into groups as early as 15,000 years ago. In the first written sources, that is, 2 millennia ago, 48 constellations are described. They are still in the sky, only the big Argo no longer exists - it was divided into 4 smaller ones - Stern, Sail, Keel and Compass.
Thanks to the development of navigation, in the 15th century, new constellations begin to appear. Fanciful figures adorn the sky - Peacock, Telescope, Indian. The exact year when the last of them appeared is known - 1763.
At the beginning of the last century, a general revision of the constellations took place. Astronomers counted 88 star groups - 28 in the northern hemisphere and 45 in the southern. The 13 constellations of the zodiac belt stand apart. And this is the final result, astronomers do not plan to add new ones.
Constellations of the northern hemisphere - list with pictures
Unfortunately, it is impossible to see all 28 constellations in one night, the celestial mechanics is inexorable. But in return we have a pleasant variety. Winter and summer skies look different.
Let's talk about the most interesting and noticeable constellations.
Big Dipper- the main landmark of the night sky. With it, it is easy to find other astronomical objects.
tail tip Ursa Minor- the famous Pole Star. Celestial bears have long tails, unlike earthly relatives.
The Dragon- a large constellation between Ursa. It is impossible not to mention the μ Dragon which is called Arrakis, which means “dancer” in ancient Arabic. Kuma (ν Dragon) - double, which is observed with ordinary binoculars.
It is known that ρ Cassiopeia - supergiant, it is hundreds of thousands of times brighter than the Sun. In 1572, the last explosion to date took place in Cassiopeia.
The ancient Greeks did not agree on whose Lyra. Different legends give it to different heroes - Apollo, Orpheus or Orion. The notorious Vega enters Lyra.
Orion- the most noticeable astronomical formation of our sky. The large stars of Orion's belt are called the three kings or magi. The famous Betelgeuse is located here.
Cepheus can be observed all year round. In 8,000 years, one of its stars, Alderamin, will become the new polar star.
IN Andromeda lies the nebula M31. This is a neighboring galaxy, visible to the naked eye on a clear night. The Andromeda Nebula is 2 million light years away from us.
Beautifully named constellation Veronica's hair owes the Egyptian queens, who sacrificed their hair to the gods. In the direction of the Coma Veronica is the north pole of our galaxy.
Alpha Bootes famous Arcturus. Behind Bootes, at the very edge of the observable universe, is the galaxy Egsy8p7. This is one of the most distant objects known to astronomers - it is 13.2 billion light years away.
Constellations for kids - all the fun
Curious young astronomers will be interested to learn about the constellations and see them in the sky. Parents can arrange a night tour for their children, talking about the amazing science of astronomy and seeing some of the constellations with their own eyes with the children. These short and understandable stories will surely appeal to little explorers.
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
In ancient Greece, the gods turned everyone into animals, and threw anyone into the sky. That's what they were. Once the wife of Zeus turned a nymph named Callisto into a bear. And the nymph had a little son who did not know anything about the fact that his mother became a bear.
When the son grew up, he became a hunter and went to the forest with a bow and arrows. And it so happened that he met a mother bear. When the hunter raised his bow and fired, Zeus stopped time and threw everyone together - the she-bear, the hunter and the arrow into the sky.
Since then, the Big Dipper has been walking in the sky along with the little one, into which the son-hunter has turned. And the arrow also remained in heaven, only it will never hit anywhere - such is the order in heaven.
The Big Dipper is always easy to find in the sky, it looks like a big bucket with a handle. And if you found the Big Dipper, then the Little Dipper is walking nearby. And although Ursa Minor is not so noticeable, there is a way to find it: the two extreme stars in the bucket will indicate the exact direction to the polar star - this is the tail of Ursa Minor.
polar Star
All the stars are slowly spinning, only the Polar one stands still. She always points to the north, for which she is called a guiding one.
In ancient times, people sailed on ships with large sails, but without a compass. And when the ship is on the high seas and the coast is not visible, you can easily get lost.
When this happened, the experienced captain waited for the night to see the North Star and find a northerly direction. And knowing the direction to the north, you can easily determine where the rest of the world is, and where to sail in order to bring the ship to its native port.
The Dragon
Among the night lights in the sky lives a star dragon. According to legend, the dragon participated in the wars of the gods and titans, at the very dawn of time. The goddess of war, Athena, in the heat of battle, took and threw a huge dragon into the sky, just between Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
The dragon is a large constellation: 4 stars form its head, 14 form its tail. Its stars are not very bright. It must be because the Dragon is already old. After all, a lot of time has passed since the dawn of time, even for the Dragon.
Orion
Orion was the son of Zeus. In his life, he accomplished many feats, became famous as a great hunter, became the favorite of Artemis, the goddess of hunting. Orion liked to brag about his strength and luck, but one day he was stung by a scorpion. Artemis rushed to Zeus and asked to save her pet. Zeus threw Orion into the sky, where the great hero of ancient Greece still lives.
Orion is the most remarkable constellation in the northern sky. It is large and consists of bright stars. In winter, Orion is fully visible and easy to find: look for a large hourglass with three bright bluish stars in the middle. These stars are called Orion's belt, their names are Alnitak (left), Alnilam (middle) and Mintak (right).
Knowing Orion, it is easier to navigate the rest of the constellations and find the stars.
Sirius
Knowing the position of Orion, one can easily find the famous Sirius. You need to draw a line to the right of Orion's belt. Just look for the brightest star. It is important to remember that it is visible in the northern sky only in winter.
Sirius is the brightest in the sky. Included in the constellation Canis Major, a faithful satellite of Orion.
There are actually two stars in Sirius circling each other. One star is hot and bright, we can see its light. And the other half is so dim that you can't see it with a regular telescope. But once upon a time, many millions of years ago, these parts were one huge whole. If we lived in those days, Sirius would shine for us 20 times stronger!
Q&A rubric
Which star's name means "brilliant, sparkling"?
— Sirius. It is so bright that it can be seen even during the day.
What constellations can be seen with the naked eye?
- Everything is possible. Constellations were invented by ancient people, long before the invention of the telescope. In addition, without having a telescope with you, you can even see planets, for example, Venus, Mercury and.
What is the largest constellation?
— Hydras. It is so long that it does not fit entirely in the northern sky and goes beyond the southern horizon. The length of the Hydra is almost a quarter of the circumference of the horizon.
What is the smallest constellation?
- The smallest, but at the same time the brightest - the Southern Cross. It is located in the southern hemisphere.
What constellation does the Sun belong to?
The Earth revolves around the Sun, and we see how in a year it passes through as many as 12 constellations, one for each month. They are called the Belt of the Zodiac.
Conclusion
The stars have long fascinated people. And although the development of astronomy allows us to look further and further into the depths of space, the charm of the ancient names of the stars does not go anywhere.
When we look up into the night sky, we see the past, ancient myths and legends, and the future, because one day people will go to the stars.
There are 88 constellations in the sky
The black, bottomless night sky, dotted with myriads of stars, hypnotizes, makes you remember the infinity of the Universe. Who, looking in childhood at the stars of the Milky Way scattered across the sky, did not ask questions like:
- What are these stars?
- Why are they so located and why do the stars twinkle?
- Where did the names of stars and constellations come from?
The beautiful names of constellations and stars have their origins in the mythology of ancient peoples. Therefore, many famous constellations were given the names of mythical characters.
Constellations with the names of the signs of the zodiac
Constellation Taurus
Studying the photos and their names of the constellations in the sky, you can start with the constellation Taurus, which in ancient times was associated with the spring revival of nature and the beginning of the year. In those days, cattle breeding was the most important activity of people, so they took the calf (bull) to the constellation, the appearance of which in the spring sky meant the arrival of heat.
Aries constellation
Parents, showing in childhood to their children the constellations for children in pictures, pointing to the constellation Aries (ram), at the same time told a wonderful myth about the Golden Fleece and the travels of the Argonauts.
Constellation Gemini
It is named after the Argonauts of the Dioscuri - Pollux and Castor, whom Leda gave birth to from Zeus himself. The heads of the twins are the two brightest stars in this constellation. This couple was considered among the ancient Greeks as the patroness of sailors caught in a storm.
Constellations of Scorpio and Orion
Neptune had a son, the giant Orion, an excellent hunter. But he boasted too much about his victories over animals, for which Hera sent a scorpion against him. Zeus placed Orion in the sky so that the scorpion could not overtake him. Therefore, it is impossible to see these two constellations in the sky at the same time - this is easy to check by looking at the pictures of the constellation.
Constellation Cancer
This is a very inconspicuous constellation. But once upon a time, people used it to determine the longest day of the year - the summer solstice. On this day, the luminary rises as far as possible to the north, after which it begins to recede, and the daylight hours begin to decrease.
Constellation Leo
Also associated with the summer solstice. Long before the constellation of Cancer was chosen as a landmark, people determined a significant day precisely by this constellation, because the lion is a symbol of fire.
Constellation Virgo
It is adjacent to the Lion, and the ancients saw in their neighborhood the figure of the mythical Sphinx.
Constellation Libra
Most likely, this symbol of balance was the mark of the autumnal equinox.
Constellation Sagittarius
The sun sets here in winter, so in the constellation they saw the change of one year to another. The shooter has two faces:
- one is turned to the future;
- the other is turned to the past.
It is in the direction of Sagittarius that the center of our Milky Way galaxy is located.
Constellation Capricorn
This mythical creature has a goat body and head, and a fish tail. God Pan - the patron of shepherds, forests and fields, frightened by the hundred-headed Typhon, rushed into the water in a panic, after which a fish tail grew in him. Zeus, taking pity, turned the poor fellow into the constellation Capricorn, portending storms and heavy rainfall.
Constellation Aquarius
In Egypt, it rose with the rise of the Nile. The Egyptians believed that Khnum, the god of water, was pouring water from a huge ladle into the river.
Constellation Pisces
Here you can see the contours of a pair of fish tied with a ribbon. The Phoenicians depicted the goddess of fertility with a fish tail. The Phoenicians traded in fishing, which was most successful when the Sun passed through this constellation.
Constellation stories intertwined with myths
Constellation ship Argo
There was once such a constellation, but later it was divided into separate constellations:
- Stern;
- Keel;
- Sail;
- then Compass was added.
Constellations Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and Bootes
Having studied the pictures of the constellation Ursa Major, you can recall different versions of the origin of the names of both Ursa, for example, this one:
Lycaon, king of Arcadia, had an amazingly beautiful daughter, Callisto. So beautiful that Zeus himself was tempted by her, who appeared before her in the form of the handsome Apollo. But his wife Hera, learning about this, became angry and turned the beauty into a terrible bear. Somehow, the son of this sin - Arkad, returning from hunting, saw a wild bear near the house and wanted to kill her, but Zeus prevented the murder of his mother, taking her to heaven, where she turned into the Big Dipper. And Ursa Minor, the Thunderer made his beloved dog Callisto's beloved.
So that Arkad would always take care of his mother, the supreme god would shelter him in the sky, where he became the constellation Bootes. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the name of the constellations and stars in the spring sky, because the main star of Bootes Arcturus is translated as "guardian of the bear."
Constellation Cassiopeia
According to ancient Greek mythology, Ethiopia was once ruled by the ruler Cepheus and his wife Cassiopeia, who had a beautiful daughter, Andromeda. One day, the queen inadvertently boasted to the sea goddesses - Nereids of the beauty of herself and her daughter. Those, being themselves beauties, were indignant and began to demand from Father Poseidon to punish Cassiopeia. He sent a monstrous whale to the country, which began to devastate it. The royal couple chose their daughter as an atoning sacrifice. She was chained to the coastal rocks, where the denouement was to come. Fortunately, at that moment Perseus was rushing over Ethiopia on a winged Pegasus with the just severed head of the Gorgon Medusa. Seeing that the ugly monster was about to devour the beauty, Perseus took out the head of the Gorgon and showed it to the monster, who instantly petrified from this. So Perseus saved Andromeda and, of course, received her as a wife as a token of gratitude. As a result of this story, the following constellation names appeared in the sky:
- Cassiopeia;
- Andromeda;
- Cepheus;
- Perseus;
- Pegasus.
Later constellation names
Exploring what constellations are, their pictures and names, you can see that the constellations that appeared already in modern times changed the subject of names: Compasses, Pump, Compass, Lizard, Altar, Fly, Unicorn, Giraffe.
Others are associated with the era of geographical discoveries: Triangle, Southern Cross, Indian, Dolphin, Flying Fish, Peacock.
How many constellations can you find in the sky? Tell about it in
Mankind has always looked to the sky. The stars have long been the guides of sailors, and they remain so today. A constellation is considered a group of celestial bodies, which are united by one name. However, they can be located at different distances from each other. Moreover, in ancient times, the name of the constellations often depended on the outlines taken by the celestial bodies. More details about this will be discussed in this article.
General information
There are eighty-eight registered constellations in total. Of these, only forty-seven have been known to mankind since ancient times. We should say thanks to the astronomer Claudius Ptolemy, who systematized the known constellations of the starry sky in the treatise Almagest. The rest appeared at a time when a person began to intensively study the world around him, travel more and write down his knowledge. So, other groups of objects appeared in the sky.
The constellations in the sky and their names (photos of some of them will be presented in the article) are quite diverse. Many have several names, as well as ancient legends of origin. For example, there is a rather interesting legend about the appearance of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor in the sky. In those days when the gods ruled the world, the most powerful of them was Zeus. And he fell in love with the beautiful nymph Callisto, and he took her as his wife. In order to protect her from Hera, who is jealous and dangerous in her anger, Zeus took her beloved to heaven, turning her into a bear. So it turned out the constellation Ursa Major. The dog Callisto became Ursa Minor.
Zodiac constellations of the solar system: names
The most famous constellations for humanity today are the zodiac. Since ancient times, those who meet on the path of our Sun during its annual journey (the ecliptic) have been considered as such. This is a rather wide strip of celestial space, divided into twelve segments.
Constellation name:
- Aries;
- Taurus;
- Twins;
- Virgo;
- Capricorn;
- Aquarius;
- Fishes;
- Scales;
- Scorpion;
- Sagittarius;
- Ophiuchus.
As you can see, unlike the signs of the Zodiac, there is another constellation here - the thirteenth. This happened because over time the shape of celestial bodies changes. The signs of the Zodiac were formed a long time ago, when the sky map was somewhat different. To date, the position of the stars has undergone some changes. So, on the path of the Sun, another constellation appeared - Ophiuchus. In its order, it stands just after Scorpio.
The starting point of the solar journey is considered to be the spring equinox. At this moment, our luminary passes along the celestial equator, and the day becomes equal to the night (there is also the opposite point - autumn).
Constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
One of the most famous constellations in our firmament is Ursa Major and its accompanying Minor. But why did it happen that not the most pretentious constellation became so important? The fact is that in the composition of the cluster of celestial bodies Ursa Minor there is the North Star, which was a guiding light for many generations of sailors, and it remains so today.
This is due to its practical immobility. It is located near the North Pole, and the rest of the stars in the sky revolve around it. This feature of it was noticed by our ancestors, which was reflected in its name among different peoples (Golden Stake, Heavenly Stake, North Star, etc.).
Of course, there are other main objects in this constellation of the starry sky, the names of which are listed below:
- Kohab (Beta);
- Ferhad (Gamma);
- Delta;
- Epsilon;
- Zeta;
If we talk about the Big Dipper, then it more clearly resembles a bucket in its shape than its small counterpart. According to estimates, only with the naked eye in the constellation there are about one hundred and twenty-five stars. However, there are seven main ones:
- Dubhe (Alpha);
- Merak (Beta);
- Fekda (Gamma);
- Megrets (Delta);
- Aliot (Epsilon);
- Mizar (Zeta);
- Benetnash (This).
Ursa Major has nebulae and galaxies, as do numerous other star constellations. Their names are shown below:
- Spiral galaxy M81;
- Nebula "Owl";
- Spiral galaxy "Pinwheel;
- Barred spiral galaxy M109.
The most amazing stars
Of course, our sky has quite remarkable constellations (photos and names of some are presented in the article). However, in addition to them, there are other amazing stars. For example, in the constellation Canis Major, which is considered ancient, since our ancestors knew about it, there is the star Sirius. Many legends and myths are associated with it. In ancient Egypt, the movement of this star was very carefully monitored, there are even suggestions by some scientists that the African pyramids are aimed specifically at it with their tip.
Sirius is one of the closest stars to Earth today. Its characteristics exceed solar twice. It is believed that if Sirius were in the place of our luminary, then life on the planet in the form it is now would hardly be possible. With such intense heat, all the oceans from the surface would boil away.
A rather interesting star that can be seen in the sky of Antarctica is Alpha Centauri. This is the closest similar luminary to Earth. In its structure, this body contains three stars, two of which may well have terrestrial-type planets. The third, Proxima Centauri, according to all calculations, cannot have such, since it is rather small and cold.
Major and minor constellations
It should be noted that today there are fixed large and small constellations. Photos and their names will be presented below. One of the largest can safely be called the Hydra. This constellation occupies an area of the starry sky of 1302.84 square degrees. Obviously, that is why it received such a name, in its entirety it resembles a thin and long strip, which occupies a fourth of the stellar space. The main place where the Hydra is located is south of the line of the celestial equator.
According to its stellar composition, Hydra is rather dim. It includes only two worthy objects that stand out significantly in the sky - these are Alphard and Gamma Hydra. You can also note the open cluster called M48. The second largest constellation belongs to Virgo, which is slightly inferior in size. Therefore, the representative of the space community described below is truly small.
So, the smallest constellation in the sky is the Southern Cross, which is located in the Southern Hemisphere. It is considered an analogue of the Big Dipper in the North. Its area is sixty-eight square degrees. According to ancient astronomical chronicles, it used to be part of the Centauri, and only in 1589 it was singled out separately. As part of the Southern Cross, even with the naked eye, about thirty stars are visible.
In addition, there is a dark nebula in the constellation called the Coal Sack. It is interesting in that the processes of star formation can take place in it. Another unusual object is the open cluster of celestial bodies - NGC 4755.
Seasonal constellations
It should also be noted that the name of the constellations in the sky also changes from time to time. For example, in summer you can clearly see:
- Lyra;
- Eagle;
- Hercules;
- Snake;
- Chanterelle;
- Dolphin etc.
The winter sky is characterized by other constellations. For instance:
- Big Dog;
- Small Dog;
- Auriga;
- Unicorn;
- Eridan and others
The autumn sky is the following constellations:
- Pegasus;
- Andromeda;
- Perseus;
- Triangle;
- Keith and others
And the following constellations open the spring sky:
- Small Lion;
- Crow;
- Bowl;
- Hounds Dogs, etc.
constellations of the northern hemisphere
Each hemisphere of the Earth has its own celestial objects. The names of the stars and the constellations they belong to are quite different. So, let's consider which of them are characteristic of the northern hemisphere:
- Andromeda;
- Auriga;
- Twins;
- Veronica's hair;
- Giraffe;
- Cassiopeia;
- North Crown and others.
constellations of the southern hemisphere
The names of the stars and the constellations they belong to are also different for the southern hemisphere. Let's consider some of them:
- Crow;
- Altar;
- Peacock;
- Octant;
- Bowl;
- Phoenix;
- Centaurus;
- Chameleon and others.
Truly, all the constellations in the sky and their names (photo below) are quite unique. Many have their own special history, beautiful legend or unusual objects. The latter include the constellations Dorado and Toucan. The first is the Large Magellanic Cloud, and the second is the Small. These two objects are truly amazing.
The large cloud in its appearance is very similar to the Segner's wheel, and the Small cloud looks like a punching bag. They are quite large in terms of their area in the sky, and observers note their similarity with the Milky Way (although they are much smaller in real size). They seem to be part of it, which separated in the process. However, in their composition they are very similar to our galaxy, in addition, the Clouds are the systems of stars closest to us.
The surprising factor is that our galaxy and Clouds can rotate around the same center of gravity, which forms a triple star system. True, each of this trinity has its own star clusters, nebulae and other space objects.
Conclusion
So, as you can see, the name of the constellations is quite diverse and unique. Each of them has its own interesting objects, stars. Of course, today we do not know even half of all the secrets of the cosmic order, but there is hope for the future. The human mind is quite inquisitive, and if we do not die in a global catastrophe, then there is the possibility of conquering and exploring outer space, building new and more powerful instruments and ships to gain knowledge. In this case, we will not only know the name of the constellations, but we will also comprehend much more.