Constellation Summary
Constellation Name:BIG DIPPER (actually an asterism…well recognized group of stars that’s NOT an official constellation.)
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:Circumpolar
(visible year round)
Symbolizes:a part of the Great Bear
(looks like a ladle or a saddle on the bear’s back)
Interesting Facts:
2 stars at the end of the bowl of the Big Dipper are known as the “Pointers” because they point to Polaris.
Mizar and Alcor (top star in the bend of the handle) are known as the Horse and Rider...before eye charts these stars served as the eye test....if you could see Alcor then you had good vision.
Mizar is a binary star (meaning there are 2 stars revolving around eachother)
Constellation Name:Ursa Major
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:February - June
Symbolizes:The Great Bear
Interesting Facts:
Best known part is the Big Dipper (appears like a saddle on the bear’s back)
most dominant in the far northern sky. (Greek word for bear is Arktos.....Arctic.
Myth: Zeus was in the habit of seducing young maidens, and eventually seduced Callisto. When Artemis discovered that Callisto was pregnant, she took her revenge. She changed Callisto into a bear and planned to hunt her down and kill her. Zeus pitied Callisto and sent her into the heavens, keeping her in the form of the bear.
Constellation Name:Ursa Minor (LITTLE DIPPER)
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:Circumpolar
(visible year round)
Symbolizes:The Little Bear (looks more like a little dipper)
Interesting Facts:
contains Polaris at the end of the handle.
2 stars at the end of the bowl are called the “Guardians” because they appear to march around guarding the pole.
Myth: represents Callistos son, Arcas, who would grow up to be the inherited founder of the Arcadians before he joined his mother in the heavens.
Constellation Name:Draco
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:Late May - Early November
Symbolizes:The Dragon
Interesting Facts:
Contains the star Thuban - which is among several former and future Pole stars.
Constellation Name:Leo
1st Magnitude Stars:Regulus (front foot)
Best Time for Viewing:February - June
Symbolizes:The Lion
Interesting Facts:
Zodiac constellation
Regulus is almost exactly on the ecliptic.
Front paws often referred to as the sickle (they look like one.)
Myth: Leo’s skin was impervious to iron, bronze and stone. Hercules’ arrows harmlessly bounced off the lion, his sword bent in 2 and his wooden club smashed to pieces. So Hercules wrestled the beast and finally choked it to death. He then wrapped the pelt around himself and protected him in his other battles. Leo is in the sky to celebrate the glorious battle.
*** Ursa Major, Leo, Draco, & Ursa Minor are sometimes referred to as “Carnivore Corner”. It is best scene from early spring to late summer.
Remember...Bears hibernate in the winter and the carnivores in the sky follow. Hard to find them in the winter and fall skies.
Constellation Name:Cassiopeia
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:August - January
Symbolizes:Either the Queen or her chair.
Interesting Facts:
*** SEE MYTH BELOW***
Constellation Name:Cepheus
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:August - January
Symbolizes:The king’s cap and face
Interesting Facts:
-will eventually contain the pole star....2000, 4000, & 6000 years from now.
*** SEE MYTH BELOW***
Constellation Name:Great Square of Pegasus
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:August - January
Symbolizes:Not its own constellation.... actually an asterism (connects Pegasus and Andromeda)
Interesting Facts:
-helps locate Andromeda and Pegasus
Constellation Name:Andromeda
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:September - January
Symbolizes:The Chained Lady
Interesting Facts:
-contains the Andromeda Nebula/Galaxy (most distant object visible with the naked eye...2.7 million light years away)
*** See Myth Below***
Constellation Name:Pegasus
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:August - October
Symbolizes:The Winged Horse
Interesting Facts:
*** See Myth Below***
Constellation Name:Perseus
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:November - March
Symbolizes:A man (“The Hero”)
Interesting Facts:
-Perseid Meteor Shower occurs here during August.
*** See Myth Below***
Myth: Cassiopeia was an Ethiopian Queen. She and Cepheus (the King) had a daughter, Andromeda. Cassiopeia boasted about her daughter’s beauty and angered the Sea god Poseidon. He sent a great Whale to destroy the country. To appease Poseidon, Cepheus chained Andromeda to a rock to be eaten by the Whale. Perseus (the hero) killed the Whale, freed Andromeda, married her and they left on his winged horse Pegasus.
- When Cassiopeia is high in the sky....all these constellations are also visible.
Constellation Name:Bootes
1st Magnitude Stars:Arcturus(orange....4th
brightest star in the sky.)
Best Time for Viewing:April - August
Symbolizes:The Herdsman
Interesting Facts:
-among the oldest recorded constellations.
-Arcturus is one of the fastest moving stars.
* Arcturus opened the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair by shining on a photovoltaic cell.
Constellation Name:Corona Borealis
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:April - August
Symbolizes:The Northern Crown
Interesting Facts:
-looks like a tiara
--2nd magnitude Gemma serves as the “crown jewel”.
Constellation Name:Lyra
1st Magnitude Stars:Vega (bluish-white...5th brightest
star in the sky.)
Best Time for Viewing:May - November
Symbolizes:The Lyre (“The Harp”)
Interesting Facts:
-Vega will be the pole star in 12,500 years.
-Vega was the 1st star ever photographed.
-Vega can be seen any night of the year.
Myth: The constellation is said to represent the lyre of Orpheus, which was thrown into the river and was beached near the temple of Apollo. Apollo convinced Zeus to make it a constellation.
Constellation Name:Cygnus
1st Magnitude Stars:Deneb(white)
Best Time for Viewing:June - November
Symbolizes:The Swan
Interesting Facts:
-Contains the asterism known as the Northern Cross.
-flying towards Aquila straight down the center of the Milky Way.
Constellation Name:Aquila
1st Magnitude Stars:Altair (yellowish-white)
Best Time for Viewing:July - October
Symbolizes:The Eagle
Interesting Facts:
-Altair, Deneb in Cygnus, and Vega in the Lyre form a huge right triangle which is used by all navigators. Called the Summer Triangle
-the eagle is flying toward the swan straight down the Milky Way...they seem to meet head on.
Constellation Name:Hercules
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:May - October
Symbolizes:Man swinging a club
Interesting Facts:
-in the top of his head is located the Great Cluster of Hercules...looks like small stars, but it is actually thousands of stars 35,000 light years away.
Constellation Name:Auriga
1st Magnitude Stars:Capella (yellow)
Best Time for Viewing:October - April
Symbolizes:The Charioteer
Interesting Facts:
-named for the mythical inventor of the chariot.
-represents a face under a pointed cap.
Constellation Name:Orion
1st Magnitude Stars:Betelguese (reddish)...left shoulder
Rigel (bluish)...right foot
Best Time for Viewing:December - March
Symbolizes:The Hunter
Interesting Facts:
-no other constellation features so many bright stars.
-sword contains the Great Orion Nebula
***SEE MYTH BELOW***
Constellation Name:Canis Major
1st Magnitude Stars:Sirius (Dog Star)
Best Time for Viewing:January - March
Symbolizes:The Big Dog
Interesting Facts:
-represents Orion’s faithful hunting companion
***SEE MYTH BELOW***
Constellation Name:Ophiuchus
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:July & August
Symbolizes:The Serpent Holder
Interesting Facts:
-represents a voodoo doctor (Asklepios) holding a snake torn in 2 pieces.
-The Serpent Holder reaches into the zodiac...and now if finally considered part of the zodiac constellations.
-the Serpent Holder is the only constellation which represents a historical person.....Asklepios, is the Greek god of medicine and can be traced back the Egyptian Imhotep.
***SEE MYTH BELOW***
The Myth of Orion: Orion, the hunter, was killed by a scorpion. Asklepios...represented by the Serpent Holder...the Greek god of medicine... (a mortal physician who had never lost a patient to death) was asked to revive him. This alarmed Hades (god of Death) because he feared unemployment. So he asked his brother Zeus to get rid of Asklepios with a thunderbolt. He did, but in recognition of his good deeds Zeus put him into the sky as a constellation with the Scorpion at his feet, but far away from Orion....so as to avoid future trouble. Orion and the Scorpion will never meet again...they are on opposite sides of the sky.
Constellation Name:Sagittarius
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:July & August
Symbolizes:The Archer
Interesting Facts:
-Aquila’s tail points to the Archer.
-The 4 stars which form the main body of the Archer are also known as the “Milk Dipper” because it is close to the Milky Way and is about 1/4 the size of the Big Dipper’s bowl.
-The Archer’s bow points toward the Scorpion.... apparently with the intent to kill it. Perhaps to avenge Orion’s death.
-The Archer is partly in the Milky Way and partly in the zodiac.
Constellation Name:Gemini
1st Magnitude Stars:Pollux (yellow)
Castor (white) (actually 2nd Magnitude)
Best Time for Viewing:December - May
Symbolizes:The Twins
Interesting Facts:
-zodiac constellation
-2 of the 9 planets were discovered while they were in the constellation Gemini.
* Uranus (1871)
* Pluto (1930)
Myth: The twins spent much of their time raiding cattle and abducting young women. During one cattle raid, a cousin, Idas, became enraged at because Castor and killed him. Zeus killed Idas. Since Pollux was the son of Zeus, he was immortal. He mourned the death of his brother and wanted to follow him to Hades. Zeus placed the 2 brothers together in the heavens.
Constellation Name:Taurus
1st Magnitude Stars:Aldebaron (orange)
Best Time for Viewing:October - March
Symbolizes:The Bull
Interesting Facts:
-Contains the Pleiades (small star group...sometimes called the 7 sisters)
-the bull supposedly represents Zeus in disguise...he is swimming through Hellespont to fetch his girl friend Europa.
-zodiac constellation
Constellation Name:Aries
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:October - February
Symbolizes:The Ram
Interesting Facts:
-zodiac constellation
Myth: Aries is said to represent the golden fleece.
Constellation Name:Virgo
1st Magnitude Stars:Spica (bluish)
Best Time for Viewing:April - June
Symbolizes:The Virgin
Interesting Facts:
-zodiac constellation
Constellation Name:Libra
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:June & July
Symbolizes:The Scales
Interesting Facts:
-zodiac constellation
-contains the only green naked eye star
Constellation Name:Aquarius
1st Magnitude Stars:None
Best Time for Viewing:August - October
Symbolizes:The Water Carrier
Interesting Facts:
-zodiac constellation
-the “water” from his can is flowing down to the southern fish below.
Constellation Name:Centaurus
1st Magnitude Stars:Alpha Centauri (yellowish-orange)
Beta Centauri (blueish)
Best Time for Viewing:Not Visible in Northern Sky
Symbolizes:The Centaur
(half horse half man)
Interesting Facts:
-Constellation of the Southern Hemisphere.
-The centaur is said to represent Chiron, the teacher of Jason of the Argonaut fame.
-The 2 1st magnitude stars mark the forefeet.
- Alpha Centauri is the brighter of the 2. Only 4.3 light years from our solar system.
- Alpha Centauri is actually a binary star (two stars revolving around eachother, the larger of which is the same size as the sun but slightly brighter)
- Beta Centauri is 190 light years away and 1500
times brighter than the Sun, but appears to be
dimmer because it is so much farther away!
Constellation Name:Crux
1st Magnitude Stars:Acrux
Becrux
Best Time for Viewing:Not Visible in Northern Sky
Symbolizes:The Southern Cross
Interesting Facts:
-its long bar points almost exactly toward the south celestial pole, which unfortunately has no star above it.
-beware the false cross... which is less bright and doesn’t point south!
-Acrux is a binary star which can be seen even in a small telescope.
-looks more like a kite than a cross.