The Story of Astronomy – The Uncovering of the Constellations
From the first time man looked up in the night sky he will have been interested by what he discovered. Even the first civilisations will have had their own answers for what they are able to view. We as humans prefer to notice shapes within the stuff we see so it is only to be expected that we would see designs and shapes in the stars.
The very first ocean explorers relied upon the stars regarding course-plotting during their voyages. It’s likely that early star gazers, priests and wise men of the ancient world might have made use of groups of stars to govern their actions and beliefs. Likewise ancient mythology tried to explain their existence and significance in terms of stories, legends and symbols. Some of the first constellations recognised across multiple civilisations were the 12 signs of the Zodiac: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius (masculine signs) and Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces (the feminine signs).
A constellation is defined as, “a group of celestial bodies, usually stars, which appear to form a pattern in the sky.” However, in contemporary astronomy, a constellation is more commonly defined as, “an area of celestial spheres, characterized by accurate boundaries.” In 1928 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) divided the sky up into eighty-eight (88) official constellations with exact borders. The Greeks recognized and named forty-eight constellations. Many of these were also recognized by the Arabs, Egyptians and the Babylonians. The rest consist of the constellations that were originally defined by astronomers who gazed and studied the skies in the southern hemisphere.
The following are the eighty-eight modern constellations (in alphabetical order): Andromeda, Antlia, Apus, Aquarius, Aquila, Ara, Aries, Auriga, Bo?tes, Caelum, Camelopardalis, Cancer, Canes Venatici, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Capricornus, Carina, Cassiopeia, Centaurus, Cepheus, Cetus, Chamaeleon, Circinus, Columba, Coma Berenices, Corona Australis, Corona Borealis, Corvus, Crater, Crux, Cygnus, Delphinus, Dorado, Draco, Equuleus, Eridanus, Fornax, Gemini, Grus, Hercules, Horologium, Hydra, Hydrus, Indus, Lacerta, Leo, Leo Minor, Lepus, Libra, Lupus, Lynx, Lyra, Mensa, Microscopium, Monoceros, Musca, Norma, Octans, Ophiuchus, Orion, Pavo, Pegasus, Perseus, Phoenix, Pictor, Pisces, Piscis Austrinus, Puppis, Pyxis, Reticulum, Sagitta, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Sculptor, Scutum, Serpens, Sextans, Taurus, Telescopium, Triangulum, Triangulum Australe, Tucana, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Vela, Virgo, Volans, Vulpecula.
The names of the constellations are given in Latin, because Latin was once the language of learning. Modern day stargazers can use a star map or planisphere to help them identify what they are observing in the night sky and locate the various constellations and planets when visible.
If you desire to have a star gazing experience in your very own home then visit Star Planetarium
Give the gift of education and the thrill of discovery with an awesome discovery science toy such as a planisphere (star map) available from the Discovery Science Toys Store.
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