This is because even the earliest cavemen would look up at the sky and wonder about what makes it run. People saw that the motions of the stars were regular and predictable. The first use for Constellations was probably religious. People thought that the Gods lived in the heavens and that they created them. No …
Its name means “the crab” in Latin. Cancer is the faintest of the 12 zodiac constellations. Its symbol is ♋. The constellation was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in his Almagest in the 2nd century CE. In Greek mythology, the constellation Cancer is associated with the crab sent by Hera to defeat Heracles. …
Polaris, designated Alpha Ursae Minoris ( α Ursae Minoris, abbreviated Alpha UMi, α UMi), commonly the North Star or Pole Star, is the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star. What constellation represents the north star? The north …
Circumpolar stars always reside above the horizon, and for that reason, never rise nor set. All the stars at the Earth’s North Pole and South Pole are circumpolar. Meanwhile, no star is circumpolar at the equator. Which constellations are circumpolar? Circumpolar constellations seen from the northern hemisphere Ursa Major. You might not be aware of …
Cygnus, the Swan, is one of the most recognizable summer constellations. Its brightest stars form an asterism known as the Northern Cross, which is prominent in the evening sky in the summer months. Deneb, the brightest star in the constellation and one of the brightest northern stars, marks the Swan’s tail. The Summer Triangle and …
A constellation is a cluster of stars in the sky that are grouped together in a particular pattern and which have been given a name. The most famous constellations come mainly from the classical Greek tradition, such as Cassiopeia, Hercules, Pegasus or Ursa Major. However, none of these constellations are part of the zodiac. What …
Gemini constellation is located in the northern celestial hemisphere. Its name means “the twins” in Latin. The constellation represents the twins Castor and Pollux (Polydeuces), also known as the Dioscuri in ancient times, in Greek mythology. Gemini (constellation) Gemini is one of the constellations of the zodiac. It was one of the 48 constellations described …
Leo is a large equatorial constellation which represents a lion. It appears highest in the midnight sky in the months around February. Its brightest star, Regulus lies very close to the ecliptic, the path that the Sun traces across the sky each year. His huge head is identified by an asterism of stars, known as …
Why not go out tonight and see how many of them you can find ! Hydra, (“Water Snake”) takes up 3.158% (1303 square degrees) of the night sky, making it the largest star constellation in the night sky. This southern hemisphere constellation can be seen from between +54° and -83° of latitude, although best seen …
By Martin J. Powell F rom August 2006 to March 2010, Neptune was positioned in Capricornus, the Sea-Goat, where it had been situated since early 1998. In March 2010, Neptune briefly entered the constellation of Aquarius, the Water Carrier, spending about five months there before returning to Capricornus. What constellation is uranus in? But Uranus …