The main constellations of the starry sky. What are the constellations? What is the largest constellation

At the end of autumn, the sky is already preparing for the parade of winter constellations. Just after sunset you can see Jupiter, and after midnight Saturn appears in the sky. Just before dawn, Venus and Mercury appear briefly. But Mars is almost invisible in November. But the last six constellations of autumn rise high above the horizon.

Constellations of the autumn sky: September | October | november

Andromeda

The oldest constellation in the northern hemisphere, which contains the galaxy of the same name. Andromeda is a fairly large constellation that covers an area of 722 square degrees. According to this indicator, it is in 19th place.

You can see it throughout Russia. Andromeda can be seen all year round, although the best time is October. To find a constellation in the sky, it is enough to first find the square of Pegasus. In the northeastern corner of this square shines a bright star - Alferaz. She is Alpha Andromeda and its beginning, since the shape of the constellation resembles a bunch of three rays converging precisely in Alferats.

In the constellation, almost 160 stars can be distinguished with the naked eye. Of these, three are of second magnitude. These are Alferats, Mirakh and Alamak.

The most interesting object in the constellation is a spiral galaxy called the Andromeda Nebula. This is one of the few galaxies that can be observed without the help of optical instruments.

Andromeda contains another spiral galaxy, several star clusters and a planetary nebula.

Cassiopeia

A bright and beautiful constellation of the northern hemisphere, covering an area of 598 square degrees. Its outline resembles the letter W and contains about 150 stars, visible to the naked eye. But it is precisely five of them that are the brightest and give the constellation an easily recognizable shape.

It is very easy to find it in the sky. You need to draw a line from the Big Dipper to the North Star and continue it. The line will point directly to Cassiopeia.

In general, Cassiopeia and Ursa Major are two non-setting constellations in the northern hemisphere, only they are located on either side of the North Star.

The five main stars of the constellation have their own names: Shedar, Rukbah, Navi, Segin and Kaf. All of them are of second magnitude and are perfectly visible even without binoculars.

One of the most interesting stars, Cassiopeia, was discovered in 1572. It was named after its discoverer - Tycho Brave's Star. It was a supernova that burst into flames and went out within 16 months.

The constellation contains dwarf galaxies, several nebulae and star clusters.

Phoenix

This is a small constellation in the southern hemisphere. Phoenix covers an area of 469 square degrees. In such a space, almost 70 stars of this constellation can be easily distinguished.

The outline of the constellation resembles a bird, if you imagine that the elongated pentagon is its body, and the two broken lines emanating from the vertices are its wings. The entire constellation can be seen in the southern hemisphere. In the north it is observed only south of the 32nd parallel.

To find the Phoenix in the sky, you need to connect with an imaginary line the two brightest stars of this part of the sky: Achernar from their constellation Eridanus and Fomalhaut from Southern Pisces. Between them there will be another bright star - Anka, which is Alpha of the desired constellation.

Phoenix is a new constellation, identified by P. Plancius in 1598. The constellation also includes two galaxies and a meteor shower.

Fish

A huge constellation of the northern hemisphere, nestled between Aquarius and Aries. Pisces covers an area of 889 square degrees and contains more than 75 stars visible to the naked eye.

The peculiarity of the constellation is that it is divided into two parts: Northern and Southern. The general outline of the constellation resembles a giant letter V. One of its branches stretches towards Andromeda. The other line ends in a pentagon and passes by Uranus. And they unite in the star Alrisha, which is Alpha Pisces. The square of Pegasus appears in the “fork” of the constellation. The constellation Pisces can be observed throughout Russia from the beginning of autumn until almost January.

Despite its vast area, the constellation appears dim, as there are no stars of the first or second magnitude. But this is where the vernal equinox point is located.

Among the interesting deep space objects is a spiral galaxy, in which two novae have flared up and a black hole has formed over the past 50 years.

Sculptor

This is a small constellation in the southern hemisphere. Covers an area of 464 square degrees. In this space, without optics, you can see up to 55 stars of the constellation.

The sculptor is classified as a new constellation, since it was identified by N. Lacaille in 1756.

It is easy to find it in the sky. It is enough to draw a line from the head of the Phoenix to Aquarius. Along the way, this line will just cross the constellation of the Sculptor. On the territory of Russia it can only be observed by residents of the southern regions.

The constellation is dim, since even its Alpha is only 4th magnitude. But it is on the territory of this constellation that the South Pole of our Galaxy is located.

Several unique deep space objects can be observed as part of the Sculptor. These are the ellipse-shaped dwarf galaxy and the large spiral Silver Coin galaxy.

Toucan

The last constellation of November, located in the southern hemisphere. In terms of area, the constellation is in 48th place, as it occupies an area of 295 square degrees. It contains only one bright star of second magnitude - Alpha Tucana. The remaining stars are much smaller, but in clear weather more than 50 Tucan stars can be found with the naked eye.

The constellation is known to all astronomy lovers also because it is here that one of the most famous galaxies is located - the Small Magellanic Cloud. This galaxy is a satellite of our Milky Way.

In addition, the constellation includes a bright and dense cluster of stars and pulsars.

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 well 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 it was called Vacation, and our “vacation” comes 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. Different legends 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. It is part of the constellation Canis Major, the 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.

It is generally accepted that stars are not visible during the day. However, from the top of Mount Ararat (height 5,000 m), the bright stars are clearly visible even at noon. The sky there is dark blue. In a telescope with a lens diameter of 70 mm, you can see bright stars even from flat terrain. But still, it is best to observe the stars at night, when the blinding light of the Sun does not interfere.

The starry sky is one of the most beautiful sights that exist in nature. About 6,000 stars can be seen in the entire sky with the naked eye.(at the same time about 3,000 above the horizon).

Since ancient times, people have mentally united the most noticeable stars into figures and called them constellations. Myths and legends were associated with the constellations. Today, a constellation is a section of the starry sky with conventional boundaries, which includes not only stars, but also other objects - nebulae, galaxies, clusters. ABOUT objects included in one or another constellation are not connected with each other, since they are, firstly, at different distances from the Earth, and secondly, the boundaries of the constellations are arbitrary, i.e. may be changed at any time.

Today there are 88 constellations identified in the starry sky.

Latin names of constellations are also accepted. All star atlases produced abroad contain Latin names of constellations.

Constellations can be divided into three large groups: human (Aquarius, Cassiopeia, Orion...), animals (Hare, Swan, Whale...) and object (Libra, Microscope, Scutum...). To better memorize constellations, noticeable stars in them are usually connected by lines into polygons or bizarre shapes. Below are: Ursa Major, Bootes, Virgo and Leo.

Since constellations are sections, that means they have an area. The areas of the constellations are different. The largest in area is Hydra. In second place is Virgo. On the third is Ursa Major. The smallest constellation in area is the Southern Cross (not visible at our latitudes).

Constellations also differ in the number of bright stars. The most bright stars are in Orion.

The bright stars of the constellations have their own names (usually invented by Arab and Greek astronomers). For example, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra is Vega, in the constellation Cygnus - Deneb, in the constellation Eagle - Altair. Remember the names of the stars of the Ursa Major bucket:

Stars in constellations also have symbols. The letters of the Greek alphabet are used for designation:

α - alpha

β - beta

γ - gamma

δ - delta

ε - epsilon

ζ - zeta

η - this

etc. It is worth remembering the designation and pronunciation of at least the first seven Greek letters. This is how the stars of the Ursa Major bucket are designated:

Typically, the brightest star in a constellation is designated by the letter α (alpha). But not always. There are other systems for naming stars.

Since ancient times, star maps have been compiled. Usually they depicted not only stars, but also drawings of animals, people and objects with which the constellations were associated. Since there was no order in the name and number of constellations, star maps varied. It got to the point that various astronomers tried to introduce their own constellations (by drawing the contours of the constellations in a new way). For example, in 1798, the astronomer Lalande proposed the constellation Balloon. In 1679, Halley introduced the constellation Oak of Charles. There were many other exotic names (Poniatowski's Ox, Cat, Friedrich's Regalia, etc.). Only in 1922 were the conventional boundaries of the constellations finally drawn, their number and names were fixed.

For practical purposes, today they use a moving star map, consisting of a star map and an overlay circle with a cut out oval. Here's the map:

Stars are indicated by circles of various sizes. The larger the circle, the brighter the star it represents. Double stars, variable stars, galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters are also noted on star maps.

The starry sky rotates slowly. The reason is the rotation of the Earth around its axis. The earth rotates from west to east, and the starry sky, on the contrary, from east to west. Therefore, stars, planets and luminaries rise on the eastern side of the horizon, and set on the western side. This movement is called daily rotation. It should be noted that the constellations retain their relative positions during daily rotation. The starry sky rotates as a single whole, like a huge celestial sphere. The Earth makes one revolution around its axis in relation to the stars in 23 hours 56 minutes 04 seconds. This period is called sidereal day. Every 23 hours 56 minutes 04 seconds the view of the starry sky is repeated.

But this does not mean that if the Earth does not rotate on its axis, the sky will remain motionless. The appearance of the starry sky is influenced by the movement of the Earth around the Sun. If the Earth did not rotate, the appearance of the starry sky would still slowly change throughout the year. This phenomenon is called annual change in the appearance of the starry sky. We can observe that in autumn some constellations are best visible, in winter - others, etc.

Constellations can be roughly divided according to the seasons of the year into autumn, winter, spring and summer. But this does not mean that in autumn you can only see autumn constellations. On an early autumn evening, summer constellations dominate the sky. As time passes, they lean toward the west, and the autumn constellations rise. In the morning the winter constellations are clearly visible.

The appearance of the starry sky also depends on the latitude of the observation location. At the Earth's poles, the starry sky rotates so that not a single star rises or sets. As you move toward the equator, the number of rising and setting stars increases. In mid-latitudes there are both rising and setting stars, as well as non-setting and never rising stars. For example,in the middle latitudes of the Earth's northern hemisphereThe constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia never descend below the horizon. But the constellations of the Southern Cross, Crane, and Altar never rise. At the earth's equator, all stars rise and set. If daylight did not interfere, in one day you could see all 88 constellations.

Constellations help with location orientation. It is especially useful to learn how to find the sides of the horizon using the North Star, since it almost does not change its position in the sky. The easiest way to find the North Star is by looking at the bucket from the constellation Ursa Major (to be precise, the line runs slightly to the left of the North Star):

The North Star always hangs above the north point. If you stand with your back to it, then the south will be in front, the east will be on the left, and the west will be on the right.

Some people think that the North Star is the brightest star in the starry sky. But that's not true. The brightest is Sirius from the constellation Canis Major. Polaris is the main navigation star.

To measure the apparent distances between stars and also the diameters of the disks of the planets, the Sun and the Moon, and the apparent sizes of nebulae and galaxies, an angular measure is used. 1 arc degree contains 60 arc minutes, and 1 arc minute contains 60 arc seconds. The diameters of the disks of the Sun and Moon are approximately equal to 0.5º.

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:

Aries;
Calf;
Twins;
Virgo;
Capricorn;
Aquarius;
Fish;
Scales;
Scorpion;
Sagittarius;
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;
Eridan and others

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.

Constellations.

A constellation in astronomy is simply an area of the sky within some fixed boundaries...
Each cultural people had their own constellations, which differed greatly both in number and in name or position on the celestial sphere. We will not go into details, since more than one book could be written on this topic... In general, the situation required order, and it was established. The final list of 88 modern constellations and their boundaries was approved at a meeting of the International Astronomical Congress in 1922.
The table shows the Russian and Latin names of the constellations, their generally accepted three-letter abbreviations, and in the last column the spelling of the constellation in the genitive case. Knowing this is important, since it is correct to say not only " Alpha Andromeda" or " Beta Gemini", but also Alpha Andromedae And Beta Geminorum...

Modern list of constellations, in alphabetical order
(according to Russian spelling). 01. Andromeda And Andromeda Andromedae 02. Gemini Gem Gemini Geminorum 03. Ursa Major UMa Ursae Major Ursae Majoris 04. Canis Major CMa Canis Major Canis Majoris 05. Libra Lib Libra Librae 06. Aquarius Aqr Aquarius Aquarii 07. Charioteer Aur Auriga Aurigae 08. Wolf Lup Lupus Lupi 09. Bootes Boo Bootes Bootis 10. Veronica's Hair Com Coma Berenices Comae Berenices 11. Raven Crv Corvus Corvi 12. Hercules Her Hercules Herculis 13. Hydra Hya Hydra Hydrae 14. Dove Col Columba Columbae 15. Hounds Dogs CVn Canes Venatici Canum Venaticorum 16. Virgo Vir Virgo Virginis 17. Dolphin Del Delphinus Delphini 18. Dragon Dra Draco Draconis 19. Unicorn Mon Monoceros Monocerotis 20. Altar Ara Ara Arae 21. Painter Pic Pictor Pictoris 22. Giraffe Cam Camelopardalis Camelopardalis 23. Crane Gru Grus Gruis 24. Hare Lep Lepus Leporis 25. Ophiuchus Ophiuchus Ophiuchi 26. Snake Ser Serpens Serpentis 27. Golden Fish Dor Dorado Doradus 28. Indian Ind Indus Indi 29. Cassiopeia Cas Cassiopeja Cassiopeiae 30. Keel Car Carina Carinae 31. Whale Cet Cetus Ceti 32 Capricorn Cap Capricornus Capricorni 33. Compass Pyx Pyxis Pyxidis 34. Poop Pup Puppis Puppis 35. Swan Cyg Cygnus Cygni 36. Lion Leo Leo Leonis 37. Flying Fish Vol Volans Volantis 38. Lyra Lyr Lyra Lyrae 39. Chanterelle Vul Vulpecula Vulpeculae 40. Ursa Minor UMi Ursa Minor Ursae Minoris 41. Lesser Horse Equ Equuleus Equulei 42. Lesser Lion LMi Leo Minor Leonis Minoris 43. Lesser Canis CMi Canis Minor Canis Minoris 44. Microscope Mic Microscopium Microscopii 45. Fly Mus Musca Muscae 46. Pump Ant Antlia Antliae 47. Square Nor Norma Normae 48. Aries Ari Aries Arietis 49. Octant Oct Octans Octantis 50. Eagle Aql Aquila Aquilae 51. Orion Ori Orion Orionis 52. Peacock Pav Pavo Pavonis 53. Sails Vel Vela Velorum 54. Pegasus Peg Pegasus Pegasi 55. Perseus Per Perseus Persei 56. Furnace For Fornax Fornacis 57. Bird of Paradise Aps Apus Apodis 58. Cancer Cnc Cancer Cancri 59. Incisor Cae Caelum Caeli 60. Pisces Psc Pisces Piscium 61. Lynx Lyn Lynx Lyncis 62. Northern Crown CrB Corona Borealis Coronae Borealis 63. Sextant Sex Sextans Sextantis 64. Reticulum Ret Reticulum Reticuli 65. Scorpio Sco Scorpius Scorpii 66. Sculptor Scl Sculptor Sculptoris 67. Table Mountain Men Mensa Mensae 68. Arrow Sge Sagitta Sagittae 69. Sagittarius Sgr Sagittarius Sagittarii 70. Telescope Tel Telescopium Telesco pii 71 Taurus Tau Taurus Tauri 72. Triangle Tri Triangulum Trianguli 73. Toucan Tuc Tucana Tucanae 74. Phoenix Phe Phoenix Phoenicis 75. Chameleon Cha Chamaeleon Chamaeleontis 76. Centaurus Cen Centaures Centauri 77. Cepheus Cep Cepheus Cephei 78. Compasses Cir Circinus Circini 79. Clock Hor Horologium Horologii 80. Bowl Crt Crater Crateris 81. Shield Sct Scutum Scuti 82. Eridan Eri Erdanus eridani 83. Southern Hyi Hydrus Hydri 84. Southern Crown Cra Corona Australis Coronae Australis 85. Southern Psa Piscis Austrinus Piscis Austrini 86. Southern Crux Crux Crux Crux Crux Crux Crux CIS 87. Southern triangle Tra Triangulum Australe Trianguli Australis 88 Lizard Lac Lacerta Lacertae Today you can find almost everything online, but for an initial introduction, I recommend starting here.
Working together ennobles. And finally - Constellations from "Viki"- I recommend!
For the more advanced: One of the most useful star catalogs for beginners in studying stars, their names and constellations is the "Bright Star Catalog", containing the most complete information about 9110 stars visible to the naked eye (up to 6.5 magnitude). I advise you to use one of the web pages, to immediately gain access to information about the brightest stars by constellation Well... the fact that I linked for a long time... Constellations and their stars- This site contains pages for all 88 constellations, which contain the names of bright stars and links to objects in the Messier catalog. Constellations- a good site from the American Association of Astronomy Amateurs. By the way, you can get acquainted with the activities of the association itself... Do you need star maps? Especially for you, I have prepared one of the options moving star map. These are pdf files that you can print on a good laser printer and use when planning your own observations and solving a number of practical problems. Here you can take it