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CONSTELLATION

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.

Ophiuchus

Ptolemy listed 48 constellations in his Almagest.

21 Northern Constellations 

Andromeda, Aquila, Auriga, Boötes, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Delphinus, Draco, Equuleus, Hercules, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Pegasus,

Perseus, Sagitta, Serpens, Triangulum, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor 

12 Zodiacal Constellations 

Aries, Aquarius, Cancer, Capricornus, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Taurus, Virgo 

15 Southern Constellations 

Ara, Argo Navis, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Centaurus, Cetus, Corona Australis, Corvus, Crater, Eridanus, Hydra, Lepus, Lupus, Orion, Pisces

Austrinus 

History of Constellation

ANCIENT CONSTELLATI

ON

Mesopotamia: The land of Sumeria and

BabylonROLES Represented the Gods and their symbols Farming Calendar and rustic activities

These figures developed in stages from 3200 BC – 500 BCThe most important in the divine set was the 12 Zodiac Signs plus several associated animals ∆ serpent, crow, eagle and fish ∆

Where the earliest direct evidence for the constellation comes from inscribed stones and clay writing tablets dug up.

1300 – 1000 B.C were Mesopotamian constellations were created

There are Babylonian star catalogueso MUL.APIN – a text dating to the Late

Bronze Age (14th – 12th century BC) which include the farming calendar tradition that gives an accurate divine associations of constellation.

o Venus Tablet of King Ammizaduga

Egyptian : The Pyramid of Giza and the

Orion Constellation

Orion correlation theoryAccording to Egyptian mythology, the gods descended from

the belt of Orion and Sirius– the brightest star in the sky. The ancient Egyptian civilization firmly believed that from Sirius and Orion beings came in the form of humans– Osiris and Isis and they instigated the human race.

The concept that the three pyramids at Giza are in a special alignment of Orion’s Belt is amazing.

Why does the Great Pyramid have air shafts that point to Orion? These are just some of the question that– until today, do not have a clear answer.

MODERNCONSTELLATI

ON

The Modern Constellation in this region were defined during the Age of Exploration. In 1919 a group of astronomers formed the International Astronomical Union or IAU. One of the first items they tackled was the celestial disarray. The IAU made a list of 88 'official' constellations in 1922 and approved the boundary of each six years later.

The 88 official constellations chosen by the IAU were all of European origin because those constellations were already well known and used by many professional astronomers.

The official constellations are no more and no less important than the constellations of any other time, country, or culture. What they are is the common language for astronomers around the world. Think of the world's spoken languages - there is no best or correct language and each conveys some meanings better than others. Still, English is becoming the lingua franca and like English the official constellations are a useful tool for international communication.

HeveliusCanes Venatici, Lacerta, Leo Minor, Lynx, Scutum, Sextans, Vulpecula

LaCailleAntlia, Caelum, Circinus, Fornax, Horologium, Mensa,Microscopium,

Normal, Octans,Pictor, Pyxis,Reticulum,Sculptor, TelescopiumLaCaille/ de Vaugondy

Carina, Puppis, Vela, Plancius

Camelopardalis, Columba, Crux, Monoceros, Plancius Keyser

Apus, Chamaeleon, Dorado, Grus, Hydrus, Indus, Musca, Pavo, Australis, Phoenix,Triangulum, tucana, Volanis

VopelComa Berenices

Naming of Star Common Names The Bayer Naming System The Flamsteed Naming System

Uses for Constellations

Constellations are useful because they can help people to recognize 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."

By:Mary Rose Lamoste - Torres

References

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1998JBAA..108....9R http://www.ducksters.com/science/physics/constellations.php http://www.modernconstellations.com/constellationhistory.html http://www.modernconstellations.com/celestialmaps.html http://www.modernconstellations.com/constables.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=1998JBAA..108....9

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