Constellation (astrology)

Constellation is an indispensable part of astrology and a group of stars in the sky. Since ancient times, human beings have associated three or five stars with their mythical figures or artifacts, which are called "constellations". Constellation is a means to determine the orientation of the sky in almost all civilizations and is widely used in the field of navigation. The division of constellations is completely artificial, and different civilizations have different divisions and names. Constellations have no uniform and precise boundaries. Until 1930, in order to unify the complicated constellation division, the International Astronomical Union divided the sky into 88 official constellations with precise boundaries, so that every star in the sky belonged to a specific constellation. Most of these official constellations are based on ancient Greek myths handed down from the Middle Ages. In contrast, some widely circulated star combinations are not recognized as official constellations, such as the Big Dipper.

In the three-dimensional universe, there is no necessary connection between these stars. Their positions on the celestial sphere are similar, but in fact they may be far apart. If we were in another solar system of the Milky Way, the starry sky we saw would be completely different. Since ancient times, people have been interested in the arrangement and shape of stars, and naturally linked some stars with similar positions to form constellations.

Du Fu's Eight Guards for Chu Shi. As mentioned in the ancient poem, the two stars of Shen and Shang, one east and one west, will never meet. Betelgeuse is actually Orion; Xinsu, also called Shangsu, is a Scorpio; "It's almost as difficult for friends to meet, and as for the stars in the morning and evening" refers to these two places, Scorpio and Orion.

In ancient times, the rise and fall of stars or constellations were often used to navigate and determine time. Ancient Egypt determined the beginning of a year by observing the rise of Sirius. In some areas, the ancient technology of determining position by observing stars still remains. [1] Constellations and their own literary images often appear in the works of literati.

Although the importance of constellations has been relatively reduced in modern times, they have not lost their charm for astronomy lovers. Through its fascinating legend, constellations have played an extremely important role in the popularization of astronomy. Whenever there is a major astronomical phenomenon, astronomers, popular science workers and the media will always set off an astronomical upsurge in society, especially among young people.