Constellations

The constellation known as the Scales is Libra. It is depicted as a set of weighing scales, representing balance and justice in astrology. Libra is the seventh zodiac sign and is associated with people born between September 23 and October 22.

Aldebaran is a Red Giant located in the constellation of Taurus. It has traditionally been called the Bulls Eye because of it's location near the head of Taurus. It is one of the brightest stars in the night time sky.

It's a variable star and it's magnitude varies from 0.85 to 13.5.

It is a K class star meaning that is has passed main sequence and is rapidly becoming a massive Red Giant. It is currently 44 times larger than our own sun. [See link for pictorial representation]

Aldebaran is approximately 65 light years from Earth.

If you can wait, NASA's Pioneer 10 spacecraft, will reach and pass by Aldebaran in about two million years (If it is still there!!).

See link for more information.

A constellation is a group of stars that form a recognizable pattern in the sky, while a star is a celestial object that generates its own light and heat through nuclear fusion. Stars are individual bodies that can be part of a constellation or exist on their own.

Any constellation is a group of stars that appear to form some kind of pattern,

but have no connection with each other. They all happen to be in roughly the

same direction from us, but they're all at different distances. So there's no

such thing as a constellation's distance from us.

Note that the Earth's distance from the sun is about 0.00000038 of the distance

from the sun to the next nearest star.

1. Scorpius is one of the oldest recognized constellations, dating back to ancient times.
2. It contains the bright red star, Antares, which is one of the largest known stars in the Milky Way.
3. The constellation is named after the Latin word for scorpion.
4. Scorpius is located in the southern celestial hemisphere and is visible from both hemispheres at different times of the year.
5. It is home to several deep-sky objects, including the Butterfly Cluster and the Cat's Paw Nebula.
6. Scorpius is best seen in the summer months from the Northern Hemisphere.
7. The constellation has several mythological associations, including being the scorpion that stung Orion in Greek mythology.
8. Scorpius is part of the zodiac and is associated with the astrological sign of Scorpio.
9. In Australian Aboriginal astronomy, Scorpius is known as the "Great Fish Hook" in the sky.
10. The constellation is rich in stars, with many bright and easily recognizable features that make it a popular target for stargazing.

The Chaldeans first gave the name Cancer to this group of stars which they claimed represented a crab. They felt that a crab, which walks backwards, typifies the sun's motion when it is in this area of the zodiac. During this time. We refer to the 23.5 N latitude as the Tropic of Cancer as it marks the northernmost point at which the sun is directly overhead at noon. The Greeks refer to Cancer as being the crab sent by Hera to attack Hercules while he was battling the nine-headed monster Hydra. The little crab bit Hercules' toes and was crushed in the end. In honor of its bravery, Hera placed it in the sky. M44, the Beehive cluster in the center of Cancer has an interesting history in weather forecasting. Pliny the Elder wrote that "if Praesepe is not visible in a clear sky, it foretells the coming of a violent storm." This simply meant that a turbulent atmosphere makes seeing dim objects more difficult, and such an atmosphere often precedes a storm.

The planet Mercury is located int he constellation Taurus, which is also known as the Bull. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.

Constellations are formed from the fixed stars. Saturn is a planet, not a fixed star - the word planet means wanderer. However, the planets travel through the constellations of the zodiac. Saturn is currently in the constellation Leo the Lion and will be for another year or so, until it moves into Virgo, the Harvest Maiden and will remain there for many years, since 1) Saturn moves so slowly and 2) Virgo is such a large constellation.

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It should be remembered that the constellations are merely concocted images useful as "sky-marks" resulting from the chance relative positions of stars as seen from Earth. When we say a planet in our Solar System is "in" or "passing through" any particular constellation, it is simply moving across the line of sight. Physically, it is no-where near the constellation's own stars.

The primary star in a constellation is called the "Alpha" star - it's almost always the brightest one in the constellation. "Beta" is the second brightest, and it follows the Greek Alphabet as the stars get dimmer... Polaris is the North Star located in the constellation Ursa Minor - the Little Bear.

The prominent stars in constellations are called "bright stars" or "primary stars." These stars are typically the most visible and easily recognizable in their respective constellations. Some examples include Sirius in Canis Major, Aldebaran in Taurus, and Vega in Lyra.

88 official constellations - but there are also some asterisms up there too. Asterisms are patterns of stars that aren't official constellations like, The Big Dipper, Orion's Belt, The Summer Triangle, etc.

In the beginning farmers invented constellations. They found pictures made of stars to remember when they should do things such as plow the fields, plant the crops, and other things.

They later invented stories about how the stars formed into their particular patterns, and these were particularly associated with Greek and Roman mythology.

The Cancer constellation is best seen in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter months. It is located between the constellations of Gemini and Leo. Look for the bright star cluster called the Beehive Cluster within the Cancer constellation to identify it in the night sky.

The brightest star in Scorpius in Antares. It's a reddish star who's name means "rival of Ares" - the God of War. We know Ares better by his Latin name.... Mars.

A constellation is a pattern of stars that resemble an object, animal or person and is recognized by the IAU as one of the 88 official constellations.

True. As the Earth orbits around the Sun, different constellations become visible in the night sky depending on the time of year. Each season offers a unique view of the sky as different constellations rise and set at different times.

yes, they do. The planets wander through the constellations of the zodiac, as do the moon and sun. They all travel on a very narrow path of sky called the Ecliptic - and the constellations along the ecliptic are the constellations of the zodiac. Zodiac is a Greek word that means "ring of animals".

No - the IAU does not recognize Nike, the greek Goddess of Victory as a constellation.

The brightest stars in the Cancer constellation are Al Tarf (Beta Cancri) and Acubens (Alpha Cancri). These two stars are the most prominent in the constellation and can be easily spotted in the night sky.

There are about 43 stars in the Delphinus constellation. The brightest star in Delphinus is called Sualocin.

Constellations are patterns of stars that have been identified and named by different cultures throughout history. They are not physically connected in space, but rather appear close to each other from our perspective on Earth. People have created stories and myths based on these patterns, leading to the development of constellations as we know them today.

I should imagine that NO planet is actually seen in any constellation, certainly not with the naked eye and even the most powerful earth and orbital telescopes can't see planets outside our own solar system. The constellation you refer, Big Dipper, aka Ursa Major or "The Great Bear." In the United Kingdom the constellation is referred to as "The Plough" because of it's resemblance to an old fashioned farming tool. The list of constellation star name, distances and magnitude (apparent brightness as measured by an earth observer) Name Apparent Magnitude Distance (L Yrs) Dubhe 1.8 124 Alkaid 1.9 101 Merak 2.4 79 Phecda 2.4 84 Megrez 3.3 81 Alioth 1.8 81 Mizar 2.1 78

Orion is not a physical object, but a constellation in the night sky that was named after Orion, a hunter in Greek mythology. The stars that form the pattern we see as "Orion" are located at different distances from Earth and have no physical connection to each other. The constellation appears the way it does due to our perspective from Earth.

The ancient Greeks cataloged the constellation Pegasus. It is named after the winged horse from Greek mythology that was born from the blood of the gorgon Medusa. The constellation can be seen in the northern hemisphere during the autumn months.