Name different types of constelllations and their formation.
Answers
Aquarius:one of the biggest, most famous, and oldest named constellations, Aquarius is faint and often hard to find/see. In Greek mythology, Aquarius represented Ganymede, a very handsome young man. Zeus recognized the lad’s good looks, and invited Ganymede to Mt. Olympus to be the cupbearer of the gods. For his service he was granted eternal youth, as well as a place in the night sky.
Despite its prominent position and large size, you can see that Aquarius doesn’t really have defining features, nor does it contain any bright stars. The protruding line to the right is Aquarius’s right arm, with the large downward shape being a combination of the water flowing down out of the vase and his right leg. While not the entire constellation, what’s drawn above is what you’re most likely to see in the night sky. You won’t see this one in the city; you’ll need a dark sky to find the cupbearer.
2.Aquila: It was the eagle that in Greek mythology actually bore Ganymede (Aquarius) up to Mt. Olympus. The eagle was also the thunderbolt carrier for Zeus.
This constellation lies in the Milky Way band, and its most prominent star is Altair, which is actually one of the closest naked eye stars to the earth. The top portion of Aquila forms a shallow inverted “V,” with Altair nearly the point. This represents the head and wings of the eagle. A line then descends from Altair, which forms the body of the eagle.
Look towards the southern sky in the late summer, near the Milky Way band, for Aquila.
4. Orion: it is one of the largest and most recognizable of the constellations. It is viewable around the world, and has been mentioned by Homer, Virgil, and even the Bible, making it perhaps the most famous constellation.
Orion was a massive, supernaturally gifted hunter who was the son of Poseidon. It was said he regularly hunted with Artemis (Goddess of the Hunt) on the island of Crete, and that he was killed either by her bow, or by the sting of the great scorpion who later became the constellation Scorpius.
Orion’s belt of three stars is the easiest asterism to find, with Rigel (bottom right) and Betelgeuse (top left) being the brightest two individual stars. The two other corners form a rough quadrangle, with his head and bow also sometimes visible. Orion is also unique in that you can use him to find a variety of other constellations in the winter sky.
5. Ursa Major: The Big Dipper is popularly thought of as a constellation itself, but is in fact an asterism within the constellation of Ursa Major. It is said to be the most universally recognized star pattern, partially because it’s always visible in the northern hemisphere. It has great significance in the mythologies of multiple cultures around the world.
The Greek myth of Ursa Major also tells the story of Ursa Minor (below). Zeus was smitten for a young nymph named Callisto. Hera, Zeus’s wife, was jealous, and transformed Callisto into a bear. While in animal form, Callisto encountered her son Arcas. Being the man that he was, he was inclined to shoot the bear, but Zeus wouldn’t let that happen, and so turned Arcas into a bear as well, and placed mother (Ursa Major) and son (Ursa Minor) permanently in the night sky.
The seven stars of the Big Dipper are easily recognized and almost always visible. They form part of the backside and tail of the large bear. While the rest of the bear definitely takes the shape of its namesake, it’s not often visible in light polluted areas. The Big Dipper is more than just a pretty shape; the outer edge of its “bowl” will always lead you to the North Star, aiding in navigation for centuries past. Simply make a line with the two stars of the Big Dipper’s outer edge, extend that line up into the sky, and at about five times the distance between the two stars you started with, you’ll find the North Star.
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Recognisable shape formed by group of stars are called Constellations. These were named by the ancient people relating to animals or human beings . All constellations revolve round the pole star, which remains fixed in the north. All stars in a constellation stay together.
As you know Earth rotates on its own axis from west to east. It appears that constellations are moving in the sky from east to west . we can easily identify some constellations with naked eye.
as you know our ancestors named these constellations after familiar objects which they seemed to resemble . Some important constellations are :
★ Ursa Major ( Saptarshi ) :
Ursa major constellations consists of seven bright stars, These seven stars are arranged in the form of a dipper. Ursa major is also called “Great bear” . Ursa major can be clearly seen in the month of April.
★ Ursa Minor ( Laghu saptarshi ):
This Constellations is also known as little Bear. Stars in this constellations are similar to Ursa major. The stars are arranged very close to each other, hence the size of constellation is smaller than Ursa major. Constellation can be seen in the month of July.
★ Orion ( Kalpurush ) :
It is a large and brilliant constellation and is visible in both the hemispheres in winter. It contains seven very bright stars.
★ Scorpion :
It is a large constellation of the southern hemisphere containing star clusters that resembles a scorpion with tail. This constellation is seen during summer. Some of important constellations are Cancer, chitra, leo, Pisces, Ashwani.
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