What Are Constellations

What is a constellation? 

what is constellation

A constellation is a group of visible stars that form a pattern when viewed from Earth. The pattern they form may take the shape of an animal, a mythological creature, a man, a woman, or an inanimate object such as a microscope, a compass, or a crown. 


How many constellations are there? 


The sky was divided up into 88 different constellations in 1922. This included 48 ancient constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy as well as 40 new constellations. 


Star Maps 


The 88 different constellations divide up the entire night sky as seen from all around the Earth. Star maps are made of the brightest stars and the patterns that they make which give rise to the names of the constellations. 

The maps of the stars represent the position of the stars as we see them from Earth. The stars in each constellation may not be close to each other at all. Some of them are bright because they are close to Earth while others are bright because they are very large stars. 


Hemispheres and Seasons 


Not all of the constellations are visible from any one point on Earth. The star maps are typically divided into maps for the northern hemisphere and maps for the southern hemisphere. The season of the year can also affect what constellations are visible from where you are located on Earth. 


Famous Constellations

Here are a few of the more famous constellations:

Orion 

Orion is one of the most visible constellations. Because of its location, it can be seen throughout the world. Orion is named after a hunter from Greek mythology. Its brightest stars are Betelgeuse and Rigel.

Ursa Major 

Ursa Major is visible in the northern hemisphere. It means "Larger Bear" in Latin. The Big Dipper is part of the Ursa Major constellation. The Big Dipper is often used as a way to find the direction north. 

Ursa Minor 

Ursa Minor means "Smaller Bear" in Latin. It is located near Ursa Major and also has the pattern of a small ladle called the Little Dipper as part of its larger pattern.

Draco 

The Draco constellation can be viewed in the northern hemisphere. It means "dragon" in Latin and was one of the 48 ancient constellations. 

Pegasus 

The Pegasus constellation is named after the flying horse by the same name from Greek mythology. It can be seen in the northern sky.

The Zodiac 

The zodiac constellations are the constellations that are located within a band that is about 20 degrees wide in the sky. This band is considered special because it is the band where the Sun, the Moon, and the planets all move. 

There are 13 zodiac constellations. Twelve of these are also used as signs for the zodiac calendar and astrology.

•   Capricornus

•   Aquarius

•   Pisces

•   Aries

•   Taurus

•   Gemini

•   Cancer

•   Leo

•   Virgo

•   Libra

•   Scorpius

•   Sagittarius

•   Ophiuchus

Aries (The Ram)

March 21-April 19

In Greek mythology, Aries was a winged ram with golden wool. His hide became the much-desired golden fleece.

Taurus (The Bull)

April 20-May 20

Jupiter, the supreme Roman god, turned himself into a bull when he swam from Phoenicia to Crete.

Gemini (The Twins)

May 21-June 20

This constellation reminded the Greeks of Castor and Pollux, the mythological twin sons of Zeus. It was thought to bring good luck to sailors since it appeared at the end of the winter storm season.

Cancer (The Crab)

June 21-July 22

Cancer represents the crab that Juno, queen of the gods, sent to rescue Hydra. But Hercules stepped on the crab, crushing it to death. To reward the crab for its heroic attempt, Juno chose it to represent this constellation.

Leo (The Lion)

July 23-August 22

This large constellation honors the strength and bravery of the lion.

Virgo (The Virgin)

August 23-September 22

Virgo is traditionally depicted as a maiden holding an ear of grain to symbolize the harvest.

Libra (The Scales)

September 23-October 22

Libra is the symbol of balance. This constellation appears at the time of the autumnal equinox, when days and nights are equal.

Scorpio (The Scorpion)

October 23-November 21

In mythology, Scorpio (or Scorpius) was the scorpion that attacked and killed the hunter Orion.

Sagittarius (The Archer)

November 22-December 21

This constellation is usually pictured as Chiron the archer, who is a centaur (half man, half horse). Chiron is said to be aiming his arrow at Scorpio to avenge the death of Orion.

Capricorn (The Sea Goat)

December 22-January 19

In many cultures, Capricorn has the head of a goat and the tail of a fish. The goat, an expert climber, represents the sun's climb from its lowest position in the sky. After December 22, the shortest day, the sun's time in the sky increases daily.

Aquarius (The Water Bearer)

January 20-February 18

The Babylonians believed that this group of stars represented an old man pouring water from a jar. The Greeks saw Ganymede, the cup bearer of the gods, who poured the water of life.

Pisces (The Fishes)

February 19-March 20

Pisces represents Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, and her son Cupid. To escape from a monster, they turned into fish and jumped into a river.

Uses for Constellations 

Constellations are useful because they can help people to recognise stars in the sky. By looking for patterns, the stars and locations can be much easier to spot. 

The constellations had uses in ancient times. They were used to help keep track of the calendar. This was very important so that people knew when to plant and harvest crops. 

Another important use for constellations was navigation. By finding Ursa Minor it is fairly easy to spot the North Star (Polaris). Using the height of the North Star in the sky, navigators could figure out their latitude helping ships to travel across the oceans. 

Interesting Facts about Constellations

•   The largest constellation by area is Hydra which is 3.16% of the sky.

•   The smallest is Crux which only takes up 0.17 percent of the sky.

•   Small patterns of stars within a constellation are called asterisms. These include the Big Dipper and Little Dipper.

•   The word "constellation" comes from a Latin term meaning "set with stars."

•   Twenty two different constellation names start with the letter "C."



Take the constellation quiz here