Stars are important celestial objects as they help us in different ways, in the past they were access tools for sea folks to navigate. These people made some imaginary shapes with a group of stars, what we know now as a constellation. These shapes then became reliable signs for them to find their way at night in vast oceans and seas. Constellations are also useful for studying the stars, we have approximately 200 billion trillion stars in our universe. This is obvious that to study these many stars is impossible unless we put them in separate groups and then we study them in their groups. So the constellations are very important in astronomy. If you are interested in learning more about the constellations stay with us in this article.
What is a constellation?
In astronomy, any presumptive group of stars that creates a shape is called a constellation. These shapes are usually in form of animals like a bear and eagle. The astronomers use animals, objects, or human names to determine the constellations. Aquila is a famous constellation that’s in form of an eagle.
But who created the first constellation? We can’t say who was the first one that created the first constellation because the world above our head has always been interesting to humans and from a long long time ago they tried to discover more facts about that. But we know that Greeks were the first people to talk about constellations and did some significant tries to know them better. About two centuries later a Greek astronomer named Ptolemy listed 48 constellations as we know them today. But three centuries ago the Greek poet Aratus described constellations in his poetry.
The Most Famous Constellations
Among the 48 constellations that we know so far, 15 constellations are more studied and well known. In the following, we learn more about some of them.
1. Aquarius
This is a constellation that is very big and famous. The meaning of the name is “water carrier” or “cup carrier”. The Aquarius constellation is faint and hard to see because it doesn’t have any bright stars. The best time to see that is in October.
2. Aquila
This constellation represents the head and wings of an eagle and its most prominent star is Altair which is one of the closed naked eye stars on the planet earth. Due to having several bright stars, it’s easily seen, the best time to see this constellation is the late summer, especially in September.
3. Aries
This constellation is one of 12 constellations that form the zodiac- the constellations that straddle the sun’s path across the sky. It represents the shape of a ram and is formed by just 4 and sometimes 5 stars. The best time to see that is in September.
4. Canis Major
This constellation represents a form of a dog and the meaning of the name is The Grater Dog. Canis Major constellation is famous because it contains the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius. The best time to see this constellation is in February.
5. Cassiopeia
This constellation is formed by 5 bright stars so it’s easy to find, especially because of the presence of Cassiopeia, which is one of the bright stars in our galaxy. The best time to see this constellation is in November.
6. Cygnus (Northern Cross)
Because of its special shape, this constellation is referred to as the backbone of the galaxy. The Northern Cross represents the form of a swan and is one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky. The best time to see that is in September.
7. Gemini
This constellation represents the shape of twins, it contains two bright stars named Castor and Pollux. Each of these two stars represents the heads of twins and then has a line that forms their bodies. They are sitting next to Orion which makes it easy to find that in winter. The best time to see this constellation is in February.
8. Leo
Because this constellation represents the exact form of a lion, it’s easy to be seen in the night sky this is the easiest constellation in the zodiac to find. The best time to see this constellation is in April.
9. Lyra
This constellation contains some bright stars including Vega which is one of the brightest stars in the galaxy. It is a small constellation and almost directly overhead in the summer months. The best time to see that is in August.
10. Orien
The three stars which are located on the belt of the Orien are the easiest stars to see in this constellation. The best time to see the Orien is in winter, especially in January.
Interesting Facts about the Constellations
- Not all of the constellations are visible from any part of the earth, some of them are seen in the northern hemisphere and some of them are best seen in the southern hemisphere.
- The largest constellation is Hydra which contains 3.16% of the sky!
- The smallest constellation is Crux which takes only 0.17% of the sky.
- The word “constellation” comes from a Latin term meaning “Set with Stars”.
- The middling black hole appears located in a star cluster near a galaxy about 740 million light-years away in the Aquarius constellation.
- Farmers were among the first people who used the constellations. They follow the changes of the seasons by them.
- The Greeks are responsible for naming the constellations, they choose these names according to their mythological heroes and legends. Each constellation has a story that usually involves angry gods and mysterious beings.
- Today the stars have been mapped so we know their exact location. According to that, we know that the stars in each constellation may not get close to each other at all.
- Not everyone can see all the constellations, it depends on the place they leave, the seasons, and some other factors.
Conclusion
Despite all technologies and tools that we have access to now, still constellations are so important to us for studying the stars. Each constellation has its unique story and information which is not only interesting to us but also helpful to gain more information about our universe.
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