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Constellations
Constellations have fascinated astronomers for centuries. They are arbitrary formations of stars perceived as a figure or design, especially one of 88 recognized groups named after characters from classical mythology and various common animals and objects. Questions about the various constellations of stars are what this category is all about.
3,677 Questions
Largest constellations of the celestial sphere?
The largest constellations of the celestial sphere are Hydra and Ursa Major. Hydra is the largest constellation overall, spanning over 1,300 square degrees of the sky. Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, is the largest northern constellation and contains the well-known Big Dipper asterism.
What language produced the names of most of your constellations?
Greek to Latin are the 88 Astronomical Union's constellation names, however, most stars have Arabic names due to Classical names being lost after the fall of the Roman empire. The brightest stars have the names that they always had however, Vega, Sirius, etc, but Aldebaran, Hamal are Arabic. Star names such as Alpha Centauri, Gamma Cassopeia are Greek, Bayer names.
When Ogg was in his cave without Mrs Ogg, a sudden urge came to him as he observed the celestial constellation of Virgo - the virgin. It was just too much, and as he wondered what had just happened, he realised that he had discovered sperm.
Amazing how discoveries are so simple.
Which constellation is represented as an eagle which served as the messenger bird for the god Zeus?
aquila
What constellation represents The Eagle?
Aquila. It is just to the north of Capricorn and Sagittarius.
How many stars does the constellation Capricorn has?
The constellation of Capricorn contains 13 primary stars, including:
- Deneb Algedi - δ Capricorni (Delta Capricorni)
- Dabih - β Capricorni (Beta Capricorni)
- Algiedi - α Capricorni (Alpha Capricorni)
- Nashira - γ Capricorni (Gamma Capricorni)
- Yen - ζ Capricorni (Zeta Capricorni)
- Dorsum - θ Capricorni (Theta Capricorni)
- Baten Algiedi - ω Capricorni (Omega Capricorni)
- ψ Capricorni (Psi Capricorni)
What is the myth behind the Libra constellation?
The legend for the Gemini (pronounced: jem-in-i) constellation is this:
There were twins named Castor and Pollux. They were only half brothers because they had the same mother but different fathers. They had a sister named Helen. They went to fight in the Trojan war so that Helen could return to her husband. In battle, Castor died. Pollux was devestated. He asked his father Zeus (Jupiter) if he could share his immorality with Castor. Zeus agreed and the brothers were reunited as the Gemini constellation.
Does the big dipper point to the north star?
The right hand edge of the pot in the big dipper (ursa major) points to Polaris, the north star. Follow the stars from the lower right to the upper right corners of the pot, and you will find the north star. The north star is also the end of the handle of the little dipper (ursa minor).
In the northern hemisphere, the north star never moves in the night sky, no matter what time of night, all the other stars move from east to west over the course of the evening. The north star is due north of the north pole.
The number of degrees the north star is above the horizon will always indicate the lattitude of the observer. For instance, Boston is at around 42 deg N lattitude, the north star is around 42 deg above the horizon when looking north.
The pointer stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper point toward?
The Big Dipper is one of the most recognizable groups of stars in the sky. The pointer stars in the bowl of the dipper point toward the North Star.
Where is the little dipper in the sky?
The little dipper is in our Milky Way Galaxy, actually not all that far from us. It is above the big dipper, so that it appears to be pouring into the big dipper. If you can see the north star, that is the tail (or end of the handle) of the little dipper. The middle stars of the little dipper are somewhat faint, but the two outside stars of the top and bottom of the little dipper pan are about as bright as the north star.
How many stars make up the big dipper?
The Big Dipper is made up of seven stars. It is also called "Plough" or "Ursa Major." Besides the seven visible stars, there are said to be two "attendant" stars which are invisible.
Viewed left to right, the stars are named:
- Alkaid
- Mizar
- Alioth
- Megrez
- Phecda
- Merak
- Dubhe
What are the names of stars in our galaxy?
It has been estimated that there are over a hundred billion galaxies. Not all of them have been named.
The most famous galaxies are:
Milky Way Galaxy: The galaxy where our Solar System resides.
Andromeda Galaxy: Our nearest large galaxy.
Large Magellanic Cloud: Brightest patch of nebulosity in the sky.
Canis Major Dwarf: Our nearest galaxy at 0.025 Mly
Others are named for their shape.
Cigar galaxy.
Comet galaxy.
Cartwheel galaxy.
Whirlpool galaxy.
See link for more information.
How cold and or hot is the big dipper?
The Big Dipper consists of several stars. Stars are the hottest thing there is.
What is constellation name two constellation?
Hi Yall. The Answer To This Is Leo And Roan. My Name Is Becky Ralli
A summer constellation a half man and half scorpion?
The half man half scorpion you are referring to is orion the hunter
How old are most of the stars in the Big Dipper?
Most of the stars in the Big Dipper, which is part of the Ursa Major constellation, are relatively young compared to other stars in the Milky Way. The primary stars of the Big Dipper are estimated to be around 100 million years old. However, some, like Dubhe and Merak, are older, estimated at around 300 million to 1 billion years. Overall, while there is some age variation, many of the stars are still considered youthful in the cosmic timescale.
