Constellation: Difference between revisions
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{{Image|Big_and_little_dipper.jpg|right|400px|Constellations [[Ursa Major]] (the "Big Dipper") and [[Ursa Minor]] (the "Little Dipper") with Polaris, the North Star. Children around the Northern hemisphere are taught to find the North Star (which hangs over the North Pole) by means of these two easy-to-spot constellations. The Big Dipper's outer lip points to the North Star, which is at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. In the course of one night, only the North Star appears unmoving, while all the other stars appear to revolve part-way around it. The other stars revolve all the way around the North Star in approximately one 24-hour day (one rotation of the earth).}} | |||
A '''constellation''' is an officially recognised formation of stars as viewed in the sky from the earth. Ancient [[astronomers]] perceived figures, often men or animals, in the night sky, thus ordering its apparent chaos. Such figures were arbitrarily chosen; thus, numerous ancient constellations were independently imagined by different cultures, including those of China and India. The 88 modern constellations which comprise the entire sky, however, derive from civilisations further west. Their boundaries were defined by the [[International Astronomical Union]] in 1925. The majority of them are ancient constellations, and have names often associated with Greek mythology while others, mainly situated south of the celestial equator, were introduced in the age of exploration by European explorers and are named after scientific instruments or newly found animal species. | |||
A | A Greek letter followed by the Latin genitive (possessive) case of a constellation name is conventionally used to designate the brighter stars in a group. For example, the fifth-brightest star in the constellation Eridanus is given a name consisting of the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet and the name of the constellation: "epsilon Eridani", meaning "fifth (star) of Eridanus". The order of brightness is not strictly adhered to, however; for example, β Orionis ([[Rigel]]) is brighter than α Orionis ([[Betelgeuse]]). | ||
{{TOC}} | |||
== History of the Western constellations == | |||
= | Most constellations have their origins in the ancient [[Greek]], [[Egyptian]] and [[Babylonian]] cultures. They are mentioned in the [[Book of Job]], as in this apostrophe:<ref>New International version of the English Bible, Job 38:31-32</ref> | ||
<poem style="border: 2px solid #d6d2c5; background-color: #f9f4e6; padding: 1em;"> | |||
''31 Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?'' | |||
''Can you loose the cords of Orion?'' | |||
''32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons'' | |||
''or lead out the Bear with its cubs?'' | |||
</poem> | |||
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding=" | In the third century BC, [[Aratos of Soli]] composed ''Phainomena'', a didactic poem about the mythology of the constellations, which was the basis of the catalog of 48 constellations by the Greek astronomer [[Ptolemy]]: | ||
| [[ | * the 12 constellations of the [[Zodiac]]: ''Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces'' | ||
* 21 northern constellations: ''Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco, Cepheus, Bootes, Corona Septentrionalis, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, Cassiopea, Perseus, Andromeda, Triangulum, Auriga, Pegasus, Equuleus, Delphinus, Sagitta, Aquila, Ophiuchus and Serpens'' | |||
* 15 southern constellations: ''Cetus, Eridanus, Lepus, Orion, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Argo, Hydra, Crater, Corvus, Centaurus, Lupus, Ara, Corona Meridionalis and Piscis Australis''. | |||
At the end of the 16th century, the Dutch sailors [[Pieter Dirckszoon Keyser]] and [[Frederick de Houtman]] suggested twelve new constellations: ''Apis, Apus Indica, Chamaeleon, Dorado, Grus, Hydrus, Indus, Pavo, Phoenix, Triangulum Australe, Tucana and Piscis Volans''. In 1603 these were added by [[Johann Beyer]] to his important atlas [[Uranometria]], as well as ''Coma Berenices''. | |||
The Gdansk astronomer [[Johann Hevelius]] added 10 further constellations in his maps, published in 1690 (''Firmamentum Sobiescianum'' and ''Prodomus Astronomiæ''): ''Canes Venatici, Lacerta, Leo minor, Lynx, Uraniæ Sextans, Scutum Sobiescianum, Triangulum Minus, Vulpecula & Anser, Cerberus and Mons Mænalus''. | |||
In 1751, the French astronomer abbot [[Nicolas Louis de Lacaille]] went to the [[Cape of Good Hope]] for the purpose of determining the sun's parallax by observations of the parallaxes of [[Mars]] and [[Venus]], and incidentally to make observations on the other southern hemisphere stars. In 1763, Lacaille published the results of this successful undertaking, the observations of ten thousands stars, in his ''Coelum australe stelligerum''. This work introduced 14 new constellations that were named after scientific instruments and artist's tools: | |||
# L'atelier du sculpteur, ''Apparatus Sculptoris'' (Sculptor) | |||
# Le fourneau chymique, ''Fornax Chemica'' (Fornax) | |||
# L'horloge (Horologium) | |||
# Le réticule romboïde, ''Reticulum Rhomboidalis'' (Reticulum) | |||
# Le burin du graveur, ''Cæla Sculptoris'' (Caelum) | |||
# Le chevalet du peintre, ''Equuleus Pictoris'' (Pictor) | |||
# La boussole, ''Pyxis Nautica'' (Pyxis) | |||
# La machine pneumatique, ''Antlia Pneumatica'' (Antlia) | |||
# L'octans (Octans) | |||
# Le compas (Circinus) | |||
# L'équerre & la règle, ''Norma et Regula'' (Norma) | |||
# Le télescope (Telescopium) | |||
# Le microscope (Microscopium) | |||
# La montagne de la table, ''Mons Mensae'' (Mensa) | |||
== List of the 88 modern constellations== | |||
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" | |||
|- align=center | |||
! [[Latin]] name | |||
! [[Latin]] [[genitive]] | |||
! International<br>abbreviation | |||
! Number of<br> stars<ref> According to [[Heis]] all stars up to a magnitude of 6<sup>m</sup>.7 on northern constellations and according to [[Gould]] up to a magnitude of 7<sup>m</sup>.0 on southern constellations</ref> | |||
! English name | |||
! German name | |||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Andromeda]] | | [[Andromeda (constellation)|Andromeda]] | ||
| Andromedae | | Andromedae | ||
| And | | And | ||
Line 28: | Line 66: | ||
| Luftpumpe | | Luftpumpe | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Apus]] | | [[Apus (constellation)|Apus]] | ||
| Apodis | | Apodis | ||
| Aps | | Aps | ||
Line 35: | Line 73: | ||
| Paradiesvogel | | Paradiesvogel | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Aquarius]] | | [[Aquarius (constellation)|Aquarius]] | ||
| Aquarii | | Aquarii | ||
| Aqr | | Aqr | ||
Line 42: | Line 80: | ||
| Wassermann | | Wassermann | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Aquila]] | | [[Aquila (constellation)|Aquila]] | ||
| Aquilae | | Aquilae | ||
| Aql | | Aql | ||
Line 49: | Line 87: | ||
| Adler | | Adler | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Ara]] | | [[Ara (constellation)|Ara]] | ||
| Arae | | Arae | ||
| Ara | | Ara | ||
Line 56: | Line 94: | ||
| Altar | | Altar | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Aries]] | | [[Aries (constellation)|Aries]] | ||
| Arietis | | Arietis | ||
| Ari | | Ari | ||
Line 63: | Line 101: | ||
| Widder | | Widder | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Auriga]] | | [[Auriga (constellation)|Auriga]] | ||
| Aurigae | | Aurigae | ||
| Aur | | Aur | ||
Line 70: | Line 108: | ||
| Fuhrmann | | Fuhrmann | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Boötes]] | ||
| Bootis | | Bootis | ||
| Boo | | Boo | ||
Line 81: | Line 119: | ||
| Cae | | Cae | ||
| 28 | | 28 | ||
| Sculptor's | | Sculptor's Chisel | ||
| Grabstichel | | Grabstichel | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[ | | [[Camelopardalis]] | ||
| Camelopardalis | | Camelopardalis | ||
| Cam | | Cam | ||
Line 91: | Line 129: | ||
| Giraffe | | Giraffe | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Cancer]] | | [[Cancer (constellation)|Cancer]] | ||
| Cancri | | Cancri | ||
| Can | | Can | ||
Line 98: | Line 136: | ||
| Krebs | | Krebs | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Canes | | [[Canes Venatici]] | ||
| Canum Venaticorum | | Canum Venaticorum | ||
| CVn | | CVn | ||
| 88 | | 88 | ||
| Hunting | | Hunting Dogs | ||
| Jagdhunde | | Jagdhunde | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Canis | | [[Canis Major]] | ||
| Canis | | Canis Majoris | ||
| CMa | | CMa | ||
| 178 | | 178 | ||
| | | Great Dog | ||
| Großer Hund | | Großer Hund | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Canis | | [[Canis Minor]] | ||
| Canis | | Canis Minoris | ||
| CMi | | CMi | ||
| 37 | | 37 | ||
| | | Little Dog | ||
| Kleiner Hund | | Kleiner Hund | ||
|- | |- | ||
Line 123: | Line 161: | ||
| Cap | | Cap | ||
| 134 | | 134 | ||
| Horned | | Horned Goat | ||
| Steinbock | | Steinbock | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Carina]] | | [[Carina (constellation)|Carina]] | ||
| Carinae | | Carinae | ||
| Car | | Car | ||
Line 133: | Line 171: | ||
| Schiffskiel | | Schiffskiel | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Cassiopeia]] | | [[Cassiopeia (constellation)|Cassiopeia]] | ||
| Cassiopeiae | | Cassiopeiae | ||
| Cas | | Cas | ||
Line 140: | Line 178: | ||
| Cassiopeia | | Cassiopeia | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Centaurus]] | | [[Centaurus (constellation)|Centaurus]] | ||
| Centauri | | Centauri | ||
| Cen | | Cen | ||
Line 147: | Line 185: | ||
| Centaur | | Centaur | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Cepheus]] | | [[Cepheus (constellation)|Cepheus]] | ||
| Cephei | | Cephei | ||
| Cep | | Cep | ||
Line 154: | Line 192: | ||
| Cepheus | | Cepheus | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Cetus]] | | [[Cetus (constellation)|Cetus]] | ||
| Ceti | | Ceti | ||
| Cet | | Cet | ||
Line 161: | Line 199: | ||
| Wal | | Wal | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Chamaeleon]] | | [[Chamaeleon (constellation)|Chamaeleon]] | ||
| Chamaeleontis | | Chamaeleontis | ||
| Cha | | Cha | ||
Line 175: | Line 213: | ||
| Kompass | | Kompass | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Columba]] | | [[Columba (constellation)|Columba]] | ||
| Columbae | | Columbae | ||
| Col | | Col | ||
Line 182: | Line 220: | ||
| Taube | | Taube | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Coma]] | | [[Coma Berenices]] | ||
| Comae | | Comae | ||
| Com | | Com | ||
| 70 | | 70 | ||
| Berenice's | | Berenice's Hair | ||
| Haar der Berenike | | Haar der Berenike | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Corona | | [[Corona Australis]] | ||
| Coronae | | Coronae Australis | ||
| CrA | | CrA | ||
| 49 | | 49 | ||
| Southern | | Southern Crown | ||
| Südliche Krone | | Südliche Krone | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Corona | | [[Corona Borealis]] | ||
| Coronae | | Coronae Aorealis | ||
| CrB | | CrB | ||
| 31 | | 31 | ||
| Northern | | Northern Crown | ||
| Nördliche Krone | | Nördliche Krone | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Corvus]] | | [[Corvus (constellation)|Corvus]] | ||
| Corvi | | Corvi | ||
| Crv | | Crv | ||
Line 210: | Line 248: | ||
| Rabe | | Rabe | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Crater]] | | [[Crater (constellation)|Crater]] | ||
| Crateris | | Crateris | ||
| Crt | | Crt | ||
| 53 | | 53 | ||
| | | Bowl | ||
| Becher | | Becher | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Crux]] | | [[Crux (constellation)|Crux]] | ||
| Crucis | | Crucis | ||
| Cru | | Cru | ||
| 54 | | 54 | ||
| Cross | | (Southern) Cross | ||
| Kreuz | | Kreuz | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Cygnus]] | | [[Cygnus (constellation)|Cygnus]] | ||
| Cygni | | Cygni | ||
| Cyg | | Cyg | ||
Line 231: | Line 269: | ||
| Schwan | | Schwan | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Delphinus]] | | [[Delphinus (constellation)|Delphinus]] | ||
| Delphini | | Delphini | ||
| Del | | Del | ||
Line 238: | Line 276: | ||
| Delfin | | Delfin | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Dorado]] | | [[Dorado (constellation)|Dorado]] | ||
| Doradus | | Doradus | ||
| Dor | | Dor | ||
Line 245: | Line 283: | ||
| Schwertfisch | | Schwertfisch | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Draco]] | | [[Draco (constellation)|Draco]] | ||
| Draconis | | Draconis | ||
| Dra | | Dra | ||
Line 256: | Line 294: | ||
| Equ | | Equ | ||
| 16 | | 16 | ||
| Foal | | Foal | ||
| Füllen | | Füllen | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Eridanus]] | | [[Eridanus (constellation)|Eridanus]] | ||
| Eridani | | Eridani | ||
| Eri | | Eri | ||
Line 273: | Line 311: | ||
| Chemischer Ofen | | Chemischer Ofen | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Gemini]] | | [[Gemini (constellation)|Gemini]] | ||
| Geminorum | | Geminorum | ||
| Gem | | Gem | ||
Line 280: | Line 318: | ||
| Zwillinge | | Zwillinge | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Grus]] | | [[Grus (constellation)|Grus]] | ||
| Gruis | | Gruis | ||
| Gru | | Gru | ||
Line 287: | Line 325: | ||
| Kranich | | Kranich | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Hercules]] | | [[Hercules (constellation)|Hercules]] | ||
| Herculis | | Herculis | ||
| Her | | Her | ||
Line 301: | Line 339: | ||
| Pendeluhr | | Pendeluhr | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Hydra]] | | [[Hydra (constellation)|Hydra]] | ||
| Hydrae | | Hydrae | ||
| Hya | | Hya | ||
Line 312: | Line 350: | ||
| Hyi | | Hyi | ||
| 64 | | 64 | ||
| | | Snake | ||
| Männliche Wasserschlange | | Männliche Wasserschlange | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Indus]] | | [[Indus (constellation)|Indus]] | ||
| Indi | | Indi | ||
| Ind | | Ind | ||
Line 322: | Line 360: | ||
| Indianer | | Indianer | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Lacerta]] | | [[Lacerta (constellation)|Lacerta]] | ||
| Lacertae | | Lacertae | ||
| Lac | | Lac | ||
Line 329: | Line 367: | ||
| Eidechse | | Eidechse | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Leo]] | | [[Leo (constellation)|Leo]] | ||
| Leonis | | Leonis | ||
| Leo | | Leo | ||
Line 336: | Line 374: | ||
| Löwe | | Löwe | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Leo | | [[Leo Minor]] | ||
| Leonis | | Leonis Minoris | ||
| LMi | | LMi | ||
| 40 | | 40 | ||
| Smaller | | Smaller Lion | ||
| Kleiner Löwe | | Kleiner Löwe | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Lepus]] | | [[Lepus (constellation)|Lepus]] | ||
| Leporis | | Leporis | ||
| Lep | | Lep | ||
Line 350: | Line 388: | ||
| Hase | | Hase | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Libra]] | | [[Libra (constellation)|Libra]] | ||
| Librae | | Librae | ||
| Lib | | Lib | ||
Line 357: | Line 395: | ||
| Waage | | Waage | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Lupus]] | | [[Lupus (constellation)|Lupus]] | ||
| Lupi | | Lupi | ||
| Lup | | Lup | ||
Line 364: | Line 402: | ||
| Wolf | | Wolf | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Lynx]] | | [[Lynx (constellation)|Lynx]] | ||
| Lyncis | | Lyncis | ||
| Kyn | | Kyn | ||
Line 371: | Line 409: | ||
| Luchs | | Luchs | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Lyra]] | | [[Lyra (constellation)|Lyra]] | ||
| Lyrae | | Lyrae | ||
| Lyr | | Lyr | ||
Line 378: | Line 416: | ||
| Leier | | Leier | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Mensa]] | | [[Mensa (constellation)|Mensa]] | ||
| Mensae | | Mensae | ||
| Men | | Men | ||
Line 399: | Line 437: | ||
| Einhorn | | Einhorn | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Musca]] | | [[Musca (constellation)|Musca]] | ||
| Muscae | | Muscae | ||
| Mus | | Mus | ||
Line 427: | Line 465: | ||
| Schlangenträger | | Schlangenträger | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Orion]] | | [[Orion (constellation)|Orion]] | ||
| Orionis | | Orionis | ||
| Ori | | Ori | ||
Line 434: | Line 472: | ||
| Orion | | Orion | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Pavo]] | | [[Pavo (constellation)|Pavo]] | ||
| Pavonis | | Pavonis | ||
| Pav | | Pav | ||
Line 441: | Line 479: | ||
| Pfau | | Pfau | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Pegasus]] | | [[Pegasus (constellation)|Pegasus]] | ||
| Pegasi | | Pegasi | ||
| Peg | | Peg | ||
Line 448: | Line 486: | ||
| Pegasus | | Pegasus | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Perseus]] | | [[Perseus (constellation)|Perseus]] | ||
| Persei | | Persei | ||
| Per | | Per | ||
Line 455: | Line 493: | ||
| Perseus | | Perseus | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Phoenix]] | | [[Phoenix (constellation)|Phoenix]] | ||
| Phoenicis | | Phoenicis | ||
| Phe | | Phe | ||
Line 469: | Line 507: | ||
| Maler | | Maler | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Pisces]] | | [[Pisces (constellation)|Pisces]] | ||
| Piscium | | Piscium | ||
| Psc | | Psc | ||
Line 476: | Line 514: | ||
| Fische | | Fische | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Piscis | | [[Piscis Austrinus]] | ||
| Piscis | | Piscis Austrini | ||
| PsA | | PsA | ||
| 75 | | 75 | ||
| Southern | | Southern Fish | ||
| Südliche Fische | | Südliche Fische | ||
|- | |- | ||
Line 487: | Line 525: | ||
| Pup | | Pup | ||
| 313 | | 313 | ||
| Poop | | Poop | ||
| Hinterdeck | | Hinterdeck | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Pyxis]] | | [[Pyxis (constellation)|Pyxis]] | ||
| Pyxidis | | Pyxidis | ||
| Pyx | | Pyx | ||
Line 497: | Line 535: | ||
| Kompass | | Kompass | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Reticulum]] | | [[Reticulum (constellation)|Reticulum]] | ||
| Reticuli | | Reticuli | ||
| Ret | | Ret | ||
Line 511: | Line 549: | ||
| Pfeil | | Pfeil | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Sagittarius]] | | [[Sagittarius (constellation)|Sagittarius]] | ||
| Sagittarii | | Sagittarii | ||
| Sgr | | Sgr | ||
Line 518: | Line 556: | ||
| Schütze | | Schütze | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Scorpius]] | | [[Scorpius (constellation)|Scorpius]] | ||
| Scorpii | | Scorpii | ||
| Sco | | Sco | ||
Line 525: | Line 563: | ||
| Skorpion | | Skorpion | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Sculptor]] | | [[Sculptor (constellation)|Sculptor]] | ||
| Sculptoris | | Sculptoris | ||
| Scl | | Scl | ||
Line 532: | Line 570: | ||
| Bildhauer | | Bildhauer | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Scutum]] | | [[Scutum (constellation)|Scutum]] | ||
| Scuti | | Scuti | ||
| Sct | | Sct | ||
Line 546: | Line 584: | ||
| Schlange | | Schlange | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Sextans]] | | [[Sextans (constellation)|Sextans]] | ||
| Sextantis | | Sextantis | ||
| Sex | | Sex | ||
Line 553: | Line 591: | ||
| Sextant | | Sextant | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Taurus]] | | [[Taurus (constellation)|Taurus]] | ||
| Tauri | | Tauri | ||
| Tau | | Tau | ||
Line 567: | Line 605: | ||
| Fernrohr | | Fernrohr | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Triangulum]] | | [[Triangulum (constellation)|Triangulum]] | ||
| Trianguli | | Trianguli | ||
| Tri | | Tri | ||
Line 574: | Line 612: | ||
| Dreieck | | Dreieck | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Triangulum | | [[Triangulum Australe]] | ||
| Trianguli | | Trianguli Australis | ||
| TrA | | TrA | ||
| 46 | | 46 | ||
| Southern | | Southern Triangle | ||
| Südliches Dreieck | | Südliches Dreieck | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Tucana]] | | [[Tucana (constellation)|Tucana]] | ||
| Tucanae | | Tucanae | ||
| Tuc | | Tuc | ||
| 81 | | 81 | ||
| | | Toucan | ||
| Tukan | | Tukan | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Ursa | | [[Ursa Major]] | ||
| Ursae | | Ursae Maioris | ||
| UMa | | UMa | ||
| 227 | | 227 | ||
| Great | | Great Bear | ||
| Großer Bär | | Großer Bär | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Ursa | | [[Ursa Minor]] | ||
| Ursae | | Ursae Minoris | ||
| UMi | | UMi | ||
| 54 | | 54 | ||
| Little | | Little Bear | ||
| Kleiner Bär | | Kleiner Bär | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Vela]] | | [[Vela (constellation)|Vela]] | ||
| Velorum | | Velorum | ||
| Vel | | Vel | ||
Line 609: | Line 647: | ||
| Segel | | Segel | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Virgo]] | | [[Virgo (constellation)|Virgo]] | ||
| Virginis | | Virginis | ||
| Vir | | Vir | ||
Line 620: | Line 658: | ||
| Vol | | Vol | ||
| 46 | | 46 | ||
| Flying | | Flying Fish | ||
| Fliegender Fisch | | Fliegender Fisch | ||
|- | |- | ||
Line 627: | Line 665: | ||
| Vul | | Vul | ||
| 62 | | 62 | ||
| Little | | Little Fox | ||
| Füchschen | | Füchschen | ||
|} | |} | ||
Note that Serpens is in two non-contiguous portions but is counted as a single constellation. | |||
==References== | |||
<references/>[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]] |
Latest revision as of 12:01, 1 August 2024
A constellation is an officially recognised formation of stars as viewed in the sky from the earth. Ancient astronomers perceived figures, often men or animals, in the night sky, thus ordering its apparent chaos. Such figures were arbitrarily chosen; thus, numerous ancient constellations were independently imagined by different cultures, including those of China and India. The 88 modern constellations which comprise the entire sky, however, derive from civilisations further west. Their boundaries were defined by the International Astronomical Union in 1925. The majority of them are ancient constellations, and have names often associated with Greek mythology while others, mainly situated south of the celestial equator, were introduced in the age of exploration by European explorers and are named after scientific instruments or newly found animal species.
A Greek letter followed by the Latin genitive (possessive) case of a constellation name is conventionally used to designate the brighter stars in a group. For example, the fifth-brightest star in the constellation Eridanus is given a name consisting of the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet and the name of the constellation: "epsilon Eridani", meaning "fifth (star) of Eridanus". The order of brightness is not strictly adhered to, however; for example, β Orionis (Rigel) is brighter than α Orionis (Betelgeuse).
History of the Western constellations
Most constellations have their origins in the ancient Greek, Egyptian and Babylonian cultures. They are mentioned in the Book of Job, as in this apostrophe:[1]
31 Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?
Can you loose the cords of Orion?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
or lead out the Bear with its cubs?
In the third century BC, Aratos of Soli composed Phainomena, a didactic poem about the mythology of the constellations, which was the basis of the catalog of 48 constellations by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy:
- the 12 constellations of the Zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces
- 21 northern constellations: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco, Cepheus, Bootes, Corona Septentrionalis, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, Cassiopea, Perseus, Andromeda, Triangulum, Auriga, Pegasus, Equuleus, Delphinus, Sagitta, Aquila, Ophiuchus and Serpens
- 15 southern constellations: Cetus, Eridanus, Lepus, Orion, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Argo, Hydra, Crater, Corvus, Centaurus, Lupus, Ara, Corona Meridionalis and Piscis Australis.
At the end of the 16th century, the Dutch sailors Pieter Dirckszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman suggested twelve new constellations: Apis, Apus Indica, Chamaeleon, Dorado, Grus, Hydrus, Indus, Pavo, Phoenix, Triangulum Australe, Tucana and Piscis Volans. In 1603 these were added by Johann Beyer to his important atlas Uranometria, as well as Coma Berenices.
The Gdansk astronomer Johann Hevelius added 10 further constellations in his maps, published in 1690 (Firmamentum Sobiescianum and Prodomus Astronomiæ): Canes Venatici, Lacerta, Leo minor, Lynx, Uraniæ Sextans, Scutum Sobiescianum, Triangulum Minus, Vulpecula & Anser, Cerberus and Mons Mænalus.
In 1751, the French astronomer abbot Nicolas Louis de Lacaille went to the Cape of Good Hope for the purpose of determining the sun's parallax by observations of the parallaxes of Mars and Venus, and incidentally to make observations on the other southern hemisphere stars. In 1763, Lacaille published the results of this successful undertaking, the observations of ten thousands stars, in his Coelum australe stelligerum. This work introduced 14 new constellations that were named after scientific instruments and artist's tools:
- L'atelier du sculpteur, Apparatus Sculptoris (Sculptor)
- Le fourneau chymique, Fornax Chemica (Fornax)
- L'horloge (Horologium)
- Le réticule romboïde, Reticulum Rhomboidalis (Reticulum)
- Le burin du graveur, Cæla Sculptoris (Caelum)
- Le chevalet du peintre, Equuleus Pictoris (Pictor)
- La boussole, Pyxis Nautica (Pyxis)
- La machine pneumatique, Antlia Pneumatica (Antlia)
- L'octans (Octans)
- Le compas (Circinus)
- L'équerre & la règle, Norma et Regula (Norma)
- Le télescope (Telescopium)
- Le microscope (Microscopium)
- La montagne de la table, Mons Mensae (Mensa)
List of the 88 modern constellations
Latin name | Latin genitive | International abbreviation |
Number of stars[2] |
English name | German name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andromeda | Andromedae | And | 139 | Andromeda | Andromeda |
Antlia | Antliae | Ant | 85 | Pump | Luftpumpe |
Apus | Apodis | Aps | 67 | Swallow | Paradiesvogel |
Aquarius | Aquarii | Aqr | 276 | Cup-bearer | Wassermann |
Aquila | Aquilae | Aql | 146 | Eagle | Adler |
Ara | Arae | Ara | 86 | Altar | Altar |
Aries | Arietis | Ari | 80 | Ram | Widder |
Auriga | Aurigae | Aur | 144 | Charioteer | Fuhrmann |
Boötes | Bootis | Boo | 140 | Herdsman | Bootes, Ochsentreiber |
Caelum | Caeli | Cae | 28 | Sculptor's Chisel | Grabstichel |
Camelopardalis | Camelopardalis | Cam | 138 | Giraffe | Giraffe |
Cancer | Cancri | Can | 92 | Crab | Krebs |
Canes Venatici | Canum Venaticorum | CVn | 88 | Hunting Dogs | Jagdhunde |
Canis Major | Canis Majoris | CMa | 178 | Great Dog | Großer Hund |
Canis Minor | Canis Minoris | CMi | 37 | Little Dog | Kleiner Hund |
Capricornus | Capricorni | Cap | 134 | Horned Goat | Steinbock |
Carina | Carinae | Car | 268 | Keel | Schiffskiel |
Cassiopeia | Cassiopeiae | Cas | 126 | Cassiopeia | Cassiopeia |
Centaurus | Centauri | Cen | 389 | Centaur | Centaur |
Cepheus | Cephei | Cep | 159 | Cepheus | Cepheus |
Cetus | Ceti | Cet | 321 | Whale | Wal |
Chamaeleon | Chamaeleontis | Cha | 50 | Chameleon | Chamaeleon |
Circinus | Circini | Cir | 48 | Compass | Kompass |
Columba | Columbae | Col | 112 | Dove | Taube |
Coma Berenices | Comae | Com | 70 | Berenice's Hair | Haar der Berenike |
Corona Australis | Coronae Australis | CrA | 49 | Southern Crown | Südliche Krone |
Corona Borealis | Coronae Aorealis | CrB | 31 | Northern Crown | Nördliche Krone |
Corvus | Corvi | Crv | 53 | Raven | Rabe |
Crater | Crateris | Crt | 53 | Bowl | Becher |
Crux | Crucis | Cru | 54 | (Southern) Cross | Kreuz |
Cygnus | Cygni | Cyg | 197 | Swan | Schwan |
Delphinus | Delphini | Del | 31 | Dolphin | Delfin |
Dorado | Doradus | Dor | 43 | Dolphin-fish | Schwertfisch |
Draco | Draconis | Dra | 200 | Dragon | Drache |
Equuleus | Equulei | Equ | 16 | Foal | Füllen |
Eridanus | Eridani | Eri | 293 | Eridanus | Eridanus |
Fornax | Fornacis | For | 110 | Furnace | Chemischer Ofen |
Gemini | Geminorum | Gem | 106 | Twins | Zwillinge |
Grus | Gruis | Gru | 106 | Crane | Kranich |
Hercules | Herculis | Her | 227 | Hercules | Hercules |
Horologium | Horologii | Hor | 68 | Clock | Pendeluhr |
Hydra | Hydrae | Hya | 393 | Hydra | Wasserschlange |
Hydrus | Hydri | Hyi | 64 | Snake | Männliche Wasserschlange |
Indus | Indi | Ind | 84 | American Indian | Indianer |
Lacerta | Lacertae | Lac | 48 | Lizard | Eidechse |
Leo | Leonis | Leo | 161 | Lion | Löwe |
Leo Minor | Leonis Minoris | LMi | 40 | Smaller Lion | Kleiner Löwe |
Lepus | Leporis | Lep | 103 | Hare | Hase |
Libra | Librae | Lib | 122 | Balance | Waage |
Lupus | Lupi | Lup | 159 | Wolf | Wolf |
Lynx | Lyncis | Kyn | 87 | Lynx | Luchs |
Lyra | Lyrae | Lyr | 69 | Lyre | Leier |
Mensa | Mensae | Men | 44 | Table | Tafelberg |
Microscopium | Microscopii | Mic | 69 | Microscope | Mikroskop |
Monoceros | Monocerotis | Mon | 165 | Unicorn | Einhorn |
Musca | Muscae | Mus | 75 | Fly | Fliege |
Norma | Normae | Nor | 64 | Square | Winkelmaß |
Octans | Octantis | Oct | 88 | Octant | Oktant |
Ophiuchus | Ophiuchi | Oph | 209 | Ophiuchus | Schlangenträger |
Orion | Orionis | Ori | 186 | Orion | Orion |
Pavo | Pavonis | Pav | 129 | Peacock | Pfau |
Pegasus | Pegasi | Peg | 178 | Pegasus | Pegasus |
Perseus | Persei | Per | 136 | Perseus | Perseus |
Phoenix | Phoenicis | Phe | 139 | Phoenix | Phönix |
Pictor | Pictori | Pic | 67 | Easel | Maler |
Pisces | Piscium | Psc | 128 | Fish (plural) | Fische |
Piscis Austrinus | Piscis Austrini | PsA | 75 | Southern Fish | Südliche Fische |
Puppis | Puppis | Pup | 313 | Poop | Hinterdeck |
Pyxis | Pyxidis | Pyx | 65 | Box | Kompass |
Reticulum | Reticuli | Ret | 34 | Net | Netz |
Sagitta | Sagittarae | Sge | 18 | Arrow | Pfeil |
Sagittarius | Sagittarii | Sgr | 298 | Archer | Schütze |
Scorpius | Scorpii | Sco | 185 | Scorpion | Skorpion |
Sculptor | Sculptoris | Scl | 131 | Sculptor | Bildhauer |
Scutum | Scuti | Sct | 33 | Shield | Schild |
Serpens | Serpentis | Ser | 123 | Snake | Schlange |
Sextans | Sextantis | Sex | 75 | Sextant | Sextant |
Taurus | Tauri | Tau | 188 | Bull | Stier |
Telescopium | Telescopii | Tel | 87 | Telescope | Fernrohr |
Triangulum | Trianguli | Tri | 227 | Triangle | Dreieck |
Triangulum Australe | Trianguli Australis | TrA | 46 | Southern Triangle | Südliches Dreieck |
Tucana | Tucanae | Tuc | 81 | Toucan | Tukan |
Ursa Major | Ursae Maioris | UMa | 227 | Great Bear | Großer Bär |
Ursa Minor | Ursae Minoris | UMi | 54 | Little Bear | Kleiner Bär |
Vela | Velorum | Vel | 248 | Sails | Segel |
Virgo | Virginis | Vir | 271 | Virgin | Jungfrau |
Volans | Volantis | Vol | 46 | Flying Fish | Fliegender Fisch |
Vulpecula | Vulpeculae | Vul | 62 | Little Fox | Füchschen |
Note that Serpens is in two non-contiguous portions but is counted as a single constellation.