Interesting facts about constellations (15 photos). Constellations A short message about stars and constellations

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Explore everything constellations in the sky of the Universe: diagrams and maps of constellations, names, list, description, characteristics with photos, asterisms, history of creation, how to observe.

Constellations- These are imaginary drawings in the sky, created based on the position here, which appeared based on the imagination of poets, farmers and astronomers. They used forms that are familiar to us and have been inventing them for the last 6,000 years. The main purpose of constellations is to quickly show the location of a star and tell its features. On a perfectly dark night, you will be able to spot 1000-1500 stars. But how do you know what you're looking at? This is why the brightest constellations are needed, dividing the heavens into identifiable sectors. For example, if you find three bright stars, you will realize that you are looking at part of Orion. And then it’s a matter of memory, because Betelgeuse is hidden in the left shoulder, and Rigel is hidden in the leg. Nearby you will notice the Canes Hounds and its stars. Use diagrams and maps of constellations that show the names, brightest stars, and location in the sky. For each constellation there are photos, pictures and Interesting Facts. Don't forget to look at the zodiac constellations in the starry sky.

All constellations around the world are distributed by month. That is, their maximum level of visibility in the sky depends entirely on the season. Therefore, when classifying, groups are distinguished according to 4 seasons (winter, spring, summer and autumn). The main thing to remember is one point. If you track the constellations strictly according to the calendar, then you need to start at 21:00. When observing ahead of schedule, you need to push back half the month, and if you started after 21:00, then add half.

For navigation convenience, we have distributed everything names of constellations in alphabetical order. This is extremely useful if you are interested in a particular cluster. Remember that only the brightest stars are shown in the diagrams. To delve into more detail, you need to open a star chart or a planisphere - a moving version. You can find out more interesting information about constellations thanks to our articles:

Russian name	Latin name	Reduction	Area (square degrees)	Number of stars brighter than 6.0
Constellations of the sky in alphabetical order
	Andromeda	And	722	100
	Gemini	Gem	514	70
	Ursa Major	UMa	1280	125
	Canis Major	CMa	380	80
	Libra	Lib	538	50
	Aquarius	Aqr	980	90
	Auriga	Aur	657	90
	Lupus	Lup	334	70
	Boots	Boo	907	90
	Coma Berenices	Com	386	50
	Corvus	Crv	184	15
	Hercules	Her	1225	140
	Hydra	Hya	1303	130
	Columba	Col	270	40
	Canes Venatici	CVn	565	30
	Virgo	Vir	1294	95
	Delphinus	Del	189	30
	Draco	Dra	1083	80
	Monoceros	Mon	482	85
	Ara	Ara	237	30
	Pictor	Pic	247	30
	Camelopardalis	Cam	757	50
	Grus	Gru	366	30
	Lepus	Lep	290	40
	Ophiuchus	Oph	948	100
	Serpens	Ser	637	60
	Dorado	Dor	179	20
	Indus	Ind	294	20
	Cassiopeia	Cas	598	90
	Carina	Car	494	110
	Cetus	Set	1231	100
	Capricornus	Cap	414	50
	Pyxis	Pyx	221	25
	Puppis	Pup	673	140
	Cygnus	Cyg	804	150
	Leo	Leo	947	70
	Volans	Vol	141	20
	Lyra	Lyr	286	45
	Vulpecula	Vul	268	45
	Ursa Minor	UMi	256	20
	Equuleus	Equ	72	10
	Leo Minor	LMi	232	20

Canis Minor	CMi	183	20
Microscopium	Mic	210	20
Musca	Mus	138	30
Antlia	Ant	239	20
Norma	Nor	165	20
Aries	Ari	441	50
Octans	Oct	291	35
Aquila	Aql	652	70
Orion	Ori	594	120
Pavo	Pav	378	45
Vela	Vel	500	110
Pegasus	Peg	1121	100
Perseus	Per	615	90
Fornax	For	398	35
Apus	Aps	206	20
Cancer	Cnc	506	60
Caelum	Cae	125	10
Pisces	Psc	889	75
Lynx	Lyn	545	60
Corona Borealis	CrB	179	20
Sextans	Sex	314	25
Reticulum	Ret	114	15
Scorpius	Sco	497	100
Sculptor	Scl	475	30
Mensa	Men	153	15
Sagitta	Sge	80	20
Sagittarius	Sgr	867	115
Telescopium	Tel	252	30
Taurus	Tau	797	125
Triangulum	Tri	132	15
Tucana	Tuc	295	25
Phoenix	Phe	469	40
Chamaeleon	Cha	132	20
Centaurus	Cen	1060	150
Cepheus	Cep	588	60
Circinus	Cir	93	20
Horologium	Hor	249	20
Crater	Crt	282	20
Scutum	Sct	109	20
Eridanus	Eri	1138	100
Hydrus	Hyi	243	20
Corona Australis	CrA	128	25
Piscis Austrinus	PsA	245	25
Crux	Cru	68	30
Triangulum Australe	TrA	110	20
Lacerta	Lac	201	35

Clear boundaries between the constellations were drawn only at the beginning of the 20th century. There are 88 in total, but 48 are based on the Greek ones captured by Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The final distribution took place in 1922 with the help of American astronomer Henry Norris Russell. The boundaries were created in 1930 by the Belgian astronomer Egen Delport (vertical and horizontal lines).

Most have retained the names of their predecessors: 50 are Rome, Greece and the Middle East, and 38 are modern. But humanity has existed for more than one millennium, so constellations appeared and disappeared depending on the culture. For example, the Wall Quadrant was created in 1795, but later divided into the Dragon and Bootes.

The Greek constellation Ship Argo was divided by Nicholas Louis de Lacay into Carina, Velae and Puppis. It was officially cataloged in 1763.

When we talk about stars and objects, scientists mean that they lie within the boundaries of these constellations. The constellations themselves are not real, because in reality all stars and nebulae are separated from each other by great distances and even planes (although from the Earth we see straight lines).

Moreover, remoteness also means a lag in time, because we observe them in the past, which means they can be completely different now. For example, Antares in Scorpio is 550 light years away from us, which is why we see it as before. The same applies to the three-dimensional Sagittarius Nebula (5200 light years). There are also more distant objects - NGC 4038 in the constellation Raven (45 million light years).

Constellation definition

This is a group of stars creating a specific shape. Or one of the 88 official configurations listed in the catalog. Some dictionaries insist that it is any of a specific grouping of stars that represents a being in the heavens and has a name.

History of the constellations

Ancient people, looking at the sky, noted the figures of various animals and even heroes. They started making up stories for them to make it easier to remember the location.

For example, Orion and Taurus have been revered for many centuries different cultures and had a number of legends. As soon as astronomers began creating the first maps, they took advantage of already existing myths.

The word "constellation" originates from the Latin constellātiō - "many with stars." According to the Roman soldier and historian Ammianus Marcellinus, it began to be used in the 4th century. IN English language it came in the 14th century and first referred to planetary conjunctions. It was only in the mid-16th century that it began to take on its modern meaning.

The catalog is based on the 48 Greek constellations proposed by Ptolemy. But he only listed what the Greek astronomer Eudoxus Cnidus discovered (he introduced astronomy to Babylon in the 4th century BC). 30 of them date back to antiquity, and some even extend back to the Bronze Age.

The Greeks adopted Babylonian astronomy, so the constellations began to intersect and overlap. Many of them could not be found by the Greeks, Babylonians, Arabs or Chinese because they were not visible. The southern ones were recorded at the end of the 16th century by the Dutch navigators Federico de Houtman and Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser. They were later included in Johann Bayer's star atlas Uranometria (1603).

Bayer added 11 constellations, including Toucan, Fly, Dorado, Indian and Phoenix. In addition, he gave approximately 1,564 stars Greek letters, giving them a value based on their brightness (starting with Alpha). They have survived to this day and take their place among the 10,000 stars that are visible without the use of instruments. Some have full names, because they had extremely strong brightness (Aldebaran, Betelgeuse and others).

Several constellations were added by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille. His catalog was published in 1756. He scanned the southern sky and found 13 new constellations. Notable among them are the Octant, the Painter, the Furnace, the Table Mountain and the Pump.

Of the 88 constellations, 36 are located in the northern sky and 52 in the southern sky.

History of the starry sky

Astrophysicist Anton Biryukov about Ptolemy's catalog, Christian constellations and the final list:

Constellations can be an invaluable tool in studying the stars scattered throughout the sky. Just combine them and admire the incredible wonders of space.

If you are a beginner and just knocking on the door of amateur astronomy, then you will not move unless you overcome the first obstacle - the ability to understand the constellations. You won't be able to find the Andromeda Galaxy if you can't figure out where to even start or where to look. Of course, the first attempts to understand this entire celestial massif can be scary, but it is quite possible.

You remember your first day at school, right? Many unfamiliar faces, unknown objects and surroundings. But probably even then, you managed to start a conversation with someone. And so gradually, day by day, you adapted until you became your own. So, the constellations are friends who open the way to a new world, so you need to make friends with them, and not be afraid.

"Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation" Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education

"Russian State Vocational Pedagogical University"

Stars and constellations are one

Completed by: 1st year student,

Groups: SRs-103, Khakimova E.S.

Checked by: teacher of the Department of BJD

Makhneva S.G.

Ekaterinburg

Introduction

1.1 Structure of stars

1.2 Location of stars

Conclusion

Bibliography

Project on the theme "Stars and constellations are one"

Problem:disinterest society in the exploration or study of the starry sky.

The goal of my project is

· discuss topics about the world of stars and constellations;

· draw your attention to this world

Tasks:

· to interest others in the beauty of the starry sky;

· consider the type of stars;

· study the problem;

· analyze questionnaires;

· compare and identify the number of people interested in studying the stars.

Place of Providence: audience.

Number of respondents: 16 students, guys in grades 10-11 and several adults.

Research methods:

· Theoretical: analysis, comparison, generalization;

· Empirical: literature study, observation, questioning.

My project plan includes:

· Stars and constellations are one, characteristic;

· The movement of stars in constellations, as well as interesting facts;

· The benefits or harm of stars/constellations for our planet.

Introduction

The night sky is so beautiful when many different stars light up, and with them the constellations that depict a large number of animals. But many people have forgotten that the starry sky is full of mysteries and mystery, because some do not pay attention to it, everyone has their own worries and problems, but it’s worth looking, and at the same hour your thoughts disappear, you will drown in the beauty and radiance of the bright multitude constellations. I think it’s worth thinking about our planet, especially what surrounds it, because that colorful dress may not be friendly stars and constellations, but something unusual, strange and incomprehensible. It is not for nothing that since ancient times people have invested a lot of effort in studying the stars and constellations, but over time, subsequent generations began to move away from all this, roughly speaking, they were “killed” and only a small number of people, namely scientists, put their souls into the study of the night and day sky. So, what’s so mysterious about it that astronomers sit night and day in their observatories and study their significance. Maybe it’s just their hobby or passion, great interest or nothing to do and have dedicated their whole life to the Universe. I am coming to the conclusion that people around us should observe at night, because it is not just beauty, but also benefit for us. And the benefits can be both for health or knowledge, and for inspiration or calm.

In order to start telling you information. I drew attention to question 12: “What interests you in the study of stars and constellations? What new things do you want to learn?” for this purpose, I included your interests in my project, so that in the future you will know for the future, therefore, listen carefully to what interests you!

Chapter 1. Stars and legends about constellations

This section talks about what stars are, what they are, and how in ancient times people made up legends about constellations.

The first to compile a star catalog was Hipparchus. Hipparchus - ancient Greek astronomer, geographer, as well as mechanic and mathematician (c. 180 or 190-125 BC), lived on the island of Rhodes. He compiled the catalog so that future astronomers could monitor the appearance of new stars and the disappearance of old ones. The catalog contains the positions of 1022 stars determined for that time very accurately. IN given time There are more than 100 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy; with the naked eye we see about 6,000 thousand stars.

Stars - These are the most common objects in the Universe; they are a huge ball of hot gases, similar to the Sun. To the 14th question, “Stars, what are they,” 13 people answered correctly that stars are hot gaseous bodies.

And who built the first telescope in the world was Galileo - an Italian physicist, mechanic, astronomer, philosopher and mathematician, who had a significant influence on the science of his time. To this question "Who built the world's first telescope?" 10 people answered correctly since Copernicus started modern idea about the system of the world and was the first to draw attention to the pattern known as Copernicus’ Law. Ptolemy set forth the body of astronomical knowledge of ancient Greece and Babylon, formulating (if not passing on the one developed by Hipparchus) a highly complex geocentric model of the world. an idea of the structure of the universe, according to which the central position in the Universe is occupied by the stationary Earth around which the sun, moon, planets and stars revolve.

Not long ago, astronomers believed that it took millions of years to form a star from interstellar gas and dust. But in last years Astonishing photographs have been taken of an area of the sky that is part of the Great Orion Nebula, where a small cluster of stars has appeared over the course of several years. In photographs taken in 1947, a group of three star-like objects was visible at this location. By 1954, some of them became oblong, and by 1959, these oblong formations broke up into individual stars - for the first time in the history of mankind, people observed the birth of stars literally before our eyes; this unprecedented event showed astronomers that stars can be born in a short interval of time, and the previously seemingly strange reasoning that stars usually appear in groups, or star clusters, turned out to be correct.

Of these, dwarfs are distinguished - these are small stars (the Sun is one of them); giants - stars tens of times larger than the Sun; and supergiants - the largest stars (we will not go deeper into their study, since we discussed their classification in that pair). The closest star to us is a yellow dwarf, the Sun, which is similar to many other stars, but is much closer to us and has a distance of 147 to 152 million km, so it appears huge to us compared to other stars.

The temperature of the star is determined by color and how high it can be.

· The hottest and less hot stars in the Universe are blue; their temperatures range from 28,000 thousand to 50,000 thousand kelvins; blue from 10,000 to 28,000 thousand kelvins; light blue from 7500 thousand to 10000 thousand kelvins; white stars from 6000 to 7500 thousand kelvins.

· Stars like the sun are yellow stars with temperatures ranging from 5000 thousand to 6000 thousand kelvins.

· Stars cooler than the Sun are orange with temperatures of 3500 thousand to 5000 thousand kelvins.

·And the coldest stars are red ones with temperatures from 2500 thousand to 3500 thousand kelvins.

The 16th question “What color are the hottest stars” was answered by 8 people - correct, indeed, the hottest are blue, blue, white with temperatures up to 50,000 thousand K. Whoever chose the red ones, they are the coldest stars.

1.1 Structure of stars

It depends on the mass. If a star is several times more massive than the Sun, then intense mixing a substance (convention), like boiling water. This region is called the convective core of the star. How more star, the larger part of it is the convective core. The rest of the star remains in balance. The energy source is located in the convective core. As hydrogen is converted into helium, the molecular mass of the core material increases, and its volume decreases. Photosphere of the Sun begins 200-300 km deeper than the visible edge of the solar disk. These deepest layers of the atmosphere are called the photosphere. Since their thickness is no more than one three-thousandth of the solar radius, the photosphere is sometimes conventionally called the surface of the Sun. The density of gases in the photosphere is approximately the same as in the Earth's stratosphere, and hundreds of times less than at the Earth's surface. The temperature of the photosphere decreases from 8000 K at a depth of 300 km to 4000 K in the uppermost layers. The temperature of the middle layer, the radiation from which we perceive, is about 6000 K. Chromosphere (from Greek "sphere of color" ) so named for its reddish-purple color. It is visible during total solar eclipses as a ragged, bright ring around the black disk of the Moon, which has just eclipsed the Sun. The chromosphere is very heterogeneous and consists mainly of elongated elongated tongues (spicules), giving it the appearance of burning grass. The temperature of these chromospheric jets is two to three times higher than in the photosphere, and the density is hundreds of thousands of times less. The total length of the chromosphere is 10 - 15 thousand kilometers. Crown Unlike the photosphere and chromosphere, the outermost part of the Sun's atmosphere - the corona - has a huge extent: it extends over millions of kilometers, which corresponds to several solar radii, and its weak extension goes even further. The density of matter in the solar corona decreases with height much more slowly than the density of air in the earth's atmosphere. The decrease in air density as it rises is determined by the gravity of the Earth. On the surface of the Sun, the force of gravity is much greater, and it would seem that its atmosphere should not be high. In reality it is extraordinarily extensive. Consequently, there are some forces acting against the attraction of the Sun. These forces are associated with the enormous speeds of movement of atoms and electrons in the corona, heated to a temperature of 1 - 2 million degrees! Often during eclipses (and with the help of special spectral instruments - and without waiting for eclipses) above the surface of the Sun one can observe bizarrely shaped “fountains”, “clouds”, “funnels”, “bushes”, “arches” and other brightly luminous formations from the chromospheric substances. They can be stationary or slowly changing, surrounded by smooth curved jets that flow into or out of the chromosphere, rising tens and hundreds of thousands of kilometers. These are the most ambitious formations of the solar atmosphere - prominences. When observed in the red spectral line emitted by hydrogen atoms, they appear against the background of the solar disk as dark, long and curved filaments. Prominences have approximately the same density and temperature as the chromosphere. But they are above it and surrounded by higher, highly rarefied upper layers of the solar atmosphere. Prominences fall into the chromosphere because their matter is supported by the magnetic fields of active regions of the Sun.

1.2 Location of stars

On the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, logarithms of luminosities or absolute magnitudes M are plotted along the ordinate axis, and spectral classes, or the corresponding logarithms of temperatures, or a value characterizing color, are plotted along the abscissa axis. The points corresponding to stars with known characteristics are not located randomly on the diagram, but along certain lines - sequences. Most stars are located along an inclined line running from top left to bottom right. In this direction, the luminosities, radii and temperatures of stars simultaneously decrease. This is the main sequence. On it, a cross marks the position of the Sun as a star - a yellow dwarf. Parallel to the main sequence there is a sequence of subdwarfs, which are one magnitude fainter than main sequence stars with the same temperature. At the top, parallel to the x-axis, are the brightest stars - a sequence of supergiants. They have color and " color - luminosity" with white dwarfs.

1.3 Constellations, where they come from, legends

Next we will look at you in more detail constellation class. A constellation is a section of the starry sky with all the stars on it. How many constellations are there? Someone chose 86, 98 constellations, these answers are incorrect, there are 88 constellations in total. To this question “How many constellations are there?” Only 4 out of 16 people responded. In 1922 in Rome, by decision of the First General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union, a list of 88 constellations into which the starry sky was divided was finally approved, and in 1928 clear and unambiguous boundaries between these constellations were adopted.

When astrologers in ancient times observed the starry sky, they paid attention to individual groups of bright stars. They called these groups constellations. After imagining a little about the location of the stars in the constellations, they saw some outlines of fairy-tale characters and animals. This is where the names of many constellations come from. For example, Hercules, Centaurus, Taurus, Andromeda, Pegasus and others. Almost every constellation is associated with some kind of ancient legend or myth, which makes them even more interesting.

Of the 88 modern constellations, many are very ancient. They were known long before the beginning of our era, and mentions of them can be found in the Bible, in the works of Homer, Hesiod, Thales, Eudoxus, Hipparchus and other ancient authors. It is believed that Thales "discovered" the constellation Ursa Minor for the Greeks as a guiding tool; Previously, this constellation was used by the Phoenicians. So let's go back thousands of years and go back to how astronomers explored the constellations. Here are the names of the oldest constellations:

Ursa Major, Orion, Taurus, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Bootes, Ursa Minor, Dragon, Hercules, Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Arrow, Dolphin, Hare, Eridanus, Whale, Southern Fish, Lesser Horse, Centaurus, Wolf, Hydra, Chalice, Raven, Libra, Coma Berenices, Southern Cross, Northern Crown, Ophiuchus, Scorpio, Virgo, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Auriga, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Pegasus, Aries, Triangle, Pisces, Perseus, Lyra, Swan, Eagle. Most of these 46 constellations are of mythological origin - they depict characters from ancient Greek myths and legends.

For example, here is what the ancient Egyptians saw in the constellation surrounding Ursa Major Dipper . They saw a bull, a man was lying next to him, the man was being dragged along the ground by a hippopotamus, who walked on two legs and carried a crocodile on his back.

Also included in these objects was myth about the beautiful Callisto . She was the lover of the almighty Zeus himself. This event greatly upset the legal wife of Zeus - she turned the nymph Callisto into a Ursa. The saddened Bear was on the verge of death at the hands of her own son Arcas (also the son of Zeus), whom she encountered while hunting. Zeus himself saved from murder. He gave her eternal life as a constellation in the sky (Ursa Major). Her son Arkas and his dog were also sent to heaven. Arkas accepted the role of his mother's eternal guardian. Zeus turned him into the constellation Bootes (the bear guard or shepherd), and his dog - to the constellation Ursa Minor .

There is another version about this legend and the origin of the names of the constellations. The Indians of South America, in the silhouette of “our” Ursa Minor, saw a monkey that grabbed the star with its tail and spun around it. The ancient Kazakhs connected the Small and Big Kovsh into a single whole, seeing a horse there connected with an “iron nail”, i.e. with the brightest polar star. It is located at the very end of the handle of the Ursa Minor dipper. Since the Earth rotates on its axis, it appears that all the stars are circling above it. But not all. In the survey, the question “Which star serves as a guide to the north?” 14 people answered that this star always points north. This is important for sailors and travelers to avoid getting lost. They gave the name "Temir-Kazyk".

The name is associated with the name of the queen of Ethiopia constellation Cassiopeia . Cassiopeia's husband Cepheus is also not forgotten; between Ursa Minor and Cassiopeia there is a group of stars named in his honor. The constellations Cygnus, Lyra and Eagle, which include the brightest stars such as Deneb, Vega, Altair, create a summer-autumn triangle in our sky, which does not fit in with any legend or myth. The singer Orpheus is depicted in the Swan, whose singing touched the hearts of not only people, but also wild animals.

The eagle represents the bird that fulfilled Zeus’s order to peck the liver of Prometheus, who betrayed all the gods and gave fire to people. Hercules (Hercules) freed Prometheus from torment by killing the Eagle. Other things remind us of the achievements of Hercules constellation - Dragon . This Dragon guarded the garden where beautiful golden apples grew. Hercules fought the Dragon and won.

The names of many other groups of celestial bodies also have in common with the names of brave men and heroes of various myths. This is a giant hunter Orion . Close to Orion are his dogs - Canis Minor and Canis Major. The constellations Auriga, Taurus and Gemini are located adjacently. In one of the myths, Taurus is a bull, with whom Orion, well equipped with weapons, fights. According to other myths, Taurus is chasing the Pleiades, daughters of the titan Atlas.

From one legend constellation Charioteer associated with the mythical charioteer. According to other versions, this is the chariot of the son of the Sun god - Photon. In honor of the goat that fed Zeus with its milk, the star of Auriga was named Capella. Gemini is the personification of brotherly love between the glorious and courageous sons of Zeus.

Veronica's hair. A very interesting legend that tells that the wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Berenice (Veronica) offered her luxurious hair as a gift to the goddess Venus. But the hair was stolen from the palace of Venus and ended up in the sky as a constellation. In summer, the constellation Coma Berenices can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere below the handle of the Ursa Major Dipper.

Another group of constellations was first mentioned by the astronomer Johann Bayer, who published a beautifully designed atlas of the starry sky in 1603. It includes Peacock, Toucan, Crane, Phoenix, Flying Fish, Southern Hydra, Golden Fish, Chameleon, Bird of Paradise, Southern Triangle, Indian. Probably, the reader caught in the names of these constellations the aroma of that time - the era of great geographical discoveries, when exotic landscapes of unfamiliar southern countries appeared before the eyes of Europeans. There are almost no mythological names here, but there are such actual characters of the era as the Indian, Peacock or Bird of Paradise. The true appearance of the globe is gradually revealed and at the same time the unfamiliar southern starry sky begins to be populated with new constellations. However, at the same time the white spots in the northern starry sky are also filling up.

By the end of the 17th century. In the list of constellations compiled by the famous Gdańsk astronomer Hevelius, one can find a number of new constellations that have appeared over the course of the century. These are the Giraffe, the Fly, the Unicorn, the Dove, the Hounds, the Fox, the Lizard, the Sextant, the Lesser Lion, the Lynx, the Shield, and the Southern Crown.

In 1752, the famous explorer of the southern starry sky, French astronomer Lacaille, added 14 more constellations to the list. Here they are: Sculptor, Kiln, Clock, Reticle, Chisel, Painter, Altar, Compass, Pump, Octant, Compass, Telescope, Microscope, Table Mountain. All these constellations are located in the southern hemisphere of the starry sky. We only have five constellations left to add to the list. Three of them - Keel, Stern and Sails - in ancient times formed the main part of the constellation of the Ship - the same mythical ship on which, according to ancient Greek legends, the Argonaut heroes traveled to Colchis. The fourth constellation, Serpens, is remarkable in that on star charts it occupies two separate areas of the sky. You might even think that there are two constellations of Serpens close to each other in the sky. In fact, this is one constellation, separated by the constellation Ophiuchus. Ancient star maps depict a man holding a snake. On modern maps, this ancient constellation is divided into two - Ophiuchus and Serpens. The last, 88th constellation, Angle, is located in the southern starry sky, and its origin is as arbitrary as the Southern Triangle.

Chapter 2. Movement of stars in constellations

Here we will look at the movement of constellations and stars, the distance from each other, at what time they can disappear and interesting, but not reliable facts, but only assumptions.

Stars are like people, they are born and die. They are in constant motion. Therefore, over time, the outlines of the constellations change. A million years ago, the current Big Dipper looked not like a ladle, but like a long spear. Perhaps in a million years people will have to come up with new names for the constellations, because their shape will undoubtedly change. One final note. Maybe, somewhere, there is a planetary system from which our Sun looks like a small star, part of some constellation, in the outlines of which the inhabitants of a distant planet see the silhouette of their native exotic animal.

Many people have the impression that the stars in the constellations are close to each other, this is an illusion. The stars of the constellations are separated from each other by trillions of kilometers. But more distant stars can be brighter and look the same as closer, less bright stars. From Earth we see constellations as flat.

Disappear from the Universe over time, first starting out as white dwarfs, being pulled into the matter around them, reaching critical mass and exploding. In other cases, they are the result of a collision between two such stars (double stars).

2.1 Interesting facts about the life of stars and constellations

In interesting facts I want to tell you that I could not justify the answers to your questions on that pair, which interested me, and I delved into the study of these meanings! So, what does “Falling Star” mean, “Star Rain”, “Why do stars disappear during the daytime?”, “Are stars alive? What are they capable of?”, “What should we be afraid of?”, “Is there life on oxygen stars? and the most interesting things about space!

They say that when you see shooting star , you need to make a wish, and it will definitely come true. But what we think of as shooting stars are just small rocks flying from outer space. Approaching our planet, such a stone collides with the air shell and at the same time becomes so hot that it begins to glow like a star. Soon the “star”, before reaching the Earth, burns out and goes out. These space aliens are called meteors. If part of the meteor reaches the surface, it is called a meteorite. Very bright meteors are called fireballs. Hundreds of millions of meteors appear in the Earth's atmosphere every day. Their mass is estimated at thousands of tons per day. But, in addition to this, about 100 tons of dust particles, too small to cause the appearance of visible meteors, also fall to the Earth per day.

What does " star Rain "? Star rain - This meteor shower, a phenomenon in which we see the moment of combustion of meteoroids, asteroids or comet fragments in the Earth's atmosphere. That is, meteor showers are observed when the Earth crosses the trajectory of a swarm of particles formed during the destruction of a comet. After all, when a comet approaches the Sun, it is heated by its rays and loses matter. Over several centuries, under the influence of the gravitational force of the planets, these particles form an elongated swarm along the comet’s orbit. If the Earth crosses this stream, we experience a shower of stars every year.

"Why do stars disappear during the daytime?", "Are stars alive? What are they capable of?"

The fact is that stars, like the Sun, illuminate everything around them, warm nearby planets and give life to their inhabitants. And they glow not only at night, but also during the day. We just don’t see them during the daytime, because the Sun illuminates our entire planet with its bright rays, and space with the stars is hidden from our sight. In the evening, when the sun sets, the curtain opens, and we can admire the starry glow until the morning, until the sun rises again. However, during the day you can also see the stars. This is possible when a solar eclipse occurs. During a solar eclipse, the sun hides behind the moon, and its light does not illuminate our planet. And at these moments stars appear in the sky. But this natural phenomenon lasts only a few minutes, and with the appearance of the sun, the stars disappear again from behind the moon.

Many people wonder whether stars are alive. I am inclined to believe that the stars are alive and they are capable of more! Quite recently, a huge asteroid was heading towards our planet, clearly following a given trajectory, from the impact of which little would have survived. But a miracle happened and this asteroid attracted Jupiter to itself, thereby deflecting the blow from the Earth. Moreover, in the media the emphasis was placed on the fact that the trajectory along which he walked did not coincide with this wonderful attraction. Now they think what it was and how it was possible. Well, in order to understand whether celestial bodies are alive or not, you need to understand what our Earth is? This question still remains a mystery to everyone around us, as well as scientists. But about the astronauts who flew far from the Earth and began to slowly go crazy, it has not been proven and is not clear. This means that there is something mysterious in the world of stars.

What should we be afraid of?

We are haunted by a huge number of questions related to our Universe, for example, whether aliens really exist. In fact, there are things that are truly worth fearing, and they are everywhere, virtually hidden from our sight. The truth will not leave anyone indifferent, and perhaps it will strike someone to the core and make them think seriously.

Fast moving black holes

Black holes are invisible space killers. Ask anyone what people consider the most frightening cosmic phenomenon. Many, if not most, will call black holes, because this expression is so widely circulated in the media that we have absolutely no doubt about their existence, while having a very vague idea of what these black holes actually are. For many, black holes are something like cosmic Koloboks, no matter how comical and primitive it may sound.

First of all, black holes are classified by size. The smallest and largest, huge and insignificantly small, phenomena of unknown origin. Micro black holes exist only in theoretical calculations; medium-sized holes owe their appearance to the destruction or merger of star clusters; it is this scenario for the formation of black holes that looks the most traditional to most people. A black hole cannot absorb everything that surrounds it, since its gravitational field is quite limited.

Traditionally, it was believed that only supermassive black holes could roam through space, rushing at incredible speeds of nine million miles per hour. It’s just an unrealistic number; in life, most often small children operate with such numbers, proving to their friends who and how many times is cooler.

However, this phenomenon does not pose a real threat to us. Objects rushing at great speed are not particularly dangerous; their collision with other celestial bodies is dangerous, while the direction of movement changes, and we have hundreds of invisible cosmic bodies circling in outer space. The real threat is the possibility of the hole colliding with something in its path, causing that “something” to rush towards our planet at a speed of nine hundred million miles per hour.

Supermassive black holes

star constellation black hole

Supermassive black holes do exist and are potentially the most dangerous phenomena in the Universe. By definition, the density of black holes is so high that everything within the hole itself inevitably falls into its gravitational field. Based on the name of these black holes, it is easy to assume that the mass of these celestial giants is enormous, no less than the mass of four million Suns. Today we are only able to determine the presence of black holes by observing the movements of celestial bodies in a certain place. Depending on the speed and direction of travel, we can quite confidently assume that at some point the black hole will overtake them and sweep them away like a hurricane.

At the center of any galaxy are stars and gas clusters rotating at high speed. According to scientists, this position of celestial objects implies the presence in the center of any galaxy, including ours, of a supermassive black hole. In principle, we have nothing special to fear, because our planet is located at a fairly large distance from the “danger zone”. However, the danger lies elsewhere: the problem is that black holes are fueled by gas and eventually stop moving. Getting into the gas zone creates an increase in the volume of the hole itself, then scientists say that the hole becomes more active and turns into an “active galactic nucleus.” During this period, these “galactic nuclei” turn into powerful sources of radioactive radiation, devouring all the gas in their galaxy that forms stars. As a rule, this process stops when the hole no longer has anything to “feed” and, in the end, it closes. However, during the active galactic nucleus phase, the process of star formation sharply intensifies, this is what is called a starburst. Such stars are quite large and massive, many of them turn into supernovae, destroying everything that might get in their way. In essence, it turns out that supermassive black holes litter their own galaxy with tons of explosives.

Red planets

Depending on the scientific theory prevalent in your school days, our solar system contained eight or nine planets. However, it is noteworthy that this number only includes planets whose behavior can be brought to some standard. The red planets are rebels and “bad guys” of outer space, for whom the concept of “orbit” is not a law and they simply don’t care about the rules of behavior of the other planets. The red planets do not rotate around their axis, they wander around the galaxy until they encounter some other cosmic body on their way, which either stops the movement of the Red planet or stops itself under its influence. According to the most common theory of the origin of the red planets, they were displaced from their orbits due to their uncontrollable behavior.

The red planets are quite a frightening phenomenon, but something about them is simply terrifying. For example, their number. There are twice as many of these planets in our galaxy as there are stars. Impressive, isn't it? The second is their size, which is not inferior to the size of Jupiter. Now imagine two hundred billion Jupiters, not tied to a strict orbit, moving chaotically throughout our Universe. God either has a very strange sense of humor or is a big fan of pinball. A collision of the red planet with a foreign object does not always have dire consequences, but sometimes it can cause a real disaster. It is believed that the red planet is capable of displacing another celestial body from its orbit, sending it wandering erratically in outer space.

Hypernova star

As the name suggests, a hypernova is something like a supernova, but with a much larger diameter. Hypernovae occur when the core of a supermassive star collapses directly into a black hole. The released energy reaches simply incredible speed, creating with its movement two jet streams of plasma moving at the speed of light, while releasing powerful gamma radiation. This can only be compared to a shot from a cannon, but on a completely different scale.

However, there is good news: this can only happen in the largest stars in the galaxy, giants hundreds of times the mass of the Sun. Such huge celestial bodies are extremely rare and the formation of a hypernova is possible once every two hundred million years. The bad news is that for Earth, the date of the fatal collision is inexorably approaching.

It is quite possible that Eta Carinae, the closest object capable of colliding with a hypernova, will simply explode and collapse. However, for us these events are unlikely to have serious consequences due to the enormous distance of seventy-five hundred light years. If this happened in the neighborhood of our planet, all living things would be wiped out from the face of the Earth by a plasma explosion. Fortunately, our solar system is somewhat like a guarded residence, and the terrible giants keep a fairly safe distance from our planet. Perhaps it was the hypernova that at a certain moment became the cause of the destruction of all life on earth, which was later called the Ordovician-Silurian extinction.

Is there life on “oxygen” stars?

Astronomers have discovered two cosmic bodies the size of Earth, the surrounding atmosphere of which is abundantly saturated with oxygen. This find could be an excellent place to search for alien life, if not for one annoying circumstance - both bodies belong to the “white dwarf” class. Now scientists are trying to determine the initial weight of “oxygen” stars. It is assumed that they were huge and were the progenitors of many luminaries in the Universe.

The stars SDSS 0922+2928 and SDSS 1102+2054 are located at a distance of 400 and 220 light years from Earth. Previously, it was believed that these were ordinary white dwarfs, that is, very dense, hot, small stars made of degenerate gas. They are in the last stage of stellar evolution. Nuclear reactions no longer take place inside them. The glow occurs due to slow cooling. And since SDSS 0922+2928 and SDSS 1102+2054 are not visible to the human eye, they have not even earned the right to receive proper names.

However, scientists from the English University of Warwick and the German University of Kehl discovered that these are not quite ordinary white dwarfs, but the cores of once huge stars. In addition, they have an unusual chemical composition. The theoretical model showed that such massive celestial bodies, whose initial mass is 7-10 times the mass of the Sun, have only one ending - collapse and transformation into a neutron star. However, the discovered dwarfs show Alternative option development.

As their constituent elements are destroyed, oxygen begins to predominate in their core. A similar model of development was proposed a quarter of a century ago, and the latest discovery has confirmed its correctness. Most often, white dwarfs are surrounded by an atmosphere of residual hydrogen or helium, which makes them difficult to find against the background of large stars with the same chemical composition. 0922+2928 and SDSS 1102+2054 have completely lost substances for the thermonuclear reaction and therefore stand out in the field of view of the spectral telescope as pure oxygen . “The fact that we were able to detect such large masses of oxygen suggests that the cores of white dwarfs are already completely exposed,” says Boris Gaansik from the University of Warwick. “The preservation of the entire core may be a sign that these two stars were among the most massive in the Universe."

It was previously thought that the oxygen or neon cores of dwarfs are enveloped in a gas layer with a high carbon content, which prevents the evaporation of oxygen. This isolation causes the star to explode in the final stages of its life. However, new calculations have shown that the greater the initial mass of a star, the thinner the layer surrounding it and the less likely it is that it will turn into a neutron star. The discovery of astronomers clearly demonstrates that these oldest stars in the Universe were very massive. And this is what saved them from death.

Now scientists are trying to determine the initial weight of “oxygen” stars, but there are already suggestions that they were colossal and were the progenitors of many other stars in the Universe.

2.2 The most interesting things about space

From what we know, some facts are still unpredictable and surprising to us, for example:

Lightness, if you put Saturn in water, it will float on the surface. The average density of Saturn's substance is almost 2 times less than the density of water.

Constant movement. All of us - people, houses, rivers and mountains - are constantly moving in space at a speed of 530 kilometers per second. Inside our galaxy, we move at a speed of 225 km/sec, and the Galaxy itself rushes through space at a speed of 305 km/sec. Thus, while you are reading this sentence, the Earth has transported you to a distance of 3 thousand kilometers.

Goodbye old friend. The Moon is moving away from the Earth. Every year, the Moon moves away from the Earth at a distance of almost 4 cm. There are many reasons for this, one of them is the slowdown in the Earth’s rotation period by 2 milliseconds per day. Scientists do not know how the Moon was formed; they assume that it is a fragment of the Earth, “beaten off” by a large cosmic body that hit the surface of the Earth many billions of years ago.

Light from the past. The light from the Sun that you see is 30 thousand years old. The energy that we receive from the Sun was formed in its core 30,000 years ago - this is exactly the time it takes for photons (particles of light) to “break through” from the center of the star to its surface. After that, they reach Earth in just 8 minutes. The temperature of the solar core is more than 13 million degrees, and all the energy it produces must first pass through numerous layers to the surface in the form of light from other radiations.

Solar diet. The sun loses more than a billion kilograms of mass per second. This happens through the solar wind - a stream of particles moving from the surface of the Sun in different directions. Its nature and causes have not yet been fully studied. By the way, one tiny particle of solar wind (the size of a poppy seed) is enough to kill a person at a distance of up to 160 km.

Ursa Major constellation. One of the most noticeable formations in the sky is Ursa Major. In fact, this is not just a constellation, but a so-called ASTERISM. This word is used to describe a visible cluster of stars, which are actually located very far from each other, in different galaxies. We see such forms only due to the special location of the Earth relative to the asterism. Ursa Major is part of another constellation, the so-called. Ursa Major (Ursa Great).

Uranus was originally called "George's Star". When scientist William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus in 1781, he received the right to name his discovery. He chose the name Georgium Sidus (Star of George), in honor of King George III. Here is what the scientist said about this: “In past times, planets were named after famous gods - Mercury, Venus, Mars, etc. In modern philosophical times, I want to do things differently. If descendants ask when the last planet of the solar system was discovered "The answer will be very honorable - During the reign of King George III." Uranus was also the first planet discovered using a telescope.

The Earth has 4 moons. This is not entirely true, but very close. In 1896, Duncan Waldron discovered an asteroid with a diameter of 5 km, orbiting the Sun with a frequency equal to the frequency of the Earth's revolution. Because of this, it turned out that this celestial body was constantly moving next to the Earth. The asteroid was named Cruithne in honor of the ancient Scottish people. Because of its constant connection with the Earth, it was called the second satellite of the Earth. This satellite can only be seen through a sufficiently powerful telescope. After this, 3 more similar celestial bodies associated with the Earth were discovered. In the figure above, the trajectory of one satellite is indicated in blue, the Earth's in yellow.

9. Cold welding. If two pieces of metal touch in space, they will weld to each other. It sounds incredible, but it's true. If there are no oxides on their surface, this will happen. This does not happen on Earth, because oxides immediately form on the surface in the atmosphere. This may seem like a big problem, but it really isn't. All instruments involuntarily oxidize on Earth before flying into space. A similar phenomenon of cold welding was specially studied in space and was confirmed by experiments.

Chapter 3. Benefits or harms of stars/constellations for our planet

In this section, we will look at how stars/constellations can both harm and help, and what we should expect from the Universe.

In the 12th question, “Can the stars harm or help?” many noted that the stars can both harm and help, and some do not know at all.

Someone answered that the stars are simply beautiful, they cannot harm, but they can help with their appearance. Someone explained their point of view in such a way that the stars cannot harm, since they seem to “live a separate life and do not interfere with the Earth”, a very interesting statement, or as another answered, it all depends on us. Some also noted that they could cause harm; our life and the life of the planet depend on the stars. Indeed, if there were no Sun, we would have a hard time and soon the world would turn into a gloomy house.

Now we will look specifically at the significance of the Sun star and the constellation Chanterelle for us.

The sun is the source of life and light on Earth and provides thermoregulation on our planet. The age of the Sun is 5 billion years. Since the cradle of human civilization, the Sun has attracted special attention from people; miraculous properties were attributed to it, it was worshiped, it was deified. Today, humanity knows a lot about the nature of the Sun and its radiation. It is determined by its main components reaching the Earth. They are: visible light, infrared and ultraviolet radiation. Briefly, I will say that visible light provides visual perception of objects; infrared radiation causes a thermal effect, and ultraviolet radiation is the biologically most active part of the solar spectrum.

The constellation Chanterelle poses a great threat to our planet. One of the planets in the constellation Chanterelle is experiencing an apocalypse. The temperature of its atmosphere reached tens of thousands of degrees and literally boiled away due to a flare that occurred on a neighboring star. American scientists noticed all this with the help of the Hubble telescope and tried to draw analogies. The distant planet is similar to the Earth, and its star is similar to the Sun. Theoretically, a repeat scenario of such a catastrophe is possible.

Astronomers claim that after the flare, planetary air escaped at a rate of a thousand tons per second. The same processes, however, less intense, also occur in the earth’s atmosphere. The constellation in which the deflation of the atmosphere was recorded was discovered back in the 17th century and its full name is Little Fox with Goose. However, due to the fact that Goose was rarely singled out as a separate constellation, the name was shortened. Now Chanterelle is under close supervision of scientists. The Chinese claim that the axis of evil extends through it. There is no mysticism here, everything has a scientific explanation: the name denotes an extended region along which the orientation of the entire structure of the Universe is established. Here there are new ideas for film scripts, and the general principles of the theory of relativity, and the theory of the Big Bang.

Thus, we still do not know anything specifically about the starry sky, which is full of secrets and mysteries. And we don’t yet know what to expect from it, it is predictable and can either harm or help our planet at any time.

Results of the survey

I conducted a survey among young people and adults and identified the number of people interested in studying the stars. It turned out that stars have little meaning in the lives of young people, namely for students in our group and schoolchildren in the 10th and 11th grades, or even for adults. The problem is that many kids didn't study astronomy or anything related to the stars at school. To summarize, I present to you a diagram that will show what percentage of students are interested in studying the stars and constellations.

The diagram shows that at this time students devote little time to studying the stars, this is due to the fact that many children did not take an elective course at school, or there was simply no subject, or there was simply no interest. Just for fun, I interviewed my relatives, and it turned out that their knowledge score exceeded 80 and even ninety points. So, from 60 to 80 points, 38% of the guys fall - that's 6 people who are interested and spend time with the stars from time to time, some of them, or rather just three people, studied astronomy at school, the rest for themselves, on their own. From 40 to 60 56% belong, which is 9 people who are less interested. They, of course, love to watch the stars, but they have no desire to study. From 20 to 60 there are 6%, that is, one person who has a negative attitude towards this, is practically not interested in anything, there is no curiosity to learn something new, to observe the objects of our Universe and just get pleasure from it. The survey was also carried out among high school students, but the result was the same as among students. We differ in knowledge about the world of the starry sky only from adults, who know more than we do.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to say that our modern and future society is deteriorating from the knowledge and study of the starry sky, so sometimes it is worth relaxing in your free time and observing the objects of our Universe or brightly burning “fireflies”. Knowledge of the starry sky is an integral part of world culture, affecting many, sometimes completely diverse areas of human activity - from astronomy itself to art history.

Bibliography

1.Very interesting facts about space http://clubs. ya.ru/4611686018427389554/replies. xml? item_no=4984

Is there life on “oxygen” stars/science and technology/

Where did the modern names of the constellations come from?

Scientific articles life of stars http://www.starbolls. narod.ru/index. files/3n. htm

Consideration of the nature and composition of stars/Astronomy http://www.zauchka.ru/shop/show_work/166456

Wikipedia/Hipparchus http://ru. wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%E8%EF%EF%E0%F0%F5

Wikipedia/Galileo http://ru. wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%E0%EB%E8%EB%E5%E9,_%C3%E0%EB%E8%EB%E5%EE

Starfleet Academy

Journey through our Universe http://nashavselenaya. blogspot.ru/2011/12/blogpost_7391.html

Variety of stellar characteristics and their patterns/ http://edu. alnam.ru/book_va. php? id=25

The star tree of our ancestors

Stars and constellations

Why do stars glow during the day but are not visible at night?

Why do stars fall? http://allforchildren.ru/why/why8. php

Four of the most frightening space objects

Science and Technology/Discoveries

Apocalypse of the constellation Chanterelle

Tags: The stars and constellations are one Report Aviation and astronautics

1.3 Constellations, where they come from, legends

Next, we will look at the class of constellations in more detail. A constellation is a section of the starry sky with all the stars on it. How many constellations are there? Someone chose 86, 98 constellations, these answers are incorrect, there are 88 constellations in total. To this question “How many constellations are there?” Only 4 out of 16 people responded. In 1922 in Rome, by decision of the First General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union, a list of 88 constellations into which the starry sky was divided was finally approved, and in 1928 clear and unambiguous boundaries between these constellations were adopted.

When astrologers in ancient times observed the starry sky, they paid attention to individual groups of bright stars. They called these groups constellations. After imagining a little about the location of the stars in the constellations, they saw some outlines of fairy-tale characters and animals. This is where the names of many constellations come from. For example, Hercules, Centaurus, Taurus, Andromeda, Pegasus and others. Almost every constellation has some ancient legend or myth associated with it, which makes them even more interesting.

Ursa Major, Orion, Taurus, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Bootes, Ursa Minor, Dragon, Hercules, Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Arrow, Dolphin, Hare, Eridanus, Whale, Southern Fish, Lesser Horse, Centaurus, Wolf, Hydra, Chalice, Raven, Libra, Berenice's Hair, Southern Cross, Northern Crown, Ophiuchus, Scorpio, Virgo, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Charioteer, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Pegasus, Aries, Triangle, Pisces, Perseus, Lyra, Swan, Eagle . Most of these 46 constellations are of mythological origin - they depict characters from ancient Greek myths and legends.

Here, for example, is what the ancient Egyptians saw in the constellation surrounding the Ursa Major Dipper. They saw a bull, a man was lying next to him, the man was being dragged along the ground by a hippopotamus, who walked on two legs and carried a crocodile on his back.

Also included in these objects was the myth of the beautiful Callisto. She was the lover of the almighty Zeus himself. This event greatly upset the legal wife of Zeus - she turned the nymph Callisto into a Ursa. The saddened Bear was on the verge of death at the hands of her own son Arcas (also the son of Zeus), whom she encountered while hunting. Zeus himself saved from murder. He gave her eternal life as a constellation in the sky (Ursa Major). Her son Arkas and his dog were also sent to heaven. Arkas accepted the role of his mother's eternal guardian. Zeus turned him into the constellation Bootes (the guardian bear or shepherd), and his dog into the constellation Ursa Minor.

There is another version about this legend and the origin of the names of the constellations. The Indians of South America, in the silhouette of “our” Ursa Minor, saw a monkey that grabbed the star with its tail and spun around it. The ancient Kazakhs connected the Small and Big Kovsh into a single whole, seeing a horse there connected with an “iron nail”, i.e. with the brightest polar star. It is located at the very end of the handle of the Ursa Minor dipper. Since the Earth rotates on its axis, it appears that all the stars are circling above it. But not all. In the survey, the question “Which star serves as a guide to the north?” 14 people answered that this star always points north. This is important for sailors and travelers to avoid getting lost. They gave the name "Temir-Kazyk".

The name of the constellation Cassiopeia is associated with the name of the Queen of Ethiopia. Cassiopeia's husband Cepheus is also not forgotten; between Ursa Minor and Cassiopeia there is a group of stars named in his honor. The constellations Cygnus, Lyra and Eagle, which include the brightest stars such as Deneb, Vega, Altair, create a summer-autumn triangle in our sky, which does not fit in with any legend or myth. The singer Orpheus is depicted in the Swan, whose singing touched the hearts of not only people, but also wild animals.

The eagle represents the bird that fulfilled Zeus’s order to peck the liver of Prometheus, who betrayed all the gods and gave fire to people. Hercules (Hercules) freed Prometheus from torment by killing the Eagle. Another constellation, the Dragon, also reminds us of the achievements of Hercules. This Dragon guarded the garden where beautiful golden apples grew. Hercules fought the Dragon and won.

The names of many other groups of celestial bodies also have in common with the names of brave men and heroes of various myths. This is the giant hunter Orion. Close to Orion are his dogs - Canis Minor and Canis Major. The constellations Auriga, Taurus and Gemini are located adjacently. In one of the myths, Taurus is a bull, with whom Orion, well equipped with weapons, fights. According to other myths, Taurus is chasing the Pleiades, daughters of the titan Atlas.

From one legend, the constellation Auriga is associated with the mythical charioteer. According to other versions, this is the chariot of the son of the Sun god - Photon. In honor of the goat that fed Zeus with its milk, the star of Auriga was named Capella. Gemini is the personification of brotherly love between the glorious and courageous sons of Zeus.

Veronica's hair. A very interesting legend that tells that the wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Berenice (Veronica) offered her luxurious hair as a gift to the goddess Venus. But the hair was stolen from the palace of Venus and ended up in the sky as a constellation. In summer, the constellation Coma Berenices can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere below the handle of the Ursa Major Dipper.

Every person, no matter how he views astrology, knows under what zodiac sign he was born. Their names originate from the times of ancient Antiquity, when the location of the stars, due to the displacement of the earth's axis, was somewhat different. The names of the Zodiacal constellations echo ancient myths and legends.

History of the names of constellations.
The history of the constellations is very interesting. A very long time ago, sky observers united the brightest and most noticeable groups of stars into constellations and gave them various names. These were the names of various mythical heroes or animals, characters from legends and tales - Hercules, Centaurus, Taurus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Pegasus, etc.
In the names of the constellations Peacock, Toucan, Indian, South. The Cross, Bird of Paradise reflected the Age of Discovery.
There are a lot of constellations - 88. But not all of them are bright and noticeable. Most rich bright stars winter sky.
At first glance, the names of many constellations seem strange. Often in the arrangement of stars it is very difficult or even simply impossible to see what the name of the constellation indicates. The Big Dipper, for example, resembles a ladle; it is very difficult to imagine a Giraffe or Lynx in the sky. But if you look at ancient star atlases, the constellations are depicted in the form of animals.

Aries.
The constellation Aries was highly revered in ancient times. Supreme God In Egypt, Amon-Ra was depicted with a ram's head, and the road to his temple was an alley of sphinxes with ram's heads. It was believed that the constellation Aries was named after Aries with the Golden Fleece, after whom the Argonauts sailed. By the way, there are a number of constellations in the sky that reflect the Argo Ship. The alpha (brightest) star of this constellation is called Gamal (Arabic for "adult ram"). The brightest star in the constellation Taurus is called Aldebaran.

According to the ancient Greek myth, Nephele, the Titanide of the clouds, wanting to save her children Gella and Phrixus from their evil stepmother, whose name was Ino, sent them a magical golden-haired ram, who was supposed to put them on his back and transport them to the kingdom of Colchis, where they would be in security. However, Gella could not resist during the flight and fell into the strait, which was later named after her. Upon arrival, Phrixus sacrificed a magic ram to Zeus, who took him to heaven.

Taurus constellation
Among the ancient peoples, the most important constellation was Taurus, since the new year began in the spring. In the zodiac, Taurus is the most ancient constellation, since cattle breeding played a huge role in the life of ancient peoples, and the bull (Taurus) was associated with the constellation where the Sun seemed to conquer winter and herald the arrival of spring and summer.

In general, many ancient peoples revered this animal and considered it sacred. In ancient Egypt there was a sacred bull, Apis, who was worshiped during his lifetime and whose mummy was ceremonially buried in a magnificent tomb. Every 25 years Apis was replaced with a new one. In Greece, the bull was also held in high esteem. In Crete the bull was called Minotaur. The heroes of Hellas Hercules, Theseus, and Jason pacified the bulls.

Where are Gemini in the sky?
In this constellation, two bright stars are very close to each other. They received their name in honor of the Argonauts Dioscuri - Castor and Pollux - twins, sons of Zeus, the most powerful of the Olympian gods, and Leda, a frivolous earthly beauty, brothers of Helen the beautiful - the culprit of the Trojan War.
Castor was famous as a skilled charioteer, and Pollux as an unsurpassed fist fighter. They took part in the Argonauts' campaign and the Calydonian hunt. But one day the Dioscuri did not share the spoils with their cousins, the giants Idas and Lynceus. In the battle with them, the brothers were severely wounded. And when Castor died, the immortal Pollux did not want to part with his brother and asked Zeus not to separate them. Since then, by the will of Zeus, the brothers spend six months in the kingdom of gloomy Hades, and six months on Olympus. There are periods when on the same day the star Castor is visible against the background of the morning dawn, and Pollux - in the evening. Perhaps it was precisely this circumstance that gave rise to the birth of the legend about brothers living either in the kingdom of the dead or in heaven.

The Dioscuri brothers were considered in ancient times to be the patrons of sailors caught in a storm. And the appearance of “St. Elmo’s Fire” on the masts of ships before a thunderstorm was considered a visit to the Twins by their sister Elena. St. Elmo's lights are luminous discharges of atmospheric electricity observed on pointed objects (tops of masts, lightning rods, etc.). The Dioscuri were also revered as guardians of the state and patrons of hospitality.
In ancient Rome, a silver coin “Dioscuri” with images of stars was in circulation.

How did Cancer appear in the sky?
The constellation Cancer is one of the most inconspicuous zodiac constellations. His story is very interesting. There are several rather exotic explanations for the origin of the name of this constellation. For example, it was seriously argued that the Egyptians placed Cancer in this region of the sky as a symbol of destruction and death, because this animal feeds on carrion. Cancer moves tail first. About two thousand years ago there was a point in the constellation Cancer summer solstice(i.e. the longest daylight hours). The sun, having reached its maximum distance to the north at this time, began to “back away” back.

The length of the day gradually decreased.
According to classical ancient mythology a huge sea Cancer attacked Hercules when he was fighting the Lernaean Hydra. The hero crushed him, but the goddess Hera, who hated Hercules, placed Cancer in heaven.
The Louvre houses the famous Egyptian circle of the zodiac, in which the constellation Cancer is located above all others.

Is Leo scary in the sky?
About 4.5 thousand years ago, the summer solstice point was located in this constellation, and the Sun was in this constellation during the hottest time of the year. Therefore, among many peoples, it was the Lion that became the symbol of fire.
The Assyrians called this constellation “great fire,” and the Chaldeans associated the fierce lion with the equally fierce heat that occurred every summer. They believed that the Sun received additional strength and warmth by being among the stars of Leo.
In Egypt, this constellation was also associated with the summer period: flocks of lions, escaping the heat, migrated from the desert to the Nile valley, which was flooding at that time. Therefore, the Egyptians placed images in the form of a lion's head with an open mouth on the gates of irrigation canals that directed water to the fields.

Virgo.
The constellation Virgo, located next to Leo, this constellation was sometimes represented by the fairy-tale sphinx - a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a woman. Often in early myths, the Virgin was identified with Rhea, the mother of the god Zeus, the wife of the god Kronos. Sometimes she was seen as Themis, the goddess of justice, who in her classical guise holds Libra (the zodiac constellation next to Virgo). There is evidence that in this constellation ancient observers saw Astraea, the daughter of Themis and the god Zeus, the last of the goddesses who left the Earth at the end of the Bronze Age. Astraea, the goddess of justice, a symbol of purity and innocence, left the Earth due to the crimes of people. This is how we see the Virgin in ancient myths.

The Virgin is usually depicted with the rod of Mercury and an ear of corn. Spica (Latin for “spike”) is the name given to the brightest star in the constellation. The very name of the star and the fact that the Virgin was depicted with an ear of corn in her hands indicate the connection of this star with human agricultural activities. It is possible that her appearance in the sky coincided with the beginning of some agricultural work.

Libra is the only “non-living” zodiac constellation.
Indeed, it seems strange that among the animals and “semi-animals” in the Zodiac there is the sign of Libra. More than two thousand years ago, the point of the autumnal equinox was located in this constellation. The equality of day and night could be one of the reasons why the zodiac constellation received the name “Libra”.
The appearance of Libra in the sky in the middle latitudes indicated that the time for sowing had come, and the ancient Egyptians, already at the end of spring, could consider this as a signal to begin harvesting the first harvest. Libra - a symbol of balance - could simply remind ancient farmers of the need to weigh the harvest.

Among the ancient Greeks, Astraea, the goddess of justice, weighed the destinies of people with the help of Libra. One of the myths explains the appearance of the zodiac constellation Libra as a reminder to people of the need to strictly observe the laws. The fact is that Astraea was the daughter of the almighty Zeus and the goddess of justice Themis. On behalf of Zeus and Themis, Astraea regularly “inspected” the Earth (armed with scales and blindfolded, in order to judge everything objectively, supply Olympus with good information and mercilessly punish deceivers, liars and everyone who dared to commit all kinds of unfair acts). So Zeus decided that his daughter’s Libra should be placed in heaven.

Does the constellation really look like Scorpio?
Not only because of its external similarity, this constellation was assigned the role of a poisonous creature.
The sun entered this area of the sky in late autumn, when all nature seemed to be dying, only to be reborn again, like the god Dionysus, in the early spring of the next year. The sun was considered to be “stinged” by some poisonous creature (by the way, in this area of the sky there is also the constellation Snake!), and “as a result it was sick” all winter, remaining weak and pale.

According to classical Greek mythology this is the same Scorpio that stung the giant Orion and was hidden by the goddess Hera on the diametrically opposite part of the celestial sphere. It was he, the heavenly Scorpio, who most frightened the unfortunate Phaeton, the son of the god Helios, who decided to ride across the sky on his fiery chariot, without listening to his father’s warnings. Other peoples gave this constellation their names. For example, for the inhabitants of Polynesia, it was represented as a fishing hook, with which the god Maun pulled the island of New Zealand from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The Mayan Indians associated this constellation with the name Yalagau, which means “Lord of Darkness.”
According to many astronomers, the sign of Scorpio is the most sinister - a symbol of death. It seemed especially scary when the planet of disasters - Saturn - appeared in it.
Scorpio is a constellation where new stars often flare up, in addition, this constellation is rich in bright star clusters.

Who is the star Sagittarius aiming at?
By ancient greek mythology The wisest of the centaurs, Chiron, the son of the god Chronos and the goddess Themis, created the first model of the celestial sphere. At the same time, he reserved one place in the Zodiac for himself. But he was ahead of him by the insidious centaur Krotos, who took his place by deception and became the constellation Sagittarius. And after his death, the god Zeus turned Chiron himself into the constellation Centaur. That's how two centaurs ended up in the sky. Even Scorpio himself is afraid of the evil Sagittarius, at whom he aims with a bow.
Sometimes you can find an image of Sagittarius in the form of a centaur with two faces: one facing backward, the other forward. In this way he resembles the Roman god Janus. The first month of the year, January, is associated with the name Janus. And the Sun is in Sagittarius in winter.

Thus, the constellation seems to symbolize the end of the old and the beginning of the new year, with one of its faces looking into the past, and the other into the future.
In the direction of the constellation Sagittarius is the center of our Galaxy. If you look at a star map, the Milky Way also passes through the constellation Sagittarius.
Like Scorpio, Sagittarius is very rich in beautiful nebulae. Perhaps this constellation, more than any other, deserves the name “celestial treasury”. Many star clusters and nebulae are strikingly beautiful.

Where is Capricorn going?
Capricorn - mythical creature with the body of a goat and the tail of a fish. According to the most widespread ancient Greek legend, the goat-footed god Pan, son of Hermes, patron of shepherds, was frightened by the hundred-headed giant Typhon and threw himself into the water in horror. From then on he became a water god and grew a fish tail. Transformed into a constellation by the god Zeus, Capricorn became the ruler of the waters and the harbinger of storms. It was believed that he sent abundant rains to the earth. According to another legend, this is the goat Amalthea, who fed Zeus with her milk.

The Indians called this constellation Makara, i.e. a miracle dragon, also half goat, half fish. Some peoples depicted him as a half-crocodile - half-bird. Similar ideas existed in South America. When the Sun entered the constellation Capricorn, the Indians celebrated New Year, wearing masks depicting goat heads for ceremonial dances. But the indigenous Australians called the constellation Capricorn the constellation Kangaroo, which celestial hunters are chasing in order to kill it and roast it on a big fire.
Many ancient peoples revered the goat as a sacred animal, and services were held in honor of the goat. People dressed in sacred clothes made of goat skins and brought a gift to the gods - a sacrificial goat.

It is with such customs and with this constellation that the idea of the “scapegoat” - Azazel - is associated. Azazel - (scapegoat) - the name of one of the goat-shaped gods, demons of the desert. On the so-called day of scapegoating, two goats were selected: one for sacrifice, the other for release into the desert. Of the two goats, the priests chose which one would be for God and which one would be for Azazel. First, a sacrifice was made to God, and then another goat was brought to the high priest, on which he laid his hands and thereby, as it were, transferred to him all the sins of the people. And after that the goat was released into the desert. The desert was a symbol of the underworld and a natural place for sins. The constellation Capricorn is located in the lower part of the ecliptic. Perhaps this gave rise to the idea of the underworld.
About 2 thousand years ago, the winter solstice point was located in the constellation Capricorn. The ancient philosopher Macrobius believed that the Sun, having passed the lowest point, begins to climb upward, like a mountain goat striving for the top.

Where does Aquarius pour water?
This constellation was called Hydrochos by the Greeks, Acuarius by the Romans, and Sa-kib-al-ma by the Arabs. All this meant the same thing: a man pouring water. Associated with the constellation Aquarius greek myth about Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha - the only people who escaped from global flood.
The name of the constellation really leads to the “homeland of the Flood” in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In some letters ancient people- Sumerians - these two rivers are depicted flowing from the vessel of Aquarius. The eleventh month of the Sumerians was called the “month of the water curse.” According to the Sumerians, the constellation Aquarius was located in the center of the “heavenly sea”, and therefore foreshadowed the rainy season. It was identified with God, who warned people about the flood. This legend of the ancient Sumerians is similar to the biblical tale of Noah and his family - the only people saved from the flood in the ark.

In Egypt, the constellation Aquarius was observed in the sky on the days of the highest water level in the Nile River. It was believed that the god of water, Knemu, was throwing a huge ladle into the Nile. It was also believed that the White and Blue Nile rivers, tributaries of the Nile, flow from the vessels of God.
It is possible that the legend about one of the labors of Hercules is connected with the constellation Aquarius - the cleaning of the Augean stables (for which the hero needed to dam three rivers).

Pisces closes the ring of zodiac constellations.
The very arrangement of the stars in the sky suggests the idea of two fish tied together with a ribbon or rope. The origin of the name of the constellation Pisces is very ancient and, apparently, is associated with Phoenician mythology. The Sun entered this constellation at the time of rich fishing. The goddess of fertility was depicted as a woman with a fish tail, which, as legend has it, appeared when she and her son, frightened by a monster, threw themselves into the water.

A similar legend existed among the ancient Greeks. Only they believed that Aphrodite and her son Eros had turned into fish: they walked along the river bank, but frightened by the evil Typhon, they threw themselves into the water and were saved by turning into fish. Aphrodite became the southern Pisces, and Eros became the northern Pisces.

Not everyone knows the names of stars and constellations, but many have heard the most popular ones.

Constellations are expressive star groups, and the names of stars and constellations contain special magic.

The information that tens of thousands of years ago, even before the emergence of the first civilizations, people began to give them names does not raise any doubts. Space is filled with heroes and monsters from legends, and the skies of our northern latitudes are mainly populated by characters from the Greek epic.

Photos of constellations in the sky and their names

48 ancient constellations - decoration of the celestial sphere. Each one has a legend associated with it. And it’s not surprising - stars played a big role in people’s lives. Navigation and large-scale agriculture would be impossible without a good knowledge of celestial bodies.

Of all the constellations, the non-setting ones are distinguished, located at 40 degrees latitude or higher. Residents of the northern hemisphere always see them, regardless of the time of year.

5 main non-setting constellations in alphabetical order - The Dragon, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major and Minor, Cepheus . They are visible all year round, especially good in the south of Russia. Although at northern latitudes the circle of non-setting stars is wider.

It is important that the objects of the constellations are not necessarily located nearby. To an observer on earth, the surface of the sky appears flat, but in fact some stars are much further away than others. Therefore, it would be incorrect to write “the ship made a jump into the constellation Microscope” (there is such a thing in the southern hemisphere). “The ship can make a jump towards the Microscope” - that would be correct.

The brightest star in the sky

The brightest is Sirius in Canis Major. At our northern latitudes it is visible only in winter. One of the largest cosmic bodies closest to the sun, its light travels to us for only 8.6 years.

Among the Sumerians and ancient Egyptians he had the status of a deity. 3,000 years ago, Egyptian priests used the rise of Sirius to accurately determine the time of the Nile flood.

Sirius is a double star. The visible component (Sirius A) is approximately 2 times more massive than the Sun and shines 25 times more intensely. Sirius B is a white dwarf with nearly the mass of the sun, with a brightness of a quarter solar.

Sirius B is perhaps the most massive white dwarf known to astronomers. Ordinary dwarfs of this class are half as light.

Arcturus in Bootes is the brightest in northern latitudes and is one of the most unusual luminaries. Age – 7.3 billion years, almost half the age of the universe. With a mass approximately equal to the sun, it is 25 times larger, since it consists of the lightest elements - hydrogen, helium. Apparently, when Arcturus was formed, there were not so many metals and other heavy elements in the universe.

Like a king in exile, Arcturus moves through space surrounded by a retinue of 52 smaller stars. Perhaps they are all part of a galaxy that was swallowed up by our Milky Way a long, long time ago.

Arcturus is almost 37 light years away - also not so far, on a cosmic scale. It belongs to the class of red giants and shines 110 times stronger than the Sun. The picture shows the comparative sizes of Arcturus and the Sun.

Star names by color

The color of a star depends on temperature, and temperature depends on mass and age. The hottest are young, massive blue giants, with surface temperatures reaching 60,000 Kelvin and masses up to 60 solar. Class B stars are not much inferior, the brightest representative of which is Spica, alpha of the Virgo constellation.

The coldest ones are small, old red dwarfs. On average, the surface temperature is 2-3 thousand Kelvin, and the mass is a third of the sun. The diagram clearly shows how color depends on size.

Based on temperature and color, stars are divided into 7 spectral classes, indicated in the astronomical description of the object in Latin letters.

Beautiful names of stars

The language of modern astronomy is dry and practical; among the atlases you will not find stars with names. But ancient people named the brightest and most important night luminaries. Most of the names are of Arabic origin, but there are also those that go back to hoary antiquity, to the times of the ancient Akkadians and Sumerians.

Polar. Dim, the last one in the handle of the Little Dipper, a guiding sign for all sailors of antiquity. Polar hardly moves and always points north. Every people in the northern hemisphere has a name for it. “Iron stake” of the ancient Finns, “Tied horse” of the Khakass, “Hole in the sky” of the Evenks. The ancient Greeks, famous travelers and sailors, called the polar “Kinosura”, which translates as “dog’s tail”.

Sirius. The name apparently came from ancient egypt, where the star was associated with the hypostasis of the goddess Isis. IN ancient Rome bore the name Vacation, and our “vacations” come directly from this word. The fact is that Sirius appeared in Rome at dawn, in the summer, on the days of the greatest heat, when the life of the city froze.

Aldebaran. In its movement it always follows the Pleiades cluster. In Arabic it means "follower". The Greeks and Romans called Aldebaran "Eye of the Calf".

The Pioneer 10 probe, launched in 1972, is heading directly towards Aldebaran. Estimated time of arrival is 2 million years.

Vega. Arab astronomers called it “Falling Eagle” (An nahr Al wagi). From the distorted “wagi”, that is, “falling”, the name Vega came. In ancient Rome, the day it crossed the horizon before sunrise was considered the last day of summer.

Vega was the first star (after the Sun) to be photographed. This happened almost 200 years ago in 1850, at the Oxford Observatory.

Betelgeuse. The Arabic designation is Yad Al Juza (hand of the twin). In the Middle Ages, due to confusion in translation, the word was read as "Bel Juza" and "Betelgeuse" arose.

Science fiction writers love the star. One of the characters in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comes from a small planet in the Betelgeuse system.

Fomalhaut. Alpha Southern Pisces. In Arabic it means “Fish Mouth”. The 18th brightest night luminary. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of the veneration of Fomalhaut back in the prehistoric period, 2.5 thousand years ago.

Canopus. One of the few stars whose name does not have Arabic roots. According to the Greek version, the word goes back to Canopus, the helmsman of King Menelaus.

The planet Arrakis, from the famous series of books by F. Herbert, revolves around Canopus.

How many constellations are there in the sky

As it was established, people united stars into groups 15,000 years ago. In the first written sources, i.e. 2 millennia ago, 48 constellations are described. They are still in the sky, only the big Argo no longer exists - it was divided into 4 smaller ones - Stern, Sail, Keel and Compass.

Thanks to the development of navigation, new constellations began to appear in the 15th century. Bizarre figures decorate the sky - Peacock, Telescope, Indian. The exact year when the last of them appeared is known - 1763.

At the beginning of the last century, a general revision of the constellations took place. Astronomers counted 88 star groups - 28 in the northern hemisphere and 45 in the southern. The 13 constellations of the zodiac belt stand apart. And this is the final result; astronomers do not plan to add new ones.

Constellations of the northern hemisphere - list with pictures

Unfortunately, you cannot see all 28 constellations in one night; celestial mechanics are inexorable. But in return we have a pleasant variety. Winter and summer skies look different.

Let's talk about the most interesting and noticeable constellations.

Big Dipper- the main landmark of the night sky. With its help it is easy to find other astronomical objects.

tip of the tail Ursa Minor- the famous North Star. Celestial bears have long tails, unlike their earthly relatives.

The Dragon- a large constellation between Ursa. It is impossible not to mention μ Dragon, which is called Arrakis, which means “dancer” in ancient Arabic. Kuma (ν Draco) is double, which can be observed with ordinary binoculars.

It is known that ρ Cassiopeia – supergiant, it is hundreds of thousands of times brighter than the Sun. In 1572, the last explosion to date occurred in Cassiopeia.

The ancient Greeks did not come to a consensus whose Lyra. Various legends they give it to different heroes - Apollo, Orpheus or Orion. The notorious Vega enters Lyra.

Orion- the most noticeable astronomical formation in our sky. The large stars in Orion's belt are called the Three Kings or Magi. The famous Betelgeuse is located here.

Cepheus can be seen all year round. In 8,000 years, one of its stars, Alderamin, will become the new polar star.

IN Andromeda lies the M31 nebula. This is a nearby galaxy, visible to the naked eye on a clear night. The Andromeda nebula is 2 million light years away from us.

A beautiful constellation name Veronica's hair owes it to the Egyptian queens who sacrificed her hair to the gods. In the direction of Coma Berenices is the north pole of our galaxy.

Alpha Bootes- the famous Arcturus. Beyond Bootes, at the very edge of the observable universe, lies the galaxy Egsy8p7. This is one of the most distant objects known to astronomers - 13.2 billion light years away.

Constellations for children - all the fun

Curious young astronomers will be interested in learning about the constellations and seeing them in the sky. Parents can arrange a night excursion for their children, talking about the amazing science of astronomy and seeing some of the constellations with their own eyes together with the children. These short and understandable stories will surely appeal to little researchers.

Ursa Major and Ursa Minor

IN ancient Greece The gods turned everyone into animals and threw anyone into the sky. That's how they were. One day, the wife of Zeus turned a nymph named Callisto into a bear. And the nymph had a little son who knew nothing about the fact that his mother had become a bear.

When the son grew up, he became a hunter and went to the forest with a bow and arrow. And it so happened that he met a mother bear. When the hunter raised his bow and shot, Zeus stopped time and threw everyone together - the bear, the hunter and the arrow into the sky.

Since then, the Big Dipper has been walking across the sky together with the little one, into whom the hunter son has turned. And the arrow also remains in the sky, only it will never hit anywhere - such is the order in the sky.

The Big Dipper is always easy to find in the sky, it looks like a large ladle with a handle. And if you found the Big Dipper, it means the Little Dipper is walking nearby. And although Ursa Minor is not so noticeable, there is a way to find it: the two outermost stars in the bucket will point in the exact direction to the polar star - this is the tail of Ursa Minor.

polar Star

All the stars are spinning slowly, only Polaris stands still. She always points to the north, for this she is called a guide.

In ancient times, people sailed on ships with large sails, but without a compass. And when the ship is on the open sea and the shores are not visible, you can easily get lost.

When this happened, the experienced captain waited until nightfall to see the North Star and find the north direction. And knowing the direction to the north, you can easily determine where the rest of the world is and where to sail to bring the ship to its home port.

The Dragon

Among the night luminaries in the sky lives a star dragon. According to legend, the dragon participated in the wars of the gods and titans at the very dawn of time. The goddess of war, Athena, in the heat of battle, took and threw a huge dragon into the sky, just between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper.

The Dragon is a large constellation: 4 stars form its head, 14 form its tail. Its stars are not very bright. This must be because the Dragon is already old. After all, a lot of time has passed since the dawn of time, even for the Dragon.

Orion

Orion was the son of Zeus. In his life he accomplished many feats, became famous as a great hunter, and became the favorite of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. Orion loved to boast of his strength and luck, but one day he was stung by a scorpion. Artemis rushed to Zeus and asked to save her pet. Zeus threw Orion into the sky, where the great hero of ancient Greece still lives.

Orion is the most remarkable constellation in the northern sky. It is large and consists of bright stars. In winter, Orion is completely visible and easy to find: look for a large hourglass with three bright bluish stars in the middle. These stars are called Orion's belt and their names are Alnitak (left), Alnilam (middle) and Mintak (right).

Knowing Orion, it is easier to navigate the other constellations and find stars.

Sirius

Knowing the position of Orion, you can easily find the famous Sirius. You need to draw a line to the right of Orion's belt. Just look for the brightest star. It is important to remember that it is visible in the northern sky only in winter.

Sirius is the brightest in the sky. Included in the constellation Canis Major, faithful satellite of Orion.

There are actually two stars in Sirius, circling each other. One star is hot and bright, we see its light. And the other half is so dim that you can’t see it with a regular telescope. But once upon a time, many millions of years ago, these parts were one huge whole. If we lived in those times, Sirius would shine for us 20 times stronger!

Questions and answers section

Which star's name means "brilliant, sparkling"?

- Sirius. It is so bright that it can be seen even during the day.

What constellations can be seen with the naked eye?

- Everything is possible. Constellations were invented by ancient people, long before the invention of the telescope. In addition, without having a telescope with you, you can even see planets, for example, Venus, Mercury, etc.

Which constellation is the largest?

- Hydras. It is so long that it does not fit entirely in the northern sky and goes beyond the southern horizon. The length of Hydra is almost a quarter of the circumference of the horizon.

Which constellation is the smallest?

— The smallest, but at the same time the brightest, is the Southern Cross. It is located in the southern hemisphere.

What constellation is the Sun in?

The Earth revolves around the Sun, and we see how it passes through as many as 12 constellations per year, one for each month. They are called the Zodiac Belt.

Conclusion

The stars have long fascinated people. And although the development of astronomy allows us to look further into the depths of space, the charm of the ancient names of stars does not go away.

When we look into the night sky, we see the past, ancient myths and legends, and the future - because one day people will go to the stars.

Constellations of the sky in alphabetical order

Constellation definition

History of the constellations

1.3 Constellations, where they come from, legends

Photos of constellations in the sky and their names

The brightest star in the sky

Star names by color

Beautiful names of stars

How many constellations are there in the sky

Constellations of the northern hemisphere - list with pictures

Constellations for children - all the fun

Ursa Major and Ursa Minor

polar Star

The Dragon

Orion

Sirius

Questions and answers section

Conclusion