Constellations
A constellation is a group of stars that, when seen from Earth, form a pattern. There
are 88 constellations.
Crux – The Southern Cross
The Southern Cross (or Crux) is one of the smallest, but most easily
recognized constellations in the sky. Crux lies along the Milky Way and is
surrounded by Centaurus constellation, the Centaur, on three sides.
In the foot of the cross you will find Acrux, the brightest star of this
constellation. Acrux is really a double-star system. Despite its small area,
Crux contains at least ten open clusters visible with small telescopes.
Because it is not visible from most latitudes in the Northern hemisphere,
Crux is a modern constellation and has no Greek or Roman myths
associated with it.
The Southern Cross was used by explorers of the southern hemisphere to
point south since, unlike the north celestial pole, the south celestial pole is
not marked by any bright star.
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Leo - the Lion
The constellation Leo is known as the Lion.
Leo's head and mane make up an upside-down question mark called the
Sickle.
Leo is visible from April through June in Melbourne.
One of the brightest autumn stars, Regulus (Latin for "little king"), is at
the base of the question mark. The rest of Leo's body, legs, and tail extend
to the east.
During the dry season in ancient Egypt, the lions of the desert came close
to the valley of the Nile when the river flooded, which used to happen
when the Sun was in Leo. Some have interpreted this as the origin of the
name of the constellation. The ancient Sumerians, Babylonians, Persians,
Syrians, Greeks, and Romans, all recognized this constellation as a lion.
3.3 Astronomy – Bays Resource Disc 2011
Andromeda
Andromeda is a "V" shaped constellation that lies close to the north pole,
so only a few places in the Southern Hemisphere can see this strangely
shaped constellation in the spring. We cannot see it from Melbourne.
One myth about Andromeda is found in Greek mythology. Andromeda's
mother, Queen Cassiopeia, bragged that she was prettier than the sea
nymphs. The nymphs complained to Poseidon, who in turn sent a monster
to destroy her land. The queen and her husband, King Cepheus, were told
to sacrifice their daughter to save the country.
Andromeda was chained to a cliff for the monster, called Cetus. Just as
the monster was ready to bite down on the maiden, Perseus rescued her.
Perseus and Andromeda were put in the sky along with Cepheus,
Cassiopeia and Cetus.
Andromeda is right next to Pegasus, the winged horse. The image shows
Andromeda upside-down, which is often her position in the sky. The
Princess' head is the star Alpheratz, which is also the last star in Pegasus.
3.3 Astronomy – Bays Resource Disc 2011
Gemini - the Twins
Gemini is one of the more famous constellations and can be seen in the
Melbourne from February to May. Gemini is a part of the Zodiac, which
is a group of stars that the Sun travels through each year.
Gemini is very easy to find,
just look for the two bright
stars called Castor and Pollux.
They represent the heads of the
twins, while fainter stars
sketch out two bodies.
Gemini is right between
Cancer and Taurus.
Gemini is one of the few
constellations that actually
looks like the figure it
represents.
Many different civilizations saw this pair in the sky.
 Ancient Greeks saw the twins Castor and Pollux, sons of Leda and
Zeus.
 The Romans saw the brothers Romulus and Remus, two heroes that
founded Rome.
 Both the Greeks and the Romans believed the twins were raised by
the centaur, Chiron.
There are a few interesting objects to look at around Gemini. There is a
cluster of stars near the foot of the twin on the right, and a nebula near the
arm of the twin on the left.
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Pegasus - the Winged Horse
The constellation Pegasus represents the white, winged horse of Greek
mythology. Unfortunately Pegasus constellation is not ever visible from
Melbourne.
When looking at the image, it is
difficult to see the figure as a horse.
That is because the constellation is
actually upside-down! Imagine it
flipped over, and you can see what
could be the neck and head of a horse
and two legs sticking out from the
famous "Square of Pegasus".
This square represents the front half
of the horse's body. Mythologists are
still not sure what happen to the other
half of the constellation. The square
is very easy to find in the night sky.
The neck and legs of the horse shine
brightly on clear nights.
The story behind Pegasus begins with the battle between Perseus and
Medusa. When Perseus severed Medusa's head, drops of blood fell into
the sea. They mixed with sea foam, and Pegasus was born. The white sea
foam gave the horse his brilliant color. Pegasus became friends with the
warrior, Bellerophon. One day, Bellerophon tried to ride Pegasus to
Mount Olympus. This angered Zeus so much that he sent a gadfly to bite
Pegasus. When the horse was stung, Bellerophon fell to the Earth.
Pegasus made it to the home of the gods, where he still remains.
Pegasus is home to several galaxies and even a bright globular cluster.
3.3 Astronomy – Bays Resource Disc 2011
Orion - the Hunter
Orion, the Hunter, is one of the oldest and best-known constellations, and
can be seen from December to April in the Melbourne skies. It is also
known and easily recognised as the “saucepan”. The famous Orion's Belt
makes the hunter easy to find in the night sky.
Orion looks very much like a person. First,
you should spot Orion's Belt, which is
made of three bright stars in a straight line.
One of Orion's legs is represented by the
bright star Rigel, one of the brightest stars
in the night sky.
His two shoulders are made of the stars
Bellatrix and Betelgeuse.
You can see Betelgeuse's reddish color
without a telescope.
Other bright stars make up the two arms,
one which holds a shield, and another that
carries a club.
Many different civilizations saw this
constellation in the sky. The most famous
stories come from Greek and Roman myths. Orion was a famed hunter, and in one
story boasted that no creature could kill him. Hera then sent a scorpion to sting the
hunter. Orion smashed the animal with his club, but not before he was poisoned.
Both are now on opposite sides of the sky. They cannot be seen at the same time.
A different story tells of the love between Orion and the goddess, Artemis. One day,
Orion was swimming out in the sea. Apollo, who very much disliked the man, bet
his sister that she couldn't hit the object in the sea with her bow. Artemis didn't
realize it was her lover, and shot Orion with an arrow. When she later found out
what she had done, she honored the hunter by putting him in the sky.
There are several clusters and nebulae to view in this awesome constellation. The
famous Orion Nebula is located in Orion's sword, which hangs from the belt. It is so
bright, that even the naked eye can see the fuzzy patch. It looks spectacular even
with a small telescope or binoculars. There are numerous other objects in Orion, so
scan the constellation with a telescope or binoculars on a clear night!
3.3 Astronomy – Bays Resource Disc 2011
Taurus - the Bull
Taurus is commonly known as The
Bull. It can be seen from January to
March in the Melbourne night skies.
Taurus was a very popular constellation
in ancient times, so there are many
myths about it.
The Greeks thought the stars
represented Zeus in disguise as a white
bull. He tricked Europa into climbing
on his back. He then swam out to sea
and carried her to Crete. In Egypt, the
constellation was a reminder of Apis,
the Bull of Memphis. He served as a
servant to Osiris, god of the Sun.
Just as famous as Taurus is the group of
stars within it. The Pleiades are a group
of seven stars that lie on the Bull's shoulder. The Greeks believed these
were the Seven Sisters, daughters of Atlas and Pleione. It was told that
they asked Zeus to place them in the sky to escape Orion, who was
desperately pursuing them. Little did they know that Orion would be
placed right next to Taurus in the night sky!
The brightest star in Taurus is Aldebaran. It serves as the eye of the bull
and is near the Hyades, a lesser known but still visible group of stars. The
beautiful Crab Nebula is located above the tip of the bottom horn.
3.3 Astronomy – Bays Resource Disc 2011
Aquarius – the Boy
Aquarius is one of the oldest constellations in the sky and is a member of
the Zodiac, a group of constellations that the Sun travels through each
year. It can be viewed from August to December in Mebourne.
In Greek myth, Aquarius was Ganymede, the young boy kidnapped by
Zeus. Zeus sent his eagle, Aquila, to snatch Ganymede out of the fields
where the boy was watching over his sheep. Ganymede would become the
cupbearer for the Olympian gods. The constellation, Crater, is often
thought to be Ganymede's cup.
The Sumerians also believed that Aquarius brought on a sort of global
flood. Also, many of the stars that make up Aquarius have names that
refer to good luck. This is most likely due to the time of year when the
Sun would rise in Aquarius. It happened to be at the same time when the
rainy season began in the Middle East.
You have to use some imagination to
see a figure of a boy in the sky.
Look at the constellation in the same
position as the one pictured. The head
is on the right end. Moving left, you
can see what could be an arm dangling
down. Continue left more, and you
come to the lower half of the body.
Notice the legs are bent. This may
represent the position of Ganymede
while being carried by Aquila to Mount
Olympus.
There are three globular clusters in
Aquarius that may be viewed through a
small telescope. The planetary nebula,
named the Saturn Nebula, is also in the Waterbearer.. It is so named
because it looks like the planet Saturn when viewed through a telescope.
The closest and brightest planetary nebula is the Helix Nebula, located
directly east of the "foot".
3.3 Astronomy – Bays Resource Disc 2011
Scorpius – the Scorpion
More than any other constellation,
Scorpius resembles its given name.
In the southern hemisphere, it
passes high in the sky and can be
seen in Melbourne from April to
August.
The bright star Antares marks the
heart of the arachnid, and its long
curving tail trails to the south. The
scorpion once had claws, but they
were cut off by Julius Ceasar to
form the constellation Libra.
Where stars are concerned,
whatever you are looking for, you
can probably find it in Scorpius.
Antares is an unmistakable,
brilliant red supergiant star at the heart of the scorpion.
The scorpion holds an infamous place in Greek mythology as the slayer of
Orion. One story tells that Orion fled the scorpion by swimming the sea to
the island of Delos to see his lover, Athena. Apollo, seeking to punish
Athena, joined her and challenged her hunting skills, daring her to shoot
the black dot that approached in the water. Athena won the challenge,
unknowingly killing her lover by doing so.
3.3 Astronomy – Bays Resource Disc 2011
Aries – the Ram
Aries is one of constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the
west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for ram, and its symbol is
(), representing a ram's horns.
Ancient Greek astronomers
visualized Aries as a ram
lying down with its head
turned to the right.
Aries can be seen in the
Melbourne skies from
November to March.
In Greek mythology, the
constellation of Aries
represents the golden ram
that rescued Phrixos, taking
him to the land of Colchis.
Phrixos sacrificed the ram to
the gods and hung its skin in
a temple, where it was
known as the Golden
Fleece.[
3.3 Astronomy – Bays Resource Disc 2011