And why are constellations that look like dippers called Ursa? And the constellation Taurus is just some kind of mustachioed amoeba!
And yet there are great pictures in the sky, not just a jumble of dots. All the stars glow, blink, beckon and call. It sounds so mysterious and beautiful: “Constellation Unicorn”... But where did such names come from?
Of course, astrologers came up with the names of individual groups of stars! Usually stars are named in Latin, this is tradition. But in each country the names are translated into their own language. The imagination of ancient astrologers was limitless; with the help of their imagination, they saw the outlines of fairy-tale animals or brave heroes in the starry sky. Almost every constellation has some ancient legend or myth associated with it.
Constellations Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Bootes and Canes Venatici are associated with one myth, which still worries us today because of the tragedy described in it.
Once upon a time, King Lycaon ruled in Arcadia. And he had a daughter, Callisto, known throughout the world for her charm and beauty. Even the ruler of Heaven and Earth, the thunderer Zeus, admired her divine beauty as soon as he saw her.
Secretly from his jealous wife - the great goddess Hera - Zeus constantly visited Callisto in her father's palace. From him she gave birth to a son, Arkad, who grew up quickly. Slender and handsome, he deftly shot a bow and often went hunting in the forest.
Hera learned about the love of Zeus and Callisto. Flowing into a rage, she turned Callisto into an ugly bear. When Arkad returned from hunting in the evening, he saw a bear in the house. Not knowing that this was his own mother, he pulled the bowstring... But Zeus did not allow Arkad, albeit unwittingly, to commit such a serious crime. Even before Arkad fired the arrow, Zeus grabbed the bear by the tail and quickly soared with her into the sky, where he left her in the form of the constellation Ursa Major. But while Zeus was carrying the bear, her tail began to lengthen, which is why the Big Dipper has such a long and curved tail in the sky.
Knowing how much Callisto was attached to her maid, Zeus took her to heaven and left her there in the form of a small but beautiful constellation Ursa Minor. Zeus and Arcade moved to the sky and turned them into the constellation Bootes.
Bootes is forever doomed to take care of his mother, the Big Dipper.19 Therefore, he firmly holds the leashes of the Hound Dogs, which bristle with rage and are ready to pounce on the Big Dipper and tear it apart.
There is another version of this myth. The eternally young goddess Artemis, dressed in hunting clothes, with a bow, quiver and a sharp spear, wandered through the mountains and forests for a long time in search of good game. Her companions and maids followed her, resounding with laughter and songs across the mountain peaks. The girls were one more beautiful than the other, but the most charming was Callisto. When Zeus saw her, he admired her youth and beauty. But the maids of Artemis were forbidden to marry. To take possession of her, Zeus resorted to cunning. One night, in the form of Artemis, he appeared before Callisto...
From Zeus, Callisto gave birth to a son, Arkad, who quickly grew up and became an unrivaled hunter.
The jealous wife of Zeus, Hera, who learned about her husband's love affair, brought down her anger on Callisto, turning her into an ugly, clumsy bear.
One day, Callisto's son Arkad was wandering through the forest, and suddenly a bear came out of the bushes to meet him. Not knowing that it was his mother, he pulled the bowstring, and the arrow flew at the bear... But Zeus, who vigilantly protected his beloved Callisto, at the last moment retracted the arrow, and it flew past. At the same time, Zeus turned Arkad into a small bear cub. After that, he grabbed the bear and the cub by the tails and carried them to the sky. There he left Callisto to shine in the form of the beautiful constellation Ursa Major, and Arcade - in the form of the constellation Ursa Minor.
In the sky, in the form of the constellations Callisto and Arcades, they became even more beautiful than on Earth. Not only people admired them, but also Zeus himself. From the top of Olympus, he often looked at the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and enjoyed their beauty and continuous movement across the sky.
Hera was unpleasant when she saw her husband admiring his pets. She made a fervent plea to the sea god Poseidon to never allow the Big Dipper to touch the sea. Let her die of thirst! But Poseidon did not heed Hera's pleas. Could he really let the beloved of his brother, the thunderer Zeus, die of thirst?! The Big Dipper continues to circle around the pole, while once a day it descends low over the northern side of the horizon, touches the surface of the sea, quenches its thirst and then rises again, attracting the views of people and gods with its beauty.
According to one legend, Bootes constellation represents the first farmer Triptolemus. The goddess of fertility and patroness of agriculture, Demeter, gave him an ear of wheat, a wooden plow and a sickle. She taught him how to plow the land, how to sow wheat grains and use a sickle to reap the ripe crop. The very first field sown by Triptolemus yielded a rich harvest.
Fulfilling the will of the goddess Demeter, Triptolemus initiated people into the secrets of agriculture. He taught them to cultivate the land and worship the goddess Demeter so that she would reward their labor with rich fruits. Then he got into a chariot harnessed to snakes and flew high, high... all the way to the sky. There the gods turned the first plowman into the constellation Bootes and gave him tireless oxen - bright stars in the constellation Ursa Major. With their help he continually plows and sows the sky.
And when, after a period of invisibility in early spring, after midnight, a plowman appeared in the east - the constellation Bootes, people began to prepare for spring field work.
The beautiful constellation Ursa Major also attracted the attention of the Bulgarian people, who gave it the name Cart. This name is associated with such a legend. One day a young man went into the forest to chop wood. He came to the forest, unharnessed the oxen and let them graze. Suddenly, a bear ran out of the forest and ate one of the ox. The young man was a great brave man, he grabbed the bear and harnessed her to the cart instead of the ox that she had eaten. But the bear could not pull the cart, she twitched from side to side, and therefore in the constellation the cart appears to be twisted.
In the constellation Ursa Major, old people liken individual stars like this: the star η - the Charioteer, the star Mizar (ζ) - the Ursa, the star ε - the Ox, the star Alcor - a dog that barks at the bear. The remaining stars form the Cart itself.
Because of similar geometric figures in the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the Bulgarian people also call the constellation Ursa Minor. Small Cart.
Is there a legend about constellations Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Andromeda, Pegasus and Perseus. It is believed that once upon a time, the mythical Ethiopian king Cepheus had a beautiful queen, Cassiopeia, as his wife. One day, surrounded by Nereids - mythical inhabitants of the sea, she recklessly boasted of the unearthly beauty of her daughter Andromeda. The Nereids were jealous and complained to the ruler of the seas, Poseidon. He released a terrible monster onto the shores of Ethiopia that ate people.
Cepheus rushed to the oracle for help, but he said that the only way out was to give Andromeda. Cepheus had to sacrifice his beloved daughter: tie her to a coastal rock and leave her to await her death. But Andromeda was saved by the hero Perseus, who flew to her on a winged horse - Pegasus. The fantasy of the ancient Greeks also placed the main participants in this myth in the sky in the form of constellations.
One of the southernmost constellations known to ancient stargazers is Centaur or Centaurus. At first, it included those stars that later formed the constellation Southern Cross. But even in their absence, Centaurus is a large constellation containing many colorful stars and curious objects. One of the Greek myths says that the centaur in the sky is none other than the immortal and wise Chiron, the son of Kronos and the nymph Philyra, an expert in science and art, teacher of the Greek heroes - Achilles, Asclepius, Jason. Therefore, it can be considered the Constellation of the Teacher.
It is impossible not to mention the constellation, which, not without reason, is considered the most beautiful - this Orion. In the arrangement of the stars one can easily discern the image of the great hunter Orion, the son of Poseidon. There are many bright luminaries in this relatively small constellation, and among the brightest there are non-permanent ones. The constellation can be easily found by three beautiful blue-white stars in the hunter's belt - on the right is Mintaka, which in Arabic means "belt", in the center Alnilam - "pearl belt", and on the left Alnitak - "sash". They are spaced from each other at equal distances and are located in a line, one end directed towards the blue Sirius in Canis Major, and the other towards the red Aldebaran in Taurus.
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› ››Description of the presentation by individual slides:
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Myths and legends of constellations ORLOV Yuri Nikolaevich - teacher of physics and computer science Lezhnevsky district, Novogorkinskaya secondary school
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Myths and legends in astronomy We present to you the presentation “Myths and Legends of Astronomy”. The presentation will tell the history of the names of the constellations. With the help of a star chart, you can find out the myth or legend associated with each constellation.
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History of the names of constellations Star chart Exit X Engravings from the atlas of John Hevelius
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History of the names of constellations The history of constellations is very interesting. A very long time ago, sky observers united the brightest and most noticeable groups of stars into constellations and gave them various names. These were the names of various mythical heroes or animals, characters from legends and tales - Hercules, Centaurus, Taurus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Pegasus, etc. The names of the constellations Peacock, Toucan, Indian, Southern Cross, Bird of Paradise reflected the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries . There are a lot of constellations - 88. But not all of them are bright and noticeable. The winter sky is richest in bright stars. At first glance, the names of many constellations seem strange. Often in the arrangement of stars it is very difficult or even simply impossible to discern what the name of the constellation indicates. The Big Dipper, for example, resembles a ladle; it is very difficult to imagine a Giraffe or Lynx in the sky. But if you look at ancient star atlases, the constellations are depicted in the form of animals. X
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What did the ancient Greeks say about bears? There are many legends about Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Here is one of them. Once upon a time, King Lycaon, who ruled the country of Arcadia, had a daughter named Callisto. Her beauty was so extraordinary that she risked competing with Hera, the goddess and wife of the almighty supreme god Zeus. Jealous Hera eventually took revenge on Callisto: using her supernatural power, she turned her into an ugly bear. When Callisto's son, young Arkad, one day returning from a hunt, saw a wild beast at the door of his house, he, suspecting nothing, almost killed his mother bear. Zeus prevented this - he held Arkad's hand, and took Callisto to his sky forever, turning him into a beautiful constellation - the Big Dipper. At the same time, Callisto’s beloved dog was also transformed into Ursa Minor. Arkad did not remain on Earth either: Zeus turned him into the constellation Bootes, doomed to forever guard his mother in the heavens. The main star of this constellation is called Arcturus, which means “guardian of the bear.” Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are non-setting constellations, most visible in the northern sky. There is another legend about the circumpolar constellations. Fearing the evil god Kronos, who devoured babies, Zeus's mother Rhea hid her newborn in a cave, where he was fed, in addition to the goat Amalthea, by two bears - Melissa and Helica, who were later placed in heaven for this. Melissa is sometimes called Kinosura, which means "dog's tail." In the legends of different nations, the Big Dipper is often called a chariot, a cart, or simply seven bulls. Next to the star Mizar (from the Arabic word for “horse”) - the second, or middle, star in the handle of the Big Dipper's bucket - the star Alcor (in Arabic this means “horseman”, “rider”) is barely visible. These stars can be used to test your eyesight; every star should be visible to the naked eye. X
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The names of the starry sky reflect the myth of the hero Perseus. Once upon a time, according to the ancient Greeks, Ethiopia was ruled by a king named Cepheus and a queen named Cassiopeia. Their only daughter was the beautiful Andromeda. The queen was very proud of her daughter and one day had the imprudence to boast of her beauty and the beauty of her daughter to the mythical inhabitants of the sea - the Nereids. They were very angry, because they believed that they were the most beautiful in the world. The Nereids complained to their father, the god of the seas, Poseidon, so that he would punish Cassiopeia and Andromeda. And the powerful ruler of the seas sent a huge sea monster - Whale - to Ethiopia. Fire burst out of Keith's mouth, black smoke poured out of his ears, and his tail was covered with sharp spikes. The monster devastated and burned the country, threatening the death of the entire people. To appease Poseidon, Cepheus and Cassiopeia agreed to give their beloved daughter to be devoured by the monster. Beauty Andromeda was chained to a coastal rock and meekly awaited her fate. And at this time, on the other side of the world, one of the most famous legendary heroes - Perseus - accomplished an extraordinary feat. He entered the island where gorgons lived - monsters in the form of women who had snakes instead of hair. The gaze of the gorgons was so terrible that anyone who dared to look into their eyes was instantly petrified. But nothing could stop the fearless Perseus. Seizing the moment when the gorgons fell asleep. Perseus cut off the head of one of them - the most important, the most terrible - the gorgon Medusa. At the same moment, the winged horse Pegasus flew out of Medusa’s huge body. Perseus jumped on Pegasus and rushed to his homeland. Flying over Ethiopia, he noticed Andromeda chained to a rock, who was about to be grabbed by the terrible Whale. Brave Perseus entered into battle with the monster. This struggle continued for a long time. Perseus's magical sandals lifted him into the air, and he plunged his curved sword into Keith's back. The whale roared and rushed at Perseus. Perseus directed the deathly gaze of the severed head of Medusa, which was attached to his shield, at the monster. The monster petrified and drowned, turning into an island. And Perseus unchained Andromeda and brought her to the palace of Cepheus. The delighted king gave Andromeda as his wife to Perseus. In Ethiopia the merry feast continued for many days. And since then the constellations of Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Andromeda, and Perseus have been burning in the sky. On the star map you will find the constellation Cetus, Pegasus. This is how the ancient myths of the Earth found their reflection in the sky. How Perseus saved Andromeda X
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How the winged horse Pegasus “flew” into the sky Next to Andromeda is the constellation Pegasus, which is especially clearly visible at midnight in mid-October. The three stars of this constellation and the star Alpha Andromeda form a figure that astronomers call the “Big Square”. It can be easily found in the autumn sky. The winged horse Pegasus arose from the body of the Gorgon Medusa, beheaded by Perseus, but did not inherit anything bad from her. He was the favorite of nine muses - the daughters of Zeus and the goddess of memory Mnemosyne; on the slope of Mount Helikon he knocked out the source of Hippocrene with his hoof, the water of which brought inspiration to poets. And one more legend in which Pegasus is mentioned. The grandson of King Sisifus, Bellerophon, was supposed to kill the fire-breathing monster Chimera (Chimera means “goat” in Greek). The monster had the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a dragon. Bellerophon managed to defeat the Chimera with the help of Pegasus. One day he saw a winged horse and the desire to take possession of it seized the young man. In a dream, the goddess Athena, the beloved daughter of Zeus, wise and warlike, the patroness of many heroes, appeared to him. She gave Bellerophon a wonderful horse-taming bridle. With her help, Bellerophon caught Pegasus and went to battle the Chimera. Rising high into the air, he threw arrows at the monster until it gave up the ghost. But Bellerophon was not satisfied with his luck, but wished to ascend to heaven on a winged horse, to the home of the immortals. Zeus, having learned about this, became angry, enraged Pegasus, and he threw his rider to Earth. Pegasus then ascended to Olympus, where he carried the lightning bolts of Zeus. The main attraction of the Pegasus constellation is a bright globular cluster. Through binoculars you can see a round luminous foggy spot, the edges of which sparkle like the lights of a big city visible from an airplane. It turns out that this globular cluster contains about six million suns! X
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The most beautiful constellation of the southern sky X There is no other constellation in the entire sky that would contain so many interesting and easily accessible objects for observation as Orion, located near the constellation Taurus. Orion was the son of Poseidon - the god of the seas in Greek mythology (in Roman - Neptune). He was a famous hunter, fought with a bull and boasted that there was no animal that he could not defeat, for which Hera, the powerful wife of the mighty Zeus, sent Scorpio against him. Orion cleared the island of Chios from wild animals and began to ask the king of this island for the hand of his daughter, but he refused him. Orion tried to kidnap the girl, and the king took revenge on him: after getting drunk, he blinded Orion. Helios restored Orion’s sight, but Orion still died from the bite of the Scorpio sent by the Hero. Zeus placed him in the sky in such a way that he could always escape from his pursuer, and indeed, these two constellations are never visible in the sky at the same time
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Where does Veronica's hair come from in the sky? The ancient constellation Leo had a fairly large “territory” in the sky, and Leo himself had a magnificent “tassel” on his tail. But in 243 BC. he lost it. A funny story happened, about which the legend says. The Egyptian king Ptolemy Euergetes had a beautiful wife, Queen Veronica. Her luxurious long hair was especially magnificent. When Ptolemy went to war, his saddened wife swore an oath to the gods: if they kept her beloved husband safe and sound, she would sacrifice her hair. Soon Ptolemy returned home safely, but when he saw his shorn wife, he was upset. The royal couple was somewhat reassured by the astronomer Konon. declaring that the gods carried Veronica's hair to heaven, where it was destined to decorate the spring nights. X
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Constellation Taurus X For ancient peoples, the most important constellation was Taurus, since the new year began in the spring. In the zodiac, Taurus is the most ancient constellation, since cattle breeding played a huge role in the life of ancient peoples, and the bull (Taurus) was associated with the constellation where the Sun seemed to conquer winter and herald the arrival of spring and summer. In general, many ancient peoples revered this animal and considered it sacred. In ancient Egypt there was a sacred bull, Apis, who was worshiped during his lifetime and whose mummy was ceremonially buried in a magnificent tomb. Every 25 years Apis was replaced with a new one. In Greece, the bull was also held in high esteem. In Crete the bull was called Minotaur. The heroes of Hellas Hercules, Theseus, Jason pacified the bulls. The constellation Aries was also highly revered in ancient times. The supreme god of Egypt, Amon-Ra, was depicted with a ram's head, and the road to his temple was an alley of sphinxes with ram's heads. It was believed that the constellation Aries was named after Aries with the Golden Fleece, after whom the Argonauts sailed. By the way, there are a number of constellations in the sky that reflect the Argo Ship. The alpha (brightest) star of this constellation is called Gamal (Arabic for “adult ram”). The brightest star in the constellation Taurus is called Aldebaran.
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Where are there twins in the sky? In this constellation, two bright stars are very close to each other. They received their name in honor of the Argonauts Dioscuri - Castor and Pollux - twins, sons of Zeus, the most powerful of the Olympian gods, and Leda, a frivolous earthly beauty, brothers of Helen the beautiful - the culprit of the Trojan War. Castor was famous as a skilled charioteer, and Pollux as an unsurpassed fist fighter. They took part in the Argonauts' campaign and the Calydonian hunt. But one day the Dioscuri did not share the spoils with their cousins, the giants Idas and Lynceus. In the battle with them, the brothers were severely wounded. And when Castor died, the immortal Pollux did not want to part with his brother and asked Zeus not to separate them. Since then, by the will of Zeus, the brothers spend six months in the kingdom of gloomy Hades, and six months on Olympus. There are periods when on the same day the star Castor is visible against the background of the morning dawn, and Pollux - in the evening. Perhaps it was precisely this circumstance that gave rise to the birth of the legend about brothers living either in the kingdom of the dead or in heaven. The Dioscuri brothers were considered in ancient times to be the patrons of sailors caught in a storm. And the appearance of “St. Elmo’s Fire” on the masts of ships before a thunderstorm was considered a visit to the Twins by their sister Elena. St. Elmo's lights are luminous discharges of atmospheric electricity observed on pointed objects (tops of masts, lightning rods, etc.). The Dioscuri were also revered as guardians of the state and patrons of hospitality. In ancient Rome, a silver coin “Dioscuri” with images of stars was in circulation. X
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How Cancer X appeared in the sky The constellation Cancer is one of the most inconspicuous zodiac constellations. His story is very interesting. There are several rather exotic explanations for the origin of the name of this constellation. For example, it was seriously argued that the Egyptians placed Cancer in this region of the sky as a symbol of destruction and death, because this animal feeds on carrion. Cancer moves tail first. About two thousand years ago, the summer solstice point (i.e., the longest daylight hours) was located in the constellation Cancer. The sun, having reached its maximum distance to the north at this time, began to “back away” back. The length of the day gradually decreased. According to classical ancient mythology, a huge sea Cancer attacked Hercules when he was fighting the Lernaean Hydra. The hero crushed him, but the goddess Hera, who hated Hercules, placed Cancer in heaven. The Louvre houses the famous Egyptian circle of the zodiac, in which the constellation Cancer is located above all others.
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Is the lion in the sky scary? X About 4.5 thousand years ago, the summer solstice point was located in this constellation, and the Sun was in this constellation during the hottest time of the year. Therefore, among many peoples, it was the Lion that became the symbol of fire. The Assyrians called this constellation “great fire,” and the Chaldeans associated the fierce lion with the equally fierce heat that occurred every summer. They believed that the Sun received additional strength and warmth by being among the stars of Leo. In Egypt, this constellation was also associated with the summer period: flocks of lions, escaping the heat, migrated from the desert to the Nile valley, which was flooding at that time. Therefore, the Egyptians placed images in the form of a lion's head with an open mouth on the gates of irrigation canals that directed water to the fields.
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X Virgo The constellation Virgo, located next to Leo, this constellation was sometimes represented by the fairy-tale sphinx - a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a woman. Often in early myths, the Virgin was identified with Rhea, the mother of the god Zeus, the wife of the god Kronos. Sometimes she was seen as Themis, the goddess of justice, who in her classical guise holds Libra (the zodiac constellation next to Virgo). There is evidence that in this constellation ancient observers saw Astraea, the daughter of Themis and the god Zeus, the last of the goddesses who left the Earth at the end of the Bronze Age. Astraea, the goddess of justice, a symbol of purity and innocence, left the Earth due to the crimes of people. This is how we see the Virgin in ancient myths. The Virgin is usually depicted with the rod of Mercury and an ear of corn. Spica (Latin for “spike”) is the name given to the brightest star in the constellation. The very name of the star and the fact that the Virgin was depicted with an ear of corn in her hands indicate the connection of this star with human agricultural activities. It is possible that her appearance in the sky coincided with the beginning of some agricultural work.
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Libra is the only “non-living” zodiac constellation X. Indeed, it seems strange that among the animals and “semi-animals” in the Zodiac there is the sign of Libra. Over two thousand years ago, the autumnal equinox was located in this constellation. The equality of day and night could be one of the reasons why the zodiac constellation received the name “Libra”. The appearance of Libra in the sky in the middle latitudes indicated that the time for sowing had come, and the ancient Egyptians, already at the end of spring, could consider this as a signal to begin harvesting the first harvest. Scales - a symbol of balance - could simply remind ancient farmers of the need to weigh the harvest. Among the ancient Greeks, Astraea, the goddess of justice, weighed the destinies of people with the help of Libra. One of the myths explains the appearance of the zodiac constellation Libra as a reminder to people of the need to strictly observe the laws. The fact is that Astraea was the daughter of the almighty Zeus and the goddess of justice Themis. On behalf of Zeus and Themis, Astraea regularly “inspected” the Earth (armed with scales and blindfolded, in order to judge everything objectively, supply Olympus with good information and mercilessly punish deceivers, liars and everyone who dared to commit all kinds of unfair acts). So Zeus decided that his daughter’s Libra should be placed in heaven.
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Not only because of its external similarity, this constellation was assigned the role of a poisonous creature. The sun entered this area of the sky in late autumn, when all nature seemed to be dying, only to be reborn again, like the god Dionysus, in the early spring of the next year. The sun was considered to have been “stinged” by some poisonous creature (by the way, in this area of the sky there is also the constellation Snake!), “as a result of which it was sick” all winter, remaining weak and pale. According to classical Greek mythology, this is the same Scorpio that stung the giant Orion and was hidden by the goddess Hera on the diametrically opposite part of the celestial sphere. It was he, the heavenly Scorpio, who most frightened the unfortunate Phaeton, the son of the god Helios, who decided to ride across the sky on his fiery chariot, without listening to his father’s warnings. Other peoples gave this constellation their names. For example, for the inhabitants of Polynesia, it was represented as a fishing hook, with which the god Maun pulled the island of New Zealand from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The Mayan Indians associated this constellation with the name Yalagau, which means “Lord of Darkness.” According to many astronomers, the sign of Scorpio is the most sinister - a symbol of death. It seemed especially scary when the planet of disasters - Saturn - appeared in it. Scorpio is a constellation where new stars often flare up, in addition, this constellation is rich in bright star clusters. Does the constellation really look like Scorpio? X
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According to ancient Greek mythology, the wisest of the centaurs, Chiron, the son of the god Chronos and the goddess Themis, created the first model of the celestial sphere. At the same time, he reserved one place in the Zodiac for himself. But he was ahead of him by the insidious centaur Krotos, who took his place by deception and became the constellation Sagittarius. And after his death, the god Zeus turned Chiron himself into the constellation Centaur. That's how two centaurs ended up in the sky. Even Scorpio himself is afraid of the evil Sagittarius, at whom he aims with a bow. Sometimes you can find an image of Sagittarius in the form of a centaur with two faces: one facing backward, the other forward. In this way he resembles the Roman god Janus. The first month of the year, January, is associated with the name Janus. And the Sun is in Sagittarius in winter. Thus, the constellation seems to symbolize the end of the old and the beginning of the new year, with one of its faces looking into the past, and the other into the future. In the direction of the constellation Sagittarius is the center of our Galaxy. If you look at a star map, the Milky Way also passes through the constellation Sagittarius. Like Scorpio, Sagittarius is very rich in beautiful nebulae. Perhaps this constellation, more than any other, deserves the name “celestial treasury.” Many star clusters and nebulae are strikingly beautiful. X Who is the star shooter aiming at?
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The history of the constellations is very interesting. A very long time ago, sky observers united the brightest and most noticeable groups of stars into constellations and gave them various names. These were the names of various mythical heroes or animals, characters from legends and tales - Hercules, Centaurus, Taurus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Pegasus, etc. In the names of the constellations Peacock, Toucan, Indian, South. The Cross, Bird of Paradise reflected the Age of Discovery. There are a lot of constellations - 88. But not all of them are bright and noticeable. The winter sky is richest in bright stars. At first glance, the names of many constellations seem strange. Often in the arrangement of stars it is very difficult or even simply impossible to discern what the name of the constellation indicates. The Big Dipper, for example, resembles a ladle; it is very difficult to imagine a Giraffe or Lynx in the sky. But if you look at ancient star atlases, the constellations are depicted in the form of animals.
WHAT DID THE ANCIENT GREEKS SAY ABOUT URSE BEARS?
There are many legends about Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Here is one of them. Once upon a time, King Lycaon, who ruled the country of Arcadia, had a daughter named Callisto. Her beauty was so extraordinary that she risked competing with Hera, the goddess and wife of the almighty supreme god Zeus. Jealous Hera eventually took revenge on Callisto: using her supernatural power, she turned her into an ugly bear. When Callisto's son, young Arkad, one day returning from a hunt, saw a wild beast at the door of his house, he, suspecting nothing, almost killed his mother bear. Zeus prevented this - he held Arkad's hand, and took Callisto to his sky forever, turning him into a beautiful constellation - the Big Dipper. At the same time, Callisto’s beloved dog was also transformed into Ursa Minor. Arkad did not remain on Earth either: Zeus turned him into the constellation Bootes, doomed to forever guard his mother in the heavens. The main star of this constellation is called Arcturus, which means “guardian of the bear.”
HOW A CANCER WALKED IN THE SKY
The constellation Cancer is one of the most inconspicuous zodiac constellations. His story is very interesting. There are several rather exotic explanations for the origin of the name of this constellation. For example, it was seriously argued that the Egyptians placed Cancer in this region of the sky as a symbol of destruction and death, because this animal feeds on carrion. Cancer moves tail first. About two thousand years ago, the summer solstice point (i.e., the longest daylight hours) was located in the constellation Cancer. The sun, having reached its maximum distance to the north at this time, began to “back away” back. The length of the day gradually decreased. According to classical ancient mythology, a huge sea Cancer attacked Hercules when he was fighting the Lernaean Hydra. The hero crushed him, but the goddess Hera, who hated Hercules, placed Cancer in heaven. The Louvre houses the famous Egyptian circle of the zodiac, in which the constellation Cancer is located above all others.
IS THE LION SCARY IN THE SKY?
About 4.5 thousand years ago, the summer solstice point was located in this constellation, and the Sun was in this constellation during the hottest time of the year. Therefore, among many peoples, it was the Lion that became the symbol of fire. The Assyrians called this constellation “the great fire,” and the Chaldeans associated the fierce lion with the equally fierce heat that occurred every summer. They believed that the Sun received additional strength and warmth by being among the stars of Leo. In Egypt, this constellation was also associated with the summer period: flocks of lions, escaping the heat, migrated from the desert to the Nile valley, which was flooding at that time. Therefore, the Egyptians placed images in the form of a lion's head with an open mouth on the gates of irrigation canals that directed water to the fields.
IS THE CONSTELLATION REALLY LIKE SCORPIO?
Not only because of its external similarity, this constellation was assigned the role of a poisonous creature. The sun entered this area of the sky in late autumn, when all nature seemed to be dying, only to be reborn again, like the god Dionysus, in the early spring of the next year. The sun was considered to have been “stinged” by some poisonous creature (by the way, in this area of the sky there is also the constellation Snake!), “as a result of which it was sick” all winter, remaining weak and pale. According to classical Greek mythology, this is the same Scorpio that stung the giant Orion and was hidden by the goddess Hera on the diametrically opposite part of the celestial sphere. It was he, the heavenly Scorpio, who most frightened the unfortunate Phaeton, the son of the god Helios, who decided to ride across the sky on his fiery chariot, without listening to his father’s warnings. Other peoples gave this constellation their names. For example, for the inhabitants of Polynesia, it was represented as a fishing hook, with which the god Maun pulled the island of New Zealand from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The Mayan Indians associated this constellation with the name Yalagau, which means “Lord of Darkness.” According to many astronomers, the sign of Scorpio is the most sinister - a symbol of death. It seemed especially scary when the planet of disasters - Saturn - appeared in it. Scorpio is a constellation where new stars often flare up, in addition, this constellation is rich in bright star clusters.
CASSIOPEIA.
Queen Cassiopeia boasted of her beauty. She boasted of her wherever she could, claiming that she was more beautiful than the daughters of the sea deity Nereus. One of the Nereids, Thetis, became an involuntary witness to her speeches. When she complained about Cassiopeia's boasting to the god of the sea Poseidon, he sent a terrible sea monster to the possessions of Cepheus. Emerging from the sea, it ravaged the houses of the inhabitants and devoured their livestock.
The alarmed king asked the soothsayer for advice on how to stop the snake, and learned that the only way to get rid of the monster was by sacrificing the most beautiful girl from his domain. Cepheus addressed the people, calling on them to name the victim. The people's opinion was unanimous: the beauty who should be sacrificed to the snake is Cassiopeia's daughter Andromeda. Reluctantly, Cepheus obeyed this decision. Mentally, he was already mourning Andromeda. However, the girl chained to the rocks on the seashore was seen by the hero Perseus flying through the air, returning home with the severed head of the gorgon Medusa. The hero drew his sword and killed the sea monster. The rescued Andromeda became the wife of Perseus. Among her descendants were the legendary Amphitryon, Alcmene and Hercules. In memory of the exploits of Perseus, the beautiful Andromeda was placed by Athena among the stars.
ZEUS'S FAVORITES
The eagle was Zeus' favorite bird. Firstly, he was the embodiment of the spirit of God, and secondly, he carried out various assignments with him. The eagle carried a quiver of lightning arrows and gave them to the god when he was angry.
One day, on behalf of Zeus, Eagle kidnapped and brought to Olympus a handsome prince boy named Ganymede. The boy was smart, dexterous, fast and flexible. Zeus took him to the palace. Among other duties, the young man had one that was very honorable in those days: he was a cupbearer and served the gods during the magnificent Olympic meals. Imagine this picture. The gods feast on Olympus among the ever-blooming and fragrant trees and shrubs. The daughters of Zeus, the young goddesses Hebe and Eiletia, together with the handsome Ganymede, offer them ambrosia and nectar - the food and drink of the gods. Beautiful Charites - goddesses of beauty, fun, joy - and the muses entertain them with singing and dancing. Holding hands, graceful maidens lead in chorustheir unfading beauty.
Among the planets of the solar system, the largest is the giant gas planet Jupiter, dedicated to Zeus. All of her 16 companions are named after the favorites or favorite women of God. The first four brightest moons of Jupiter were discovered by Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei 400 years ago. They were named Europa, Io, Callisto and Ganymede. The latter is the largest satellite of the great planet.
Pleshakov had a good idea - to create an atlas for children that would make it easy to identify stars and constellations. Our teachers picked up this idea and created their own atlas-identifier, which is even more informative and visual.
What are constellations?
If you look up into the sky on a clear night, you can see many sparkling lights of different sizes, like a scattering of diamonds, decorating the sky. These lights are called stars. Some of them seem to be collected in clusters and, upon prolonged examination, they can be divided into certain groups. Man called such groups “constellations.” Some of them may resemble the shape of a ladle or the intricate outlines of animals, however, in many respects this is just a figment of the imagination.
For many centuries, astronomers tried to study such clusters of stars and gave them mystical properties. People tried to systematize them and find a common pattern, and that’s how the constellations appeared. For a long time, constellations were carefully studied, some were divided into smaller ones, and they ceased to exist, and some, after clarification, were simply adjusted. For example, the constellation Argo was divided into smaller constellations: Compass, Carina, Parus, Poop.
The history of the origin of the names of the constellations is also very interesting. To make it easier to remember, they were given names united by one element or literary work. For example, it was noticed that during periods of heavy rain, the Sun rises from the direction of certain constellations, which were given the following names: Capricorn, Whale, Aquarius, and the constellation Pisces.
In order to bring all constellations to a certain classification, in 1930, at a meeting of the International Astronomical Union, it was decided to officially register 88 constellations. According to the decision made, constellations do not consist of groups of stars, but represent sections of the starry sky.
What are the constellations?
Constellations vary in the number and brightness of the stars that make up them. The 30 most noticeable groups of stars are identified. The largest constellation in terms of area is Ursa Major. It consists of 7 bright and 118 stars visible to the naked eye.
The smallest constellation, located in the southern hemisphere, is called the Southern Cross and cannot be seen with the naked eye. It consists of 5 bright and 25 less visible stars.
Lesser Horse is the smallest constellation in the northern hemisphere and consists of 10 faint stars that can be seen with the naked eye.
The constellation Orion is considered the most beautiful and brightest. It consists of 120 stars visible to the naked eye, and 7 of them are very bright.
All constellations are conventionally divided into those located in the southern or northern hemisphere. Those who live in the southern hemisphere of the Earth cannot see star clusters located in the northern hemisphere and vice versa. Of the 88 constellations, 48 are in the southern hemisphere, and 31 are in the northern hemisphere. The remaining 9 groups of stars are located in both hemispheres. The Northern Hemisphere is easily identified by the North Star, which always shines very brightly in the sky. She is the extreme star on the handle of the Ursa Minor dipper.
Due to the fact that the Earth rotates around the Sun, which prevents some constellations from being seen, the seasons change and the position of this star in the sky changes. For example, in winter the location of our planet in its circumsolar orbit is opposite to that in summer. Therefore, at each time of the year you can only see certain constellations. For example, in the summer, in the night sky you can see a triangle formed by the stars Altair, Vega and Deneb. In winter, there is an opportunity to admire the infinitely beautiful constellation Orion. That’s why they sometimes say: autumn constellations, winter, summer or spring constellations.
Constellations are best visible in the summer and it is advisable to observe them in open space, outside the city. Some stars can be seen with the naked eye, while others may require a telescope. The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, as well as Cassiopeia, are best visible. In autumn and winter, the constellations Taurus and Orion are clearly visible.
Bright constellations that are visible in Russia
The most beautiful constellations of the northern hemisphere visible in Russia include: Orion, Ursa Major, Taurus, Canis Major, Canis Minor.
If you look closely at their location and give free rein to your imagination, you can see a hunting scene, which, like an ancient fresco, has been depicted in the sky for more than two thousand years. The brave hunter Orion is always depicted surrounded by animals. Taurus runs to his right, and the hunter swings his club at him. At Orion's feet are the faithful Canis Major and Canis Minor.
Constellation Orion
This is the largest and most colorful constellation. It is clearly visible in autumn and winter. Orion can be seen over the entire territory of Russia. The arrangement of its stars resembles the outline of a person.
The history of the formation of this constellation originates from ancient Greek myths. According to them, Orion was a brave and strong hunter, the son of Poseidon and the nymph Emvriala. He often hunted with Artemis, but one day, for defeating her during a hunt, he was struck by the goddess’s arrow and died. After death, he was turned into a constellation.
Orion's brightest star is Rigel. It is 25 thousand times brighter than the Sun and 33 times its size. This star has a bluish-white glow and is considered supergiant. However, despite such impressive dimensions, it is significantly smaller than Betelgeuse.
Betelgeuse adorns Orion's right shoulder. It is 450 times larger than the diameter of the Sun and if we put it in the place of our star, then this star will take the place of four planets before Mars. Betelgeuse shines 14,000 times brighter than the Sun.
The constellation Orion also includes nebulae and asterisms.
Constellation Taurus
Another large and unimaginably beautiful constellation of the northern hemisphere is Taurus. It is located northwest of Orion and is located between the constellations Aries and Gemini. Not far from Taurus there are such constellations as: Auriga, Cetus, Perseus, Eridanus.
This constellation in mid-latitudes can be observed throughout almost the entire year, with the exception of the second half of spring and early summer.
The history of the constellation dates back to ancient myths. They talk about Zeus turning into a calf in order to kidnap the goddess Europa and bring her to the island of Crete. This constellation was first described by Eudoxus, a mathematician who lived long before our era.
The brightest star not only of this constellation, but also of the other 12 groups of stars is Aldebaran. It is located on the head of Taurus and was previously called the “eye”. Aldebaran is 38 times the diameter of the Sun and 150 times brighter. This star is located 62 light years away from us.
The second brightest star in the constellation is Nat or El-Nat (the horns of the bull). It is located near Auriga. It is 700 times brighter than the Sun and 4.5 times larger.
Within the constellation there are two incredibly beautiful open clusters of stars, the Hyades and the Pleiades.
The age of the Hyades is 650 million years. They can be easily found in the starry sky thanks to Aldebaran, which is clearly visible among them. They include about 200 stars.
The Pleiades got its name from its nine parts. Seven of them are named after the seven sisters of Ancient Greece (the Pleiades), and two more are named after their parents. The Pleiades are very visible in winter. They include about 1000 stellar bodies.
An equally interesting formation in the constellation Taurus is the Crab Nebula. It was formed after a supernova explosion in 1054 and was discovered in 1731. The distance of the nebula from the Earth is 6500 light years, and its diameter is about 11 light years. years.
This constellation belongs to the Orion family and borders the constellations Orion, Unicorn, Canis Minor, and Hare.
The constellation Canis Major was first discovered by Ptolemy in the second century.
There is a myth according to which the Great Dog used to be Lelap. It was a very fast dog that could catch up with any prey. One day he chased a fox, which was not inferior to him in speed. The outcome of the race was a foregone conclusion, and Zeus turned both animals to stone. He placed the dog in heaven.
The constellation Canis Major is very visible in winter. The brightest star not only of this, but also of all other constellations is Sirius. It has a bluish luster and is located quite close to Earth, at a distance of 8.6 light years. In terms of brightness in our solar system, it is surpassed by Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon. Light from Sirius takes 9 years to reach Earth and is 24 times stronger than the sun. This star has a satellite called "Puppy".
The formation of such a concept as “Holidays” is associated with Sirius. The fact is that this star appeared in the sky during the summer heat. Since Sirius is translated from Greek as “canis,” the Greeks began to call this period vacation.
Constellation Canis Minor
Canis Minor borders on such constellations as: Unicorn, Hydra, Cancer, Gemini. This constellation represents the animal that, together with Canis Major, follows the hunter Orion.
The history of the formation of this constellation, if we rely on myths, is very interesting. According to them, Canis Minor is Mera, the dog of Icaria. This man was taught how to make wine by Dionysus and the drink turned out to be very strong. One day his guests decided that Ikaria had decided to poison them and killed him. The mayor was very sad for his owner and soon died. Zeus placed it in the form of a constellation in the starry sky.
This constellation is best observed in January and February.
The brightest stars in this constellation are Porcyon and Gomeisa. Porcyon is located 11.4 light years from Earth. It is somewhat brighter and hotter than the Sun, but physically differs little from it.
Gomeiza is visible to the naked eye and glows with a blue-white light.
Constellation Ursa Major
Ursa Major, shaped like a ladle, is one of the three largest constellations. It is mentioned in the writings of Homer and in the Bible. This constellation is very well studied and has great significance in many religions.
It borders with such constellations as: Waterfall, Leo, Canes Venatici, Dragon, Lynx.
According to ancient Greek myths, the Big Dipper is associated with Callisto, a beautiful nymph and lover of Zeus. His wife Hera turned Callisto into a bear as punishment. One day, this bear came across Hera and her son, Arcas, with Zeus in the forest. To avoid tragedy, Zeus turned his son and nymph into constellations.
The big ladle is formed by seven stars. The most striking of them are three: Dubhe, Alkaid, Aliot.
Dubhe is a red giant and points to the North Star. It is located 120 light years from Earth.
Alkaid, the third brightest star in the constellation, expresses the end of the tail of Ursa Major. It is located 100 light years away from Earth.
Alioth is the brightest star in the constellation. She represents the tail. Because of its brightness, it is used in navigation. Alioth shines 108 times brighter than the Sun.
These constellations are the brightest and most beautiful in the northern hemisphere. They can be perfectly seen with the naked eye on an autumn or frosty winter night. The legends of their formation allow your imagination to run wild and imagine how the mighty hunter Orion, together with his faithful dogs, runs after his prey, while Taurus and Ursa Major watch him closely.
Russia is located in the northern hemisphere, and in this part of the sky we are able to see only a few of all the constellations existing in the sky. Depending on the time of year, only their position in the sky changes.
There are more than 80 constellations in the sky, each of which has its own name. At first glance, the names seem strange, because in the arrangement of the stars it is very difficult or even simply impossible to see what the name says. However, the reasons for giving a particular name to a constellation are easily and simply explained by ancient myths.
Crippled warriors and frozen heroes
The patterns of stars in the sky have attracted the attention of people since ancient times. So, about five thousand years ago (this was in Sumer), bright stars, groups of two or three stars and large characteristic configurations were identified throughout the sky. They served for navigation, determining the time of day, seasons, and also for the predictions of priests.
According to Kalmyk beliefs, the number of stars in the sky is equal to the number of people on earth, and the appearance of a meteor indicates someone’s death. In Armenia, the cult of ancestors was closely connected with the stars. According to local folk beliefs, each person has his own star in the heavens, which fades when he is in danger. In Ket mythology (a small indigenous people of Siberia), stars are considered the roots of trees that grow in the “upper sky.” But according to Nenets legends, the sky visible to humans is a “heavenly skin” that covers the real sky, the stars shining through the holes in it.
In Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, each god had its own celestial body. Particular importance was attached to the planet Venus; she was revered as the deity of Astara, associated, in particular, with fertility and love. His cult influenced many peoples, as evidenced by the penetration of the Semitic word into neighboring languages (in particular, Indo-European: Hittite haster - “star”, Greek aster - “star”, astron - “constellation”). At the same time, the cult of stars and constellations developed independently in various regions of the world. Thus, in Ancient Korea there was a belief in sacred stars: large ones were considered symbols of giants, heroes, sages, and small ones were considered symbols of mere mortals. Stars and constellations among the Paleo-Asian peoples (Chukchi-Kamchatka group) are often represented by people: Arcturus is the leader of the stars, Altair is one creature who used to be the ancestor of the tribe, Orion is a humpbacked archer, and the constellation Leo is his wife; The Sun is a rich rider on white deer, and the Moon is the sun of evil spirits.
Constellations received a lot of attention in myths and legends. Thus, in the myths of the American Indians, the constellations Orion and the Pleiades are represented as parts of the body of a dismembered hero. And in the legends of the South American Indians (in Guyana), each of the constellations embodies the soul of one of the animals. However, constellations were often compared to animals. A very typical example in this regard is the performance of the Evenks (a small Siberian indigenous people living in Russia, China and Mongolia). In their mythology, the sky is the taiga of the upper world, in which the cosmic elk Heglun lives, every evening kidnapping and carrying the Sun into the thicket. The four stars of the Ursa Major bucket are understood as the legs of Haglun, and the three stars of the bucket of this constellation are understood as the hunter, sometimes the same constellation was described as the mythical Mangi bear hunting an elk. In one version of the Evenki myth, Ursa Minor appears as a calf, and the Milky Way as the ski trail of a bear hunter who has gorged himself on elk meat.
The ancient Ingush also remembered the Milky Way. In myths, they connected its origin, as well as the three stars (Vega, Deneb, Altair), forming a triangle in the sky, with the daughter of the god of thunder and lightning Sel, a girl of extraordinary beauty who married a celestial. The Milky Way is the trace of the straw that she carried for the marriage bed. Before leaving the house to get straw, she prepared a triangular loaf of dough and put it in the ashes with coals to bake. While she was walking, two corners of the bread burned, only one remained. And now three stars are visible in the sky, one of which (Vega) is much brighter than the other two. According to the Selkup myth, the Milky Way is the “road of the heavenly Iya.” Representatives of this people, living in the north of Western Siberia, tell their children about a hero named Iy, who once set out on a journey when a cold east wind was blowing. Iy, poorly dressed, was completely frozen and, walking across the sky, he left traces that formed the Milky Way.
Hidden lovers of the gods
Constellations, in the understanding that was accepted a couple of centuries ago, were formed in Ancient Greece. Ancient Greek constellations are groups of stars into which the entire visible sky is divided. Usually they include the “backbone” of stars that form the constellation figure, and all the small stars in this area. Between the constellations the Greeks had “empty places” - there were stars there too, but they remained homeless. The Greeks spoke about them, for example, “the star west of Orion” or “the area between Cygnus and Lyra.” The culmination of both Greek astronomy in general and the description of the sky, uranography in particular, was Ptolemy's Almagest. It described the constellations now called “classical”.
Many Greek myths and legends are dedicated to the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Here is one of them. Once upon a time, King Lycaon, who ruled the country of Arcadia, had a daughter named Callisto. Her beauty was so extraordinary that she risked competing with Hera, the goddess and wife of the almighty supreme god Zeus. Jealous Hera took revenge on Callisto: using her supernatural power, she turned her into an ugly bear. When Callisto's son, young Arkad, one day returning from a hunt, saw a wild beast at the door of his house, he, suspecting nothing, almost killed his mother bear. Zeus prevented this - he held Arkad’s hand, and took Callisto to his sky forever, turning him into a beautiful constellation - the Big Dipper. At the same time, Callisto’s beloved dog was also transformed into Ursa Minor. Arkad did not remain on Earth either: Zeus turned him into the constellation Bootes, doomed to forever guard his mother in the heavens. The main star of this constellation is called Arcturus, which means “guardian of the bear.”
The history of the constellation Cancer is interesting - there are several rather exotic explanations for the origin of its name. For example, it was seriously argued that the Egyptians placed Cancer in this region of the sky as a symbol of destruction and death, because this animal feeds on carrion. About two thousand years ago, the summer solstice point (i.e., the longest daylight hours) was located in the constellation Cancer. The sun, having reached its maximum distance to the north at this time, began to “back away” like a cancer. According to classical ancient mythology, a huge sea Cancer attacked Hercules when he was fighting the Lernaean Hydra. The hero crushed him, but the goddess Hera, who hated Hercules, placed Cancer in heaven.
There is no other constellation in the entire sky that would contain so many interesting and easily accessible objects for observation as Orion, located near the constellation Taurus. Orion was the son of Poseidon - the god of the seas - and a famous hunter. One day he cleared the island of Chios from wild animals and began to ask the king of this island for the hand of his daughter, but he refused him. Orion tried to kidnap the girl, and the king took revenge on him: after getting drunk, he blinded Orion, after which the hero was bitten by Scorpio. Zeus placed Orion in the sky in such a way that he could always escape from his pursuer, and indeed, these two constellations (Orion and Scorpio) are never visible in the sky at the same time.
It seems strange that among the animals and "half-animals" in the Zodiac there is the sign of Libra. Over two thousand years ago, the autumnal equinox was located in this constellation. The equality of day and night could be one of the reasons why the zodiac constellation received the name “Libra”. One of the myths explains the appearance of the zodiac constellation Libra as a reminder to people of the need to strictly observe the laws. The fact is that Astraea was the daughter of the almighty Zeus and the goddess of justice Themis. On behalf of Zeus and Themis, Astraea regularly “inspected” the Earth (armed with scales and blindfolded, in order to judge everything objectively, supply Olympus with good information and mercilessly punish deceivers, liars and everyone who dared to commit all kinds of unfair acts). So Zeus decided that his daughter’s Libra should be placed in heaven.
Over time, the classic list of constellations changed: new constellations were added for various reasons, then they were forgotten. But most of the constellations, like their names, have reached us. And, having become acquainted with the myths about them, you can clearly see the hero Orion or the Hero of Cancer hidden by the goddess in the sky.
Prepared by Maria Borisova,
based on materials
