Constellations of the Southern Hemisphere, mythology and reality

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

In 1922, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined all the visible constellations located in the celestial sphere. All star clusters were systematized, a catalog of the Northern and Southern hemispheres of the starry sky was created. In total, there are currently 88 constellations, and only 47 of them are the most ancient, the existence of which is determined by time periods of several millennia. A separate list marks 12 zodiac constellations through which the Sun passes during the year.

Practically all the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere, as well as asterisms, have their own names, the source of which is the mythology of Ancient Greece. For example, the myth of how the goddess of hunting Artemis killed the young Orion and, in a fit of repentance, placed him among the stars. This is how the constellation Orion was born. And the constellation Canis Major, located at the feet of Orion, is nothing more than a hunting dog that followed its master into the sky. The location of the stars in each constellation forms an approximately conditional contour of the mythologicalbeings, Taurus or Scorpio, Virgo or Centaur.

The Southern Hemisphere Star Chart contains many of the known constellations. Among them are the so-called useful asterisms. Similar to the Big Dipper, located in the Northern Hemisphere and pointing to the North Star, in the Southern there is the constellation of the Southern Cross, with which you can trace the direction to the pole of the south. Both constellations of the Southern Hemisphere are of great importance for nautical orientation, when the captain of the ship at night has to plot a course. The stars provide essential assistance in navigation and guide ocean-going ships on the right path.

Stars are bright and faint. The degree of illumination depends on several factors. The constellations of the Southern Hemisphere include stars of both intense and subdued glow. The brightest star in the night sky is Sirius, which is part of the constellation Canis Major. Its age is about 235 million years, and Sirius is twice as massive as the Sun. The star has always been an idol in the night sky for people, they worshiped it, made sacrifices and expected auspiciousness, a good harvest and help in worldly affairs from Sirius. Many other stars of the Southern Hemisphere were marked with a halo of a deity, people believed in the miraculous abilities of night luminaries. And some constellations are even described in church books.

Zodiac constellation of the southern hemisphere of the sky, the constellation of Taurus, located between Aries andGemini. Taurus includes a bright star - Aldebaran, but the location of two star clusters in it - Pleiades and Hyades - is especially noteworthy. The Pleiades is made up of over 500 stars, while the Hyades has 130. Taurus is one of the constellations rich in astrophysical processes throughout its history. In the 11th century AD. the constellation of Taurus was shaken by a supernova explosion, resulting in the formation of the so-called Crab Nebula with a pulsar, which is a source of powerful X-ray radiation and sends radio magnetic pulses. Many constellations in the Southern Hemisphere have the potential for stellar transformations. As a result, cosmic upheavals are inevitable.

Another constellation in the Southern Hemisphere - Pisces, located between Aries and Aquarius. Pisces are notable for the fact that the vernal equinox passes through them. The constellation includes two large asterisms, the Northern Pisces, consisting of three stars, and the Crown of seven stars. The constellation Pisces also contains a story from ancient Greek mythology. When the mythical monster Typhon drove the frightened gods from Olympus to Egypt, Aphrodite, fleeing from horror, turned into a fish, and then turned into a fish and her son, Eros.