What is a constellation for children definition. Names of stars and constellations in the sky

URSA GREAT
I recognize it by the BUCKET!
Seven stars sparkle here
Here's what their names are:

DUBHE illuminates the darkness,
MERAK is burning next to him,
On the side is FEKDA with MEGRETZ,
A daring fellow.
From MEGRETZ away
ALIOT is located

And behind him - MITZAR with ALCOR
(These two shine in unison.)
Our ladle closes
Incomparable BENETNASH.
He points to the eye
The path to the constellation BOOTES,
Where the beautiful ARCTURUS shines,
Everyone will notice him now!


Our sweet planet
(Of course you know this!)
Every day and every year
Makes a turnover.

And from Earth, when observed
It gives the impression
That it’s not she who’s spinning,
And all the stars and the moon.
Only POLAR STAR
Doesn't want to go anywhere!

And at any time of the year
In the very center of the round dance
Can you find her?
If you suddenly lost your way.
The earth's axis is on it
Directs the tip.
You can be sure:
Where she is - there is the NORTH!

That star is not just a point,
And the leg of BEAR’S daughter!
Black nose of Mama BEAR
It will point directly at her!


The DRAGON crawled on its way.
Suddenly I saw someone's legs! -
Then, talking with each other,
THE BEARS walked in a circle.

So as not to go back,
He began to squirm between them.
Suddenly he braked while running -
It was he who saw VEGA!

Brightest in the evening world
Blue VEGA in LYRA!!!
Struck by beauty
And so our DRAGON froze!


The Dragon has a neighbor.
He is a grump and a homebody.
Although the house is crooked,
But it is quite durable.
It has no windows or doors,
And King Cepheus lives in it.

"W" [double yu] close to CEPHEU
This means "woman" in English.
That is the wife of King CEPHEUS
Proud CASSIOPEIA.


Long-necked Southerner
It's freezing beyond the Arctic Circle.
Hey GIRAFFE, watch out!
A LYNX is lurking behind!
From such a height
It's not easy to see!

Constellations of the summer sky
Summer sky constellation map

Between Cepheus and Lyra,
Wings spread over the world,
SWAN flies slowly
in height,
Sparkles brightly
DENEB on the tail.
On a clear night
on the Milky Way
Northern Cross
try to find it!


Many wonderful feats
A famous hero committed
Decoration of heaven -
Incomparable HERCULES!
Between Vega and ARCTURUS
Find his figure -
He always says nothing
Ready for new exploits!!!

A little to the right in the sky -
Stars of the NORTHERN CROWN,
Seven pearls in a diadem,
GEMMA sparkles the brightest


Between Vega and DENEB
Draw a dotted line to the South -
There the EAGLE flies across the sky,
And ALTAIR sparkles!
ALTAIR, DENEB and VEGA -
Kings in the summer sky!
Let everyone remember
schoolboy:
This is a SUMMER TRIANGLE!

Eagle, Dolphin, Arrow, Fox

Here is the EAGLE, and next to it
Cute little DOLPHIN.
An ARROW flies over the EAGLE
(Someone was aiming at the EAGLE),
It's good that I didn't hit it!
Only scared the FOX.


The SNAKE has two constellations -
This is the TAIL and HEAD,
Entangled in tight rings,
Ophiuchus is between them.
Who grabbed which of them -
I have no strength to figure it out!
He kicks during a fight
Hooked on the ZODIAC!
And it won’t break out in any way,
Unlucky extra sign!

And further south in midsummer
Blazing red
Evil ANTARES - SCORPIO,
And he wants to sting
Ophiuchus right in the leg,
But help is near!
Right in the heart of SCORPIO
Aims the bow of SAGITTARIUS Chiron!


Poor, poor CAPRICORN!
Fish tail instead of legs
Pieces of foam in the beard,
And on the horns there is a star.
And it happened on a clear night
Surrounded by beautiful nymphs
How he played the pipe! -
Everyone danced and sang!...

Many, many hundreds of years
He swims after SAGITTARIUS
And sighs incessantly...
You won't recognize the forest pan!

Bright stars of the summer sky

Constellations of the autumn sky
Constellation map of the autumn sky

Here is the wife of King CEPHEUS
Proud CASSIOPEIA
There is a chain of bright stars behind her -
This is their own daughter
And her groom PERSEUS
Placed himself next to her.
That PERSEUS is a brave warrior,
ANDROMEDA he is worthy,
Order on the chest - MIRFAC
He wears it for a reason!
He fought with the Gorgon,
Almost turned to stone
But I managed to cut it off
Let her head off the jellyfish's shoulders!
And from the neck at the same hour
The horse PEGASUS appeared...

He looked around - and jumped!
Run away from PERSEUS!
But the bride of Perseus
Found myself in the right place -
Grab PEGASUS by the bridle,
Stretching out a star to him!
So I ended up in the BIG SQUARE
Andromedin ALFERATE.


At CEpheus the homebody
There is a daughter ANDROMEDA,
They chained that maiden
To be devoured by KITU
Here is the WHALE - coming from the south!
Scared away all the FISH in the area!...

PEACE
Found in the constellation CET.
MIRA is a wonderful star!
But see that star
You can only do it once a year!


Here is the constellation ARIES!
The Moon sometimes stays there,
Because this sign
Heads the ZODIAC.
And although the lamb is small,
His star is GAMAL
Since a long time
on sea voyages
Helps sailors!


The gods settled in the sky
A flock of PISCES and CAPRICORN,
AND DOLPHIN AND WHALE,
But they all need water!
Here they called AQUARIUS,
It pours and pours without regret!
Everything around was filled with water,
That's why on the side
There are very few noticeable stars -
They barely shine at full strength.
AQUARIUS in the sky - wait
Autumn, puddles and rain.

Constellations of the winter sky

Not afraid of winter and cold,
Having belted myself tighter,
Equipped for hunting
ORION speaks.
Two stars from the major leagues
IN ORION - this is RIGEL
In the lower right corner,
Like a bow on a shoe.
And on the left epaulette -
BETELGEUSE is shining brightly.
Three stars diagonally
Decorate the belt.
This belt is like a hint.
He is a heavenly pointer.
If you go to the left,
You will find the miracle SIRIUS.
And from the right end
Path to the constellation TAURUS
He points straight
Into the red eye of ALDEBARAN.

The HARE jumped out with acceleration
Right at the feet of ORION!
ORION is not dangerous -
He's targeting Taurus!


Orion's belt-
Three stars diagonally

If you go to the left,
Miracle - you will find SIRIUS!

He is beautiful, no doubt!
So that this diamond is priceless
The evil thief did not take it away,
The watchman here is a HUGE DOG!

SMALLER DOG - a little taller
He went on guard in heaven
And, forgetting peace and sleep,
Protects PROCION.


Orion's belt -
Three stars diagonally
And from the right end -
The path to the constellation TAURUS -
He points straight
Into the red eye
ALDEBARANA.

The bull is well-fed and horned.
The right horn crowns the NAT,
And his nose is burning
Two hundred small GIADs.

Above the scruff of this mascara
Curling seven
crystal flies.
We are glad to introduce you
With the PLEIADES cluster


GEMINI - two true friends
They walk side by side in a circle.
How similar their figures are!
These are the Dioscuri Brothers.
CASTOR - once and
POLLUX - two!
Their friendship is praised by word of mouth!


Can you hear the sound in the heights?
Then the ringing sound of hoofs!
The goat walks boldly
And her name is CAPELLA.
Little goats hurry after her,
Stepping on her heels.
Take a closer look
And count: one, two, three!
And their owner is the CHARIER
And smart and energetic,
Because all year round
He drinks fresh milk.


Two brave TWINS
A messenger was sent to LION:
“We send our respects to the King of Beasts!
We are looking forward to your visit in January!”
The messenger hastened to go,
True, backwards.
To deliver the letter on time
Crawling all the time to the east,
But I couldn’t make it in time,
After all, this messenger is CANCER!

Bright stars of the winter sky

Constellations of the spring sky

King of beasts golden mane
Stately and lazy
Lies on the ecliptic
And he doesn’t look at the Lion Cub
REGULUS - symbol of royal power
Guarded by a formidable mouth,
And on the tassel of the tail -
Oh! What a beauty! -
VIRGIN joked
Bright bow - DENEBOL!


A RAVEN walks near a cup -
Thirst torments the poor thing!
HYDRA guards the CHALICE
And he doesn’t let you get drunk.


Here he is a formidable LION, and on the left,
Waking up from sleep,
A VIRGO rises above the earth, -
So spring has come to us!
SPIKA shines like a brooch,
At the end of her braid.
The VIRGO presses her leg,
So as not to touch the SCALES.

Higher north of SPIKA
Curls of the faithful VERONIKA.


Bearded BOOT
Sometime in March
at a late hour
Took my favorite HAINING DOGS
And he went to graze the oxen.
The path among the stars is not easy,
He decided to take a break
And animals by the tails
Under cover of darkness
Tied to the star ARCTURUS
And took a smoke break.
But he put the poor guy to sleep...
Only in the morning did he notice
That the rope is attached
To the tail of the BEAR!!!
That's when BOOTES understood,
That she was herding bears all night!


These star LIBRA
Can weigh watches!
Instead of weights here are minutes:
Day and night, and in total - a day.
In summer there are more light weights -
The day, of course, lasts longer,
And in winter it’s the opposite!
And only twice a year
There will be balance
That is, EQUINOX.

Constellations - These are areas of the sky into which the celestial sphere is distributed in order to conveniently navigate the starry sky. In ancient times, constellations were various kinds of figures that were formed by bright stars, often these were the names of heroes of Greek mythology. Our entire starry sky is divided into 88 constellations, which were recorded by the International Astronomical Union in 1930. To date, the names of these constellations have been decided to be considered unchanged, as well as other names of bright stars. Some famous astronomers named discovered stars after themselves, but such names were never officially recognized. There are some companies that sell so-called “certificates” for naming the name of the star you like. So if you think what to give your girlfriend on March 8 or Valentine's Day then give her a “star in the sky.”

Constellations are rightfully considered reminders of the ancient culture of mankind, its myths and its first interest in celestial bodies. They help historians, astronomers and mythologists very well to understand the way of life and thinking of ancient people. Today, constellations help bright minds in astronomy navigate the sky and quickly determine the positions of various kinds of objects.

The most famous and most noticeable constellations of the zodiac signs

Orion constellations

Location of stars and constellations

Humanity has always looked to the sky. The stars have long been guides for sailors, and they remain so today. A constellation is a group of celestial bodies that are united by one name. However, they may be at different distances from each other. Moreover, in ancient times the name of the constellations often depended on the shapes taken by the celestial bodies. This will be discussed in more detail in this article.

General information

There are a total of eighty-eight recorded constellations. Of these, only forty-seven have been known to mankind since ancient times. We should say thanks to the astronomer Claudius Ptolemy, who systematized the known constellations of the starry sky in the treatise "Almagest". The rest appeared at a time when people began to intensively study the world around them, travel more and record their knowledge. So, other groups of objects appeared in the sky.

The constellations in the sky and their names (photos of some of them will be presented in the article) are quite diverse. Many have several names, as well as ancient legends of origin. For example, there is a rather interesting legend about the appearance of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor in the sky. In those days when the gods ruled the world, the most powerful of them was Zeus. And he fell in love with the beautiful nymph Callisto, and he took her as his wife. In order to protect her from the jealous and dangerous Hera, Zeus took his beloved to heaven, turning her into a bear. This is how the constellation Ursa Major came about. The little dog Callisto became Ursa Minor.

Zodiacal constellations of the Solar System: names

The most famous constellations for humanity today are the zodiacal ones. Those that meet on the path of our Sun during its annual journey (ecliptic) have long been considered as such. This is a fairly wide strip of celestial space, divided into twelve segments.

Name of constellations:

1. Aries;
2. Calf;
3. Twins;
4. Virgo;
5. Capricorn;
6. Aquarius;
7. Fish;
8. Scales;
9. Scorpion;
10. Sagittarius;
11. Ophiuchus.

As you can see, unlike the signs of the Zodiac, there is one more constellation here - the thirteenth. This happened because the shape of celestial bodies changes over time. The Zodiac signs were formed quite a long time ago, when the sky map was slightly different. Today, the position of the stars has undergone some changes. Thus, another constellation appeared on the path of the Sun - Ophiuchus. In its order, it stands just after Scorpio.

The spring equinox is considered to be the starting point of the solar journey. At this moment, our luminary passes along the celestial equator, and day becomes equal to night (there is also the opposite point - autumn).

Constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor

One of the most famous constellations in our sky is Ursa Major and its companion, Ursa Minor. But why did it happen that not the most demanding constellation became so important? The fact is that the Ursa Minor cluster of celestial bodies contains the Polar Star, which was a guiding star for many generations of sailors, and remains so today.

This is due to its practical immobility. It is located near the North Pole, and the rest of the stars in the sky revolve around it. This feature of it was noticed by our ancestors, which was reflected in its name among different peoples (Golden Stake, Heavenly Stake, Northern Star, etc.).

Of course, there are other main objects in this starry constellation, the names of which are listed below:

• Kohab (Beta);
• Ferhad (Gamma);
• Delta;
• Epsilon;
• Zeta;

If we talk about the Big Dipper, then it more clearly resembles a ladle in shape than its small counterpart. According to estimates, with the naked eye alone there are about one hundred and twenty-five stars in the constellation. However, there are seven main ones:

• Dubhe (Alpha);
• Merak (Beta);
• Phekda (Gamma);
• Megrets (Delta);
• Alioth (Epsilon);
• Mizar (Zeta);
• Benetnash (Eta).

Ursa Major has nebulae and galaxies, as do numerous other star constellations. Their names are presented below:

• Spiral galaxy M81;
• Owl Nebula;
• Spiral Galaxy "Column Wheel"
• Barred spiral galaxy M109.

The most amazing stars

Of course, our sky has quite remarkable constellations (photos and names of some are presented in the article). However, besides them, there are other amazing stars. For example, in the constellation Canis Major, which is considered ancient, since our ancestors knew about it, there is the star Sirius. There are many legends and myths associated with it. In Ancient Egypt, they very carefully monitored the movement of this star; there are even suggestions by some scientists that the African pyramids are aimed at it with their tip.

Today, Sirius is one of the stars closest to Earth. Its characteristics exceed those of the sun twice as much. It is believed that if Sirius were in the place of our star, then life on the planet in the form it is now would hardly be possible. With such intense heat, all the surface oceans would boil away.

A rather interesting star that can be seen in the Antarctic sky is Alpha Centauri. This is the closest similar star to Earth. According to its structure, this body contains three stars, two of which may well have terrestrial planets. The third, Proxima Centauri, according to all calculations, cannot have such properties, since it is quite small and cold.

Major and minor constellations

It should be noted that today there are fixed large and small constellations. Photos and their names will be presented below. One of the largest can be safely called Hydra. This constellation covers an area of ​​the starry sky of 1302.84 square degrees. Obviously, this is why it received such a name; in appearance, it resembles a thin and long strip that occupies a quarter of the stellar space. The main place where Hydra is located is south of the celestial equator line.

Hydra is quite dim in its star composition. It includes only two worthy objects that stand out significantly in the sky - Alphard and Gamma Hydra. You can also note an open cluster called M48. The second largest constellation belongs to Virgo, which is slightly inferior in size. Therefore, the representative of the space community described below is truly small.

So, the smallest constellation in the sky is the Southern Cross, which is located in the Southern Hemisphere. It is considered an analogue of the Big Dipper in the North. Its area is sixty-eight square degrees. According to ancient astronomical chronicles, it used to be part of Centauri, and only in 1589 it was separated separately. In the Southern Cross, about thirty stars are visible even to the naked eye.

In addition, the constellation contains a dark nebula called the Coalsack. It is interesting because star formation processes can occur in it. Another unusual object is the open cluster of celestial bodies - NGC 4755.

Seasonal constellations

It should also be noted that the name of the constellations in the sky changes depending on the time of year. For example, in summer the following are clearly visible:

• Lyra;
• Eagle;
• Hercules;
• Snake;
• Chanterelle;
• Dolphin et al.

The winter sky is characterized by other constellations. Eg:

• Great Dog;
• Small Dog;
• Auriga;
• Unicorn;
• Eridanus et al.

The autumn sky is the following constellations:

• Pegasus;
• Andromeda;
• Perseus;
• Triangle;
• Keith et al.

And the following constellations open the spring sky:

• Little Leo;
• Crow;
• Bowl;
• Hounds Dogs, etc.

Constellations of the northern hemisphere

Each hemisphere of the Earth has its own celestial objects. The names of the stars and the constellations they belong to are quite different. So, let's look at which of them are typical for the northern hemisphere:

• Andromeda;
• Auriga;
• Twins;
• Veronica's hair;
• Giraffe;
• Cassiopeia;
• Northern Crown and others.

Southern Hemisphere Constellations

The names of the stars and the constellations they belong to are also different for the southern hemisphere. Let's look at some of them:

• Crow;
• Altar;
• Peacock;
• Octant;
• Bowl;
• Phoenix;
• Centaurus;
• Chameleon and others.

Truly, all the constellations in the sky and their names (photo below) are quite unique. Many have their own special history, beautiful legend or unusual objects. The latter include the constellations Dorado and Toucan. The first contains the Large Magellanic Cloud, and the second contains the Small Magellanic Cloud. These two objects are truly amazing.

The Big Cloud is very similar in appearance to a Segner wheel, and the Small Cloud is very similar to a punching bag. They are quite large in terms of their area in the sky, and observers note their similarity to the Milky Way (although in actual size they are much smaller). They seem to be a part of him that separated in the process. However, in their composition they are very similar to our galaxy, moreover, the Clouds are the star systems closest to us.

The amazing factor is that our galaxy and the Clouds can revolve around the same center of gravity, which forms a triple star system. True, each of this trinity has its own star clusters, nebulae and other space objects.

Conclusion

So, as you can see, the names of the constellations are quite varied and unique. Each of them has its own interesting objects, stars. Of course, today we do not know even half of all the secrets of the cosmic order, but there is hope for the future. The human mind is quite inquisitive, and if we do not die in a global catastrophe, then there is the possibility of conquering and exploring space, building new and more powerful instruments and ships to obtain knowledge. In this case, we will not only know the name of the constellations, but also comprehend much more.

The night sky amazes with its beauty and countless number of celestial fireflies. What is especially fascinating is that their arrangement is structured, as if they were specially placed in the right order, forming star systems. Since ancient times, stargazers have tried to count all these myriads of heavenly bodies and give them names. Today, a huge number of stars have been discovered in the sky, but this is only a small part of all existing vast Universe. Let's look at what constellations and luminaries there are.

In contact with

Stars and their classification

A star is a celestial body that emits enormous amounts of light and heat.

It consists mainly of helium (lat. Helium), as well as (lat. Hydrogenium).

The celestial body is in a state of equilibrium due to the pressure inside the body itself and its own.

Emits warmth and light as a result of thermonuclear reactions, occurring inside the body.

What types are there depending on life cycle and structure:

• Main sequence. This is the main life cycle of the star. This is exactly what it is, as well as the vast majority of others.
• Brown dwarf. A relatively small, dim object with a low temperature. The first one was opened in 1995.
• White dwarf. At the end of its life cycle, the ball begins to shrink until its density balances gravity. Then it goes out and cools down.
• Red giant. A huge body that emits a large amount of light, but is not very hot (up to 5000 K).
• New. New stars do not light up, just old ones flare up with renewed vigor.
• Supernova. This is the same new one with the release of a large amount of light.
• Hypernova. This is a supernova, but much larger.
• Bright Blue Variables (LBV). The biggest and also the hottest.
• Ultra X-ray sources (ULX). They release large amounts of radiation.
• Neutron. Characterized by rapid rotation and a strong magnetic field.
• Unique. Double, with different sizes.

Types depending from the spectrum:

• Blue.
• White and blue.
• White.
• Yellow-white.
• Yellow.
• Orange.
• Red.

Important! Most of the stars in the sky are entire systems. What we see as one can actually be two, three, five or even hundreds of bodies of one system.

Names of stars and constellations

The stars have always fascinated us. They became the object of study, both from the mystical side (astrology, alchemy) and from the scientific side (astronomy). People looked for them, calculated them, counted them, put them into constellations, and also give them names. Constellations are clusters of celestial bodies located in a certain sequence.

In the sky, under certain conditions, up to 6 thousand stars can be seen from different points. They have their own scientific names, but about three hundred of them also have personal names that they received from ancient times. Stars mostly have Arabic names.

The fact is that when astronomy was actively developing everywhere, the Western world was experiencing the “dark ages”, so its development lagged significantly behind. Here Mesopotamia was most successful, China less so.

The Arabs not only discovered new but they also renamed the heavenly bodies, who already had a Latin or Greek name. They went down in history with Arabic names. The constellations mostly had Latin names.

Brightness depends on the light emitted, size and distance from us. The brightest star is the Sun. It is not the largest, not the brightest, but it is closest to us.

The most beautiful luminaries with the greatest brightness. The first among them:

1. Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris);
2. Canopus (Alpha Carinae);
3. Toliman (Alpha Centauri);
4. Arcturus (Alpha Bootes);
5. Vega (Alpha Lyrae).

Naming periods

Conventionally, we can distinguish several periods in which people gave names to the heavenly bodies.

Pre-Antique period

Since ancient times, people have tried to “understand” the sky and gave the night luminaries names. No more than 20 names from those times have reached us. Scientists from Babylon, Egypt, Israel, Assyria and Mesopotamia worked actively here.

Greek period

The Greeks didn't really delve into astronomy. They gave names to only a small number of luminaries. Mostly, they took names from the names of the constellations or simply attributed existing names. All astronomical knowledge of ancient Greece, as well as Babylon, was collected Greek scientist Ptolemy Claudius(I-II centuries) in the works “Almagest” and “Tetrabiblos”.

Almagest (Great Construction) is the work of Ptolemy in thirteen books, where he, based on the work of Hipparchus of Nicea (c. 140 BC), tries to explain the structure of the Universe. He also lists the names of some of the brightest constellations.

Table of celestial bodies described in the Almagest

Name of the stars	Name of constellations	Description, location
Sirius	Big dog	Located in the mouth of the constellation. She is also called the Dog. The brightest of the night sky.
Procyon	Small dog	On the hind legs.
Arcturus	Bootes	Did not enter Bootes form. It is located below it.
Regulus	a lion	Located in the heart of Leo. Also called Tsarskaya.
Spica	Virgo	On the left hand. It has another name - Kolos.
Antares	Scorpion	Located in the middle.
Vega	Lyra	Located on the sink. Another name is Alpha Lyra.
Chapel	Auriga	Left shoulder. Also called - Goat.
Canopus	Ship Argo	On the keel of the ship.

Tetrabiblos is another work of Ptolemy Claudius in four books. The list of celestial bodies is supplemented here.

Roman period

The Roman Empire was engaged in the study of astronomy, but when this science began to actively develop, Rome fell. And behind the state, its science fell into decay. However, about a hundred stars have Latin names, although this does not guarantee that they were given names their scientists are from Rome.

Arab period

The fundamental work of the Arabs in the study of astronomy was the work of Ptolemy Almagest. They translated most of them into Arabic. Based on the religious beliefs of the Arabs, they replaced the names of some of the luminaries. Names were often given based on the location of the body in the constellation. So, many of them have names or parts of names meaning neck, leg or tail.

Table of Arabic names

Arabic name	Meaning	Stars with Arabic names	Constellation
Ras	Head	Alpha Hercules	Hercules
Algenib	Side	Alpha Persei, Gamma Persei	Perseus
Menkib	Shoulder	Alpha Orionis, Alpha Pegasus, Beta Pegasus, Beta Aurigae, Zeta Persei, Phita Centauri	Pegasus, Perseus, Orion, Centaurus, Auriga
Rigel	Leg	Alpha Centauri, Beta Orionis, Mu Virgo	Centaurus, Orion, Virgo
Rukba	Knee	Alpha Sagittarius, Delta Cassiopeia, Upsilon Cassiopeia, Omega Cygnus	Sagittarius, Cassiopeia, Swan
Sheat	Shin	Beta Pegasus, Delta Aquarii	Pegasus, Aquarius
Mirfak	Elbow	Alpha Persei, Capa Hercules, Lambda Ophiuchus, Phita and Mu Cassiopeia	Perseus, Ophiuchus, Cassiopeia, Hercules
Menkar	Nose	Alpha Ceti, Lambda Ceti, Upsilon Crow	Keith, Raven
Markab	What moves	Alpha Pegasus, Tau Pegasus, Cape of Sails	Ship Argo, Pegasus

Renaissance

Since the 16th century in Europe, antiquity has been revived, and with it science. Arabic names did not change, but Arabic-Latin hybrids often appeared.

New clusters of celestial bodies were practically not discovered, but old ones were supplemented with new objects. A significant event of that time was the release of the starry atlas “Uranometry”.

Its compiler was the amateur astronomer Johann Bayer (1603). On the atlas he painted an artistic image of the constellations.

And most importantly, he suggested principle of naming luminaries with the addition of letters from the Greek alphabet. The brightest body of the constellation will be called “Alpha”, the less bright “Beta” and so on until “Omega”. For example, the brightest star in Scorpii is Alpha Scorpii, the less bright Beta Scorpii, then Gamma Scorpii, etc.

Nowadays

With the advent of powerful ones, a huge number of luminaries began to be discovered. Now they are not given beautiful names, but are simply assigned an index with a digital and alphabetic code. But it happens that celestial bodies are given personal names. They are called by names scientific discoverers, and now you can even buy the opportunity to name the luminary as you wish.

Important! The sun is not part of any constellation.

What are the constellations?

Initially, the figures were figures formed by bright luminaries. Nowadays scientists use them as landmarks of the celestial sphere.

The most famous constellations in alphabetical order:

1. Andromeda. Located in the northern hemisphere of the celestial sphere.
2. Twins. The brightest luminaries are Pollux and Castor. Zodiac sign.
3. Big Dipper. Seven stars forming the image of a ladle.
4. Big Dog. It has the brightest star in the sky - Sirius.
5. Scales. Zodiac, consisting of 83 objects.
6. Aquarius. Zodiac, with an asterism forming a jug.
7. Auriga. Its most outstanding object is the Chapel.
8. Wolf. Located in the southern hemisphere.
9. Bootes. The brightest luminary is Arcturus.
10. Veronica's hair. Consists of 64 visible objects.
11. Crow. It is best seen in mid-latitudes.
12. Hercules. Has 235 visible objects.
13. Hydra. The most important luminary is Alphard.
14. Pigeon. 71 bodies of the southern hemisphere.
15. Hound Dogs. 57 visible objects.
16. Virgo. Zodiacal, with the brightest body - Spica.
17. Dolphin. Visible everywhere except Antarctica.
18. The Dragon. Northern hemisphere, practically a pole.
19. Unicorn. Located on the milky way.
20. Altar. 60 visible stars.
21. Painter. Includes 49 objects.
22. Giraffe. Faintly visible in the northern hemisphere.
23. Crane. The brightest is Alnair.
24. Hare. 72 celestial bodies.
25. Ophiuchus. The 13th sign of the zodiac, but not included in this list.
26. Snake. 106 luminaries.
27. Golden Fish. 32 objects visible to the naked eye.
28. Indian. Faintly visible constellation.
29. Cassiopeia. It's shaped like the letter "W".
30. Keel. 206 objects.
31. Whale. Located in the “water” zone of the sky.
32. Capricorn. Zodiac, southern hemisphere.
33. Compass. 43 visible luminaries.
34. Stern. Located on the milky way.
35. Swan. Located in the northern part.
36. A lion. Zodiac, northern part.
37. Flying fish. 31 objects.
38. Lyra. The brightest luminary is Vega.
39. Chanterelle. Dull.
40. Ursa Minor. Located above the North Pole. It has the North Star.
41. Small Horse. 14 luminaries
42. Small Dog. Bright constellation.
43. Microscope. South part.
44. Fly. At the equator.
45. Pump. Southern sky.
46. Square. Passes through the Milky Way.
47. Aries. Zodiacal, having bodies Mezarthim, Hamal and Sheratan.
48. Octant. At the South Pole.
49. Eagle. At the equator.
50. Orion. Has a bright object - Rigel.
51. Peacock. Southern Hemisphere.
52. Sail. 195 luminaries of the southern hemisphere.
53. Pegasus. South of Andromeda. Its brightest stars are Markab and Enif.
54. Perseus. It was discovered by Ptolemy. The first object is Mirfak.
55. Bake. Almost invisible.
56. Bird of paradise. Located near the south pole.
57. Cancer. Zodiac, faintly visible.
58. Cutter. South part.
59. Fish. A large constellation divided into two parts.
60. Lynx. 92 visible luminaries.
61. Northern Crown. Crown shape.
62. Sextant. At the equator.
63. Net. Consists of 22 objects.
64. Scorpion. The first luminary is Antares.
65. Sculptor. 55 celestial bodies.
66. Sagittarius. Zodiac.
67. Calf. Zodiac. Aldebaran is the brightest object.
68. Triangle. 25 stars.
69. Toucan. This is where the Small Magellanic Cloud is located.
70. Phoenix. 63 luminaries.
71. Chameleon. Small and dim.
72. Centaurus. Its brightest star for us, Proxima Centauri, is the closest to the Sun.
73. Cepheus. Has the shape of a triangle.
74. Compass. Near Alpha Centauri.
75. Watch. It has an elongated shape.
76. Shield. Near the equator.
77. Eridanus. Big constellation.
78. South Hydra. 32 celestial bodies.
79. Southern Crown. Dimly visible.
80. Southern Fish. 43 objects.
81. South Cross. In the form of a cross.
82. Southern Triangle. Has the shape of a triangle.
83. Lizard. No bright objects.

What are the constellations of the Zodiac?

Zodiac signs - constellations through which the earth passes through throughout the year, forming a conditional ring around the system. Interestingly, there are 12 accepted zodiac signs, although Ophiuchus, which is not considered a zodiac, is also located on this ring.

Attention! There are no constellations.

By and large, there are no figures at all made up of celestial bodies.

After all, when we look at the sky, we perceive it as plane in two dimensions, but the luminaries are located not on a plane, but in space, at a huge distance from each other.

They do not form any pattern.

Let's say that light from Proxima Centauri, closest to the Sun, reaches us in almost 4.3 years.

And from another object of the same star system, Omega Centauri, it reaches the earth in 16 thousand years. All divisions are quite arbitrary.

Constellations and stars - sky map, interesting facts

Names of stars and constellations

Conclusion

It is impossible to calculate a reliable number of celestial bodies in the Universe. You can't even get close to the exact number. Stars unite into galaxies. Our Milky Way galaxy alone numbers about 100,000,000,000. From Earth using the most powerful telescopes About 55,000,000,000 galaxies can be detected. With the advent of the Hubble telescope, which is in orbit around the Earth, scientists have discovered about 125,000,000,000 galaxies, each with billions, hundreds of billions of objects. What is clear is that there are at least a trillion trillion luminaries in the Universe, but this is only a small part of what is real.

Pleshakov had a good idea - to create an atlas for children that would make it easy to identify stars and constellations. Our teachers picked up this idea and created their own atlas-identifier, which is even more informative and visual.

What are constellations?

If you look up into the sky on a clear night, you can see many sparkling lights of different sizes, like a scattering of diamonds, decorating the sky. These lights are called stars. Some of them seem to be collected in clusters and, upon prolonged examination, they can be divided into certain groups. Man called such groups “constellations.” Some of them may resemble the shape of a ladle or the intricate outlines of animals, however, in many respects this is just a figment of the imagination.

For many centuries, astronomers tried to study such clusters of stars and gave them mystical properties. People tried to systematize them and find a common pattern, and that’s how the constellations appeared. For a long time, constellations were carefully studied, some were divided into smaller ones, and they ceased to exist, and some, after clarification, were simply adjusted. For example, the constellation Argo was divided into smaller constellations: Compass, Carina, Parus, Poop.

The history of the origin of the names of the constellations is also very interesting. To make it easier to remember, they were given names united by one element or literary work. For example, it was noticed that during periods of heavy rain, the Sun rises from the direction of certain constellations, which were given the following names: Capricorn, Whale, Aquarius, and the constellation Pisces.

In order to bring all constellations to a certain classification, in 1930, at a meeting of the International Astronomical Union, it was decided to officially register 88 constellations. According to the decision made, constellations do not consist of groups of stars, but represent sections of the starry sky.

What are the constellations?

Constellations vary in the number and brightness of the stars that make up them. The 30 most noticeable groups of stars are identified. The largest constellation in terms of area is Ursa Major. It consists of 7 bright and 118 stars visible to the naked eye.

The smallest constellation, located in the southern hemisphere, is called the Southern Cross and is impossible to see with the naked eye. It consists of 5 bright and 25 less visible stars.

Lesser Horse is the smallest constellation in the northern hemisphere and consists of 10 faint stars that can be seen with the naked eye.

The most beautiful and brightest constellation is Orion. It consists of 120 stars visible to the naked eye, and 7 of them are very bright.

All constellations are conventionally divided into those located in the southern or northern hemisphere. Those who live in the southern hemisphere of the Earth cannot see star clusters located in the northern hemisphere and vice versa. Of the 88 constellations, 48 ​​are in the southern hemisphere, and 31 are in the northern hemisphere. The remaining 9 groups of stars are located in both hemispheres. The Northern Hemisphere is easily identified by the North Star, which always shines very brightly in the sky. She is the extreme star on the handle of the Ursa Minor dipper.

Due to the fact that the Earth rotates around the Sun, which prevents some constellations from being seen, the seasons change and the position of this star in the sky changes. For example, in winter the location of our planet in its circumsolar orbit is opposite to that in summer. Therefore, at each time of the year you can only see certain constellations. For example, in the summer, in the night sky you can see a triangle formed by the stars Altair, Vega and Deneb. In winter, there is an opportunity to admire the infinitely beautiful constellation Orion. That’s why they sometimes say: autumn constellations, winter, summer or spring constellations.

Constellations are best visible in the summer and it is advisable to observe them in open space, outside the city. Some stars can be seen with the naked eye, while others may require a telescope. The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, as well as Cassiopeia, are best visible. In autumn and winter, the constellations Taurus and Orion are clearly visible.

Bright constellations that are visible in Russia

The most beautiful constellations of the northern hemisphere visible in Russia include: Orion, Ursa Major, Taurus, Canis Major, Canis Minor.

If you look closely at their location and give free rein to your imagination, you can see a hunting scene, which, like an ancient fresco, has been depicted in the sky for more than two thousand years. The brave hunter Orion is always depicted surrounded by animals. Taurus runs to his right, and the hunter swings his club at him. At Orion's feet are the faithful Canis Major and Canis Minor.

Constellation Orion

This is the largest and most colorful constellation. It is clearly visible in autumn and winter. Orion can be seen over the entire territory of Russia. The arrangement of its stars resembles the outline of a person.

The history of the formation of this constellation originates from ancient Greek myths. According to them, Orion was a brave and strong hunter, the son of Poseidon and the nymph Emvriala. He often hunted with Artemis, but one day, for defeating her during a hunt, he was struck by the goddess’s arrow and died. After death, he was turned into a constellation.

Orion's brightest star is Rigel. It is 25 thousand times brighter than the Sun and 33 times its size. This star has a bluish-white glow and is considered supergiant. However, despite such impressive dimensions, it is significantly smaller than Betelgeuse.

Betelgeuse adorns Orion's right shoulder. It is 450 times larger than the diameter of the Sun and if we put it in the place of our star, then this star will take the place of four planets before Mars. Betelgeuse shines 14,000 times brighter than the Sun.

The constellation Orion also includes nebulae and asterisms.

Constellation Taurus

Another large and unimaginably beautiful constellation of the northern hemisphere is Taurus. It is located northwest of Orion and is located between the constellations Aries and Gemini. Not far from Taurus there are such constellations as: Auriga, Cetus, Perseus, Eridanus.

This constellation in mid-latitudes can be observed throughout almost the entire year, with the exception of the second half of spring and early summer.

The history of the constellation dates back to ancient myths. They talk about Zeus turning into a calf in order to kidnap the goddess Europa and bring her to the island of Crete. This constellation was first described by Eudoxus, a mathematician who lived long before our era.

The brightest star not only of this constellation, but also of the other 12 groups of stars is Aldebaran. It is located on the head of Taurus and was previously called the “eye”. Aldebaran is 38 times the diameter of the Sun and 150 times brighter. This star is located 62 light years away from us.

The second brightest star in the constellation is Nat or El-Nat (the horns of the bull). It is located near Auriga. It is 700 times brighter than the Sun and 4.5 times larger.

Within the constellation there are two incredibly beautiful open clusters of stars, the Hyades and the Pleiades.

The age of the Hyades is 650 million years. They can be easily found in the starry sky thanks to Aldebaran, which is clearly visible among them. They include about 200 stars.

The Pleiades got its name from its nine parts. Seven of them are named after the seven sisters of Ancient Greece (the Pleiades), and two more are named after their parents. The Pleiades are very visible in winter. They include about 1000 stellar bodies.

An equally interesting formation in the constellation Taurus is the Crab Nebula. It was formed after a supernova explosion in 1054 and was discovered in 1731. The distance of the nebula from the Earth is 6500 light years, and its diameter is about 11 light years. years.

This constellation belongs to the Orion family and borders the constellations Orion, Unicorn, Canis Minor, and Hare.

The constellation Canis Major was first discovered by Ptolemy in the second century.

There is a myth according to which the Great Dog used to be Lelap. It was a very fast dog that could catch up with any prey. One day he chased a fox, which was not inferior to him in speed. The outcome of the race was a foregone conclusion, and Zeus turned both animals to stone. He placed the dog in heaven.

The constellation Canis Major is very visible in winter. The brightest star not only of this, but also of all other constellations is Sirius. It has a bluish luster and is located quite close to Earth, at a distance of 8.6 light years. In terms of brightness in our solar system, it is surpassed by Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon. Light from Sirius takes 9 years to reach Earth and is 24 times stronger than the sun. This star has a satellite called "Puppy".

The formation of such a concept as “Holidays” is associated with Sirius. The fact is that this star appeared in the sky during the summer heat. Since Sirius is translated from Greek as “canis,” the Greeks began to call this period vacation.

Constellation Canis Minor

Canis Minor borders on such constellations as: Unicorn, Hydra, Cancer, Gemini. This constellation represents the animal that, together with Canis Major, follows the hunter Orion.

The history of the formation of this constellation, if we rely on myths, is very interesting. According to them, Canis Minor is Mera, the dog of Icaria. This man was taught how to make wine by Dionysus and the drink turned out to be very strong. One day his guests decided that Ikaria had decided to poison them and killed him. The mayor was very sad for his owner and soon died. Zeus placed it in the form of a constellation in the starry sky.

This constellation is best observed in January and February.

The brightest stars in this constellation are Porcyon and Gomeisa. Porcyon is located 11.4 light years from Earth. It is somewhat brighter and hotter than the Sun, but physically differs little from it.

Gomeiza is visible to the naked eye and glows with a blue-white light.

Constellation Ursa Major

Ursa Major, shaped like a ladle, is one of the three largest constellations. It is mentioned in the writings of Homer and in the Bible. This constellation is very well studied and has great significance in many religions.

It borders with such constellations as: Waterfall, Leo, Canes Venatici, Dragon, Lynx.

According to ancient Greek myths, the Big Dipper is associated with Callisto, a beautiful nymph and lover of Zeus. His wife Hera turned Callisto into a bear as punishment. One day, this bear came across Hera and her son, Arcas, with Zeus in the forest. To avoid tragedy, Zeus turned his son and nymph into constellations.

The big ladle is formed by seven stars. The most striking of them are three: Dubhe, Alkaid, Aliot.

Dubhe is a red giant and points to the North Star. It is located 120 light years from Earth.

Alkaid, the third brightest star in the constellation, expresses the end of the tail of Ursa Major. It is located 100 light years away from Earth.

Alioth is the brightest star in the constellation. She represents the tail. Because of its brightness, it is used in navigation. Alioth shines 108 times brighter than the Sun.

These constellations are the brightest and most beautiful in the northern hemisphere. They can be perfectly seen with the naked eye on an autumn or frosty winter night. The legends of their formation allow your imagination to run wild and imagine how the mighty hunter Orion, together with his faithful dogs, runs after his prey, while Taurus and Ursa Major watch him closely.

Russia is located in the northern hemisphere, and in this part of the sky we are able to see only a few of all the constellations existing in the sky. Depending on the time of year, only their position in the sky changes.