Little knowledge of astronomy: what is a constellation?

Constellation is a general term for celestial bodies with special shapes in the sky. Usually these patterns will open people's brains. If the weather is clear, you can see these constellations directly on the earth without using a telescope.

There are 88 named constellations in the sky, which are named in different ways, including mythical animals, people and objects. The name of a constellation is usually determined by the pattern of the brightest star in this constellation, and some smaller stars are different from the constellation. They also have their own names, which we usually call constellations.

Illustration: The constellation diagram drawn by Frederick de Witt at 1670.

For thousands of years, human beings have been staring at the stars. Of the 88 named constellations, 48 are named after ancient Greek myths. The word "constellation" means "composed of stars" in Latin.

Before the invention of the compass, people used stars to navigate, especially when crossing the ocean. They rely on "Little Bear" to confirm the position of the North Pole star, so as to calculate the latitude and correct sailing direction at that time. This star map can also be used as a brief almanac.

Illustration: 1782 John Bird's star map shows Ursa Major.

Although the layout of the stars remains the same, some constellations will be in different positions throughout the year. People can know the alternation of seasons through the change of constellation position. Of course, it is not the position of the stars in the sky that changes, but the movement of the earth that changes people's horizons.

Illustration: A star map of the Tang Dynasty in Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes is now in the British Museum.

There is a kind of star map called active star map with a rotatable gear on the side. The gear can be adjusted to any time and orientation on the earth, and the constellations that can be observed here and now can be accurately displayed.

Some constellations are more widely known than others. Here are some interesting stories that you may have heard.

Illustration: Andromeda strain painted by Al Sufi.

Ursa major and Ursa minor.

These two constellations are located in the starry sky in the northern hemisphere, and their positions rotate with the seasons.

UrsaMajor is also called Ursa Major, and UrsaMinor is also called Ursa Minor. In ancient Greek mythology, there is a story that Zeus, the ancient Greek god, was very jealous of a mother and son. Because of jealousy, he turned the mother and son into bears and took them to the sky. Bear stands for mother, bear stands for son, and Bear is famous for its seven bright and dazzling stars.

Illustration: Constellation is actually the projection of the stars seen from the earth on the celestial sphere.

People in different regions have given this constellation different names, most of which are related to shovels or plows, because its shape is too obvious-a spoon with a long handle. At the end of the spoon are two bright stars, usually called pointer stars, because they point directly to Polaris and are usually used for positioning.

twelve astrological signs

These are the constellations that the earth, the moon and the sun will pass through when they run in the solar system.

These constellations total *** 12, which is the symbol of the zodiac. They are Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Ophiuchus. These constellations are widely known for their application in astrology, except Ophiuchus. Ophiuchus corresponds to "birth signal" or "star signal"

Illustration: Star map of Orion's star region. As can be seen from the legend, the brighter the star, the larger the black circle it represents.

As the sun moves in the sky, it stays in each constellation for about a month. A person's constellation depends on which constellation the sun was passing when he was born. For example, if you were born between May and June 20th in February1year, and the sky where the sun is located is in Gemini, then you are a Gemini. It should be noted that astrology is different from astronomy, and it is not based on science.

orion

Orion is a famous constellation. Its position is very special and can be observed anywhere on the earth. The name Orion comes from the legend of a Greek hunter. The easiest way to identify this constellation is to find three stars in a line, which is called the Orion Belt. There are many legends of Orion hunters in ancient Greece. The most popular version is that the hunter was poisoned by the scorpion sting and turned into a star.

Casio poya

Cassiopeia is named after a beautiful queen. Her beauty was widely circulated and praised, and people compared her to the goddess of the sea, which angered Poseidon, the sea god. He turned her into a stone and hid her among the stars forever as punishment. The sign of the constellation is the brightest star "M" or "W", which is easy to identify.

There are many beautiful constellations, and they all have their own legends. See if you can find them in the sky. You can also go to a place called Planetarium, where you can see the sky map and the brightest stars on the dome.

reference data

1. Wikipedia

2. Astronomical terminology

3.ishu ca Liu- Spatial Dictionary

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