Constellations


This is a picture of what ancient people thought the constellation Leo looked like.
Click on image for full size (630k)
Image: (c)1995 Visual Language, All Rights Reserved
Constellations are pictures made up of bright stars which appear close to each other on the sky. Like a game of connect the dots, if you use your imagination when you look at the stars, you may see a dog or a cat or some other interesting figure.

People long ago, like the ancient Greeks, did the same thing, although they saw the stars as pictures of gods and goddesses or of stories from their culture.

Many peoples noticed that the planets, the moon, and comets moved through the sky in a different way than the stars.

The motion of the Earth and the motion of the Sun in our sky affect the stars and the constellations that we see in spring, summer, fall, and winter. Some constellations never rise or set, and they are called circumpolar. All the other constellations can only be seen during certain seasons.

Northern Hemisphere constellations
Southern Hemisphere constellations
Sky maps
Myths about the constellations

Constellations


This is a picture of what ancient people thought the constellation Leo looked like
Click on image for full size (630k)
Image: (c)1995 Visual Language, All Rights Reserved
Constellations are formed of bright stars which appear close to each other on the sky, but are really far apart in space. The shapes you see all depend on your point of view. Many societies saw patterns among the stars with gods and goddesses or stories from their culture.

Most of the constellations with which we are familiar come from ancient Greece. But other civilizations created their own patterns in the sky based on stories and people that were important to them.

Many peoples noticed that the planets, the moon, and comets moved through the sky in a different way than the stars.

Because of the rotation of the Earth and its orbit around the Sun, we divide the constellations into two groups. Some constellations never rise nor set, and they are called circumpolar. All the rest are divided into seasonal constellations. Which constellations will be circumpolar and which seasonal depends on your latitude.

Northern Hemisphere constellations
Southern Hemisphere constellations
Sky maps
Myths about the constellations

Constellations


This is a picture of what ancient people thought the constellation Leo looked like
Click on image for full size (630k)
Image: (c)1995 Visual Language, All Rights Reserved
Many cultures have seen distinctive patterns, called constellations, formed by the stars in the heavens. Constellations are usually comprised of bright stars which appear close to each other on the sky, but are not necessarily close to each other in space. The positions of the stars relative to each other in the sky depends on your point of view. Many societies associated patterns among the stars with gods and goddesses or stories from their culture.

Most of the constellations visible from the northern hemisphere which are "officially" recognized are of ancient Greek derivation. But other civilizations created their own patterns in the sky based on stories and people that were important to them.It is important to recognize the cultural bias introduced in our vision of the sky by the selection of these constellations.

Many peoples also noticed that the planets, the moon, and comets moved through the sky in a different way than the stars. They noticed that, over time, these objects appeared to move with respect to the constellations.

Because of the rotation of the Earth and its orbit around the Sun, it is convenient to divide the constellations into two groups. Some constellations never rise nor set, and they are called circumpolar. All the rest are divided into seasonal constellations. Which constellations will be circumpolar and which seasonal depends on your latitude.

Northern Hemisphere constellations
Southern Hemisphere constellations
Sky maps
Myths about the constellations


Last modified prior to September, 2000 by the Windows Team

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