RECOGNIZING CONSTELLATIONS
The constellations are totally imaginary things that poets, farmers and astronomers have made up over the past 6,000 years The real purpose for the constellations is to help us tell which stars are which, nothing more
THE THREE YEAR-ROUND CONSTELLATIONS There are only three constellations that can be seen all year round in the Canadian sky The first is the URSA MAJOR which is called the big bear
URSA MAJOR Ursa Major holds the more commonly known BIG DIPPER
The Big Bear, Ursa Major, is the third largest constellation in the skies, seen at northern sky in evening of spring. The constellation has no first magnitude stars, but the Big Dipper that forms the bear's tail is a rough guide on the clarity of the evening's sky. Though Ursa Major contains no bright celestial objects, it has plenty of galaxies in outer space. CAN YOU FIND THE STARS FOR THE BIG DIPPER?
URSA MINOR The second constellation that can be seen year round is called URSA MINOR It is more commonly known as THE LITTLE DIPPER
THE LITTLE DIPPER The little dipper also holds the most important star in our sky This star is called Polaris or the North Star
Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, includes the Pole Star, it seems to rotate around the celestial North Pole as if flatten itself against the sky. The constellation is visible all the year round at Northern Hemisphere, and we amateur astronomers have used the constellation as a rough guide to explore the evening's sky
The third constellation that can be seen every clear night in Canada is Cassiopeia CASSIOPEIA
Cassiopeia was the wife of Cepheus, the Ethiopian king, and the mother of Andromeda. The asterism clearly shows the chair upon which Cassiopeia sits. It looks like a shape of "W", and is a guide to find out the Polar Star like the Big Dipper ETHIOPIAN QUEEN
OTHER CONSTELLATIONS There are many other familiar constellations that can be seen in our sky depending on the time of year. There have been many calendars based on the movement of the constellations in the sky.
ORION the constellation of Orion is one of the most recognizable patterns of stars in the northern sky. It was said of Orion that he was so tall that he could stride across the bottom of the sea with his head sticking out above the waves, but his father Poseidon gave him the ability to walk on the surface of the water. In the sky Orion carries an unbreakable bronze club. In his other hand he bears the pelt of a lion.
ORION
The Zodiac Signs There are 12 Zodiac signs that inhabit our sky. They are placed in a line across the sky and only a couple at a time can be seen. You should be able to see your sign in the sky on your birthday.
Capricorn 22 December - 20 January
The Sea Goat is associated with the Greek God Pan. Pan the son of the Messenger of the Gods, Hermes. He was the lusty god of the countryside, associated with fertility and fecundity. Pan loved music and invented the Pipes of Pan, which you can think of as an ancient version of the harmonica. Pan spent his time chasing females or sleeping off the aftermath of a binge. Pan was the good time party god!
Aquarius 21 January - 29 February
The Water Carrier is the cup bearer to the gods living atop Mount Olympus. His name is Ganymede. He is usually protrayed as pouring water from his jar into the mouth of the Southern Fish, Piscis Austrinis
Pisces, 20 February - 20 March
The Fish represent Aphrodite and her son Eros (to the Romans, Venus and Amor, who was also known as Cupid). Aphrodite was the Goddess of Love and Eros was her son with Ares, the God of War, known as Mars to the Romans. Aphrodite represents love and Eros, desire.
Aries, 21 March - 20 April
Aries is connected with one of the great epics of Greek myth, the story of Jason and the Quest for the Golden Fleece. The story begins with the unhappy children of a broken family. Athamas took the children to the top of a nearby mountain to make the sacrifice, but their mother, Nephele, was watching from heaven. She bade the gods to send down a golden ram from heaven to carry the children to safety. This is the ram of Aries.
Taurus, April 21 - May 20
Most likely Taurus represents Zeus, who took the form of a bull to abduct Europa, the beautiful daughter of King Agenor of Phoenicia, as she was bathing with her girl friends on the beach at Tyre.
Gemini, May 21 - June 21
The Twins represents the two brothers, Castor and Polydeuces (in Latin, Pollux). Their mother was Queen Leda of Sparta, who was seduced by Zeus in the form of a swan. That same night she also slept with her husband King Tyndareus. As a result she bore the Twins, one of whom was mortal, and the other immortal
Cancer, 22 June - 22 July
The Crab was sent by Hera to distract Hercules in the midst of the struggle with the Hydra. The Crab scuttled out from the swamp to bite at Hercules feet with its claws, but Hercules crushed the Crab with his heel. The goddess Hera rewarded the Crab by placing it among the stars.
Leo, 23 July - 23 August
The Lion lived in a cave near the town of Nemea southwest of Corinth. This was no ordinary Lion. Some say it was the spawn of the terrible monster Typhon thrown up by Earth in that terrible ten year war between the Olympian gods and the Titans. Others say that it was the offspring of the twoheaded dog Orthrus that guarded the cattle of Geryon.
Virgo, 24 August - 23 September
Virgo has been identified with many different goddesses. She is often seen as Dike, the Goddess of Justice, known as Justa or Justitia to the Romans. From this the neighboring constellation of Libra is often seen as the Scales of Justice.
Libra, 24 September - 23 October
The constellation of Libra is sometimes seen as the Scales of Justice. This leads to an association with the constellation of Virgo, who has been identified with Astraea or Dike, the Goddess of Justice. It is the Goddess who judges the souls of men after their death by weighing them in her balance.
Scorpio 24 October - 22 November
Orion was the son of the God of the Sea, Poseidon (Neptune to the Romans) by a mortal woman. Orion was a giant and a powerful hunter, but he was mortal, and he met his end - at least temporarily - because he had offended Artemis (Diana to the Romans), the Goddess of the Hunt In any case, the goddess (whichever it was) sent the Scorpion to sting Orion as a punishment for his behavior. Orion died, so that forever in the sky Orion is seen setting into the underworld as the Scorpion rises.
Sagittarius 23 November - 21 December
Sagittarius is a centaur. The Archer is half-man, half-horse. The Archer represents the upper body of a man growing out of the body of a horse. The man's body replaces the neck and head of the horse.