Star constellations are groups or clusters of stars with peculiar arrangements that suggest to professional and amateur viewers ways of identifying, for guidelines, or how to more efficiently maneuver their star gazing jaunts. In all, according to The International Astronomical Union, there are eighty-eight constellations in both the northern and the southern skies.
Some groups of stars need no special equipment and can be viewed by the naked eye, although for further detailing, telescopes and other star-gazing equipment are necessary. These easily recognizable star groups usually carry Latin names, from the Roman Empire days, but some, those discovered in modern times, likewise have more modern names. Telescopious, for example, could just as easily been Hubble, or maybe there is one such named, or will be. Yet, even the Egyptian hieroglyphics and Babylonian do figure into the naming, as do Greek.
Scorpios, as an example, was named for a scorpion, but the early Egyptians thought of this constellation as the lion king, symbolically referred to as lp. Greek names such as Orion for the great bear, has been seen as this shape since the Babylonians in 3000 B.C. made reference to the stalking animal shape.
It is easy to get confused, and even lost, when looking upward at a dark and star studded sky, and indeed, since star-gazing has become such a popular hobby, this has happened. Much overlapping has down through time when constellations have been regrouped by various newcomers and in order to avoid this, in 1930, IAU set a standard group of eighty-eight. This has cut through much of the confusion.
Origins of the first constellations date back to antiquity, and it is probable that some of the cave paintings, Lascaux, France, 17,300 years ago, for one such find, were inspired by the stars from the Taurus constellation. In particular, the Pleiades star cluster is most likely represented there as well as star clusters of the Hyades. In Greek Mythology, Pleiades, the Seven sisters were Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygeta, Celaeno, and Alcyone, daughters of Atlas. Hyades is relatively nearby, in the sky – and on the cave wall. This second is group, according to Greek Mythology, were four half sisters of the Pleiades sisters.
In astrology there are vast differences between what a genuine astronomer sees as they survey the sky and sizes up constellations, and that of amatueurs and the general public sees. They label the shapes and patterns of the lesser knowledgeable group as asterisms. Common names such as the plough – in Europe, or The Big Dipper in US – don’t fit in with professional lingo. Or the Summer Triangle, with the bright stars, Altair, Deneb, and Vega. And of course, there are vast differences between the equipment being used to replace what the eye alone cannot see!
The Zodiac, the twelve so called constellation that astrologists count on so religiously, don’t mean anything to the professionals. They do figure in these groups but their total adds up to eighty-eight instead of twelve.
What are the most easily seen animal named constellations? Alphabetically, Aquila, Canis Major, Capricornus, Cygnus, Leo, Pegasus, Scorpios, Taurus, Ursa Major. In other words, an eagle, a dog, a goat, a swan, a lion, a horse, a scorpion, a bull, and a bear.
Source:
http://stardate.org/nightsky/constellations
http://www.iau.org/
