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Greeks.
88 modern constellations - a list of the current constellations. Former constellations - a list of former constellations. Chinese constellations List of Nakshatras - sectors along the moon's ecliptic Asterism (astronomy)
Since ancient Greece maybe, the ancient Greeks named the 88 constellations. Edit: It was probably the Babylonians who really started naming groups of stars. The modern system of 88 constellations was only finalised in the last century. Obviously the Babylonians, Greeks, etc., couldn't even see the stars that can be seen only from the Southern Hemisphere.
Constellations were used a very long time ago- before modern technology such as compasses- to navigate. People out at sea mostly would have understanding of the order and positions of stars to navigate at night. The constellations make these easier to remember. Also, some religions and groups of people thought that constellations were created by gods in their image or were the gods themselves.
Crux is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations
Greeks.
88 modern constellations - a list of the current constellations. Former constellations - a list of former constellations. Chinese constellations List of Nakshatras - sectors along the moon's ecliptic Asterism (astronomy)
Quite simply, this is the way constellations are defined. Constellations are arbitrary groupings of stars; somebody considered that a certain group of stars looks like a bear, and called it "big bear". This is one of the 88 official constellations recognized by modern Astronomy; you can look for other images in the stars, i.e., groups of stars. Those groups might be part of a constellation, or they may span more than one constellation. The Big Dipper happens to be part of a larger "official" constellation: the Big Bear (Ursa Major).Quite simply, this is the way constellations are defined. Constellations are arbitrary groupings of stars; somebody considered that a certain group of stars looks like a bear, and called it "big bear". This is one of the 88 official constellations recognized by modern Astronomy; you can look for other images in the stars, i.e., groups of stars. Those groups might be part of a constellation, or they may span more than one constellation. The Big Dipper happens to be part of a larger "official" constellation: the Big Bear (Ursa Major).Quite simply, this is the way constellations are defined. Constellations are arbitrary groupings of stars; somebody considered that a certain group of stars looks like a bear, and called it "big bear". This is one of the 88 official constellations recognized by modern Astronomy; you can look for other images in the stars, i.e., groups of stars. Those groups might be part of a constellation, or they may span more than one constellation. The Big Dipper happens to be part of a larger "official" constellation: the Big Bear (Ursa Major).Quite simply, this is the way constellations are defined. Constellations are arbitrary groupings of stars; somebody considered that a certain group of stars looks like a bear, and called it "big bear". This is one of the 88 official constellations recognized by modern Astronomy; you can look for other images in the stars, i.e., groups of stars. Those groups might be part of a constellation, or they may span more than one constellation. The Big Dipper happens to be part of a larger "official" constellation: the Big Bear (Ursa Major).
Constellations were used a very long time ago- before modern technology such as compasses- to navigate. People out at sea mostly would have understanding of the order and positions of stars to navigate at night. The constellations make these easier to remember. Also, some religions and groups of people thought that constellations were created by gods in their image or were the gods themselves.
Since ancient Greece maybe, the ancient Greeks named the 88 constellations. Edit: It was probably the Babylonians who really started naming groups of stars. The modern system of 88 constellations was only finalised in the last century. Obviously the Babylonians, Greeks, etc., couldn't even see the stars that can be seen only from the Southern Hemisphere.
Hercules is a constellation named after Hercules, the Roman mythological hero adapted from the Greek hero Heracles. Hercules was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolem, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. It is the fifth largest of the modern constellations.
Crux is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations
Constellations are of mainly historical importance, as a record of the way in which the human race used to think about the stars. Modern astronomers do not categorize stars according to constellations, since they have more meaningful criteria. Astrologers, of course, continue to attribute vast mystical significance to constellations.
Modern astronomy divides the sky into 88 constellations.
There are 18 groups in the modern periodic table. The groups are also referred as families.
There are 18 main groups in the modern periodic table of elements.
There are far more than two constellations.The IAU (international Astronomical Union) recognises 88