Constellation: Difference between revisions
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Such figures are arbitrary, so numberous ancient constellations were independently imagined by different cultures, like the Chinese culture or the Indian culture. | Such figures are arbitrary, so numberous ancient constellations were independently imagined by different cultures, like the Chinese culture or the Indian culture. | ||
The 88 modern constellations, which divide the whole night sky, were defined, as well as their boundaries, by the [[IAU]] in 1925. Most of them are ancient constellations in the Western culture, and they are officially named in [[Latin]]. The Latin | The 88 modern constellations, which divide the whole night sky, were defined, as well as their boundaries, by the [[IAU]] in 1925. Most of them are ancient constellations in the Western culture, and they are officially named in [[Latin]]. The Latin declension of a constellation name in the genitive is conventionally used to build the designation of any star of the formation. For example, the fifth-brightest star in the constellation Eridanus is given a name consisting of the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet and the name of the constellation: "epsilon Eridani" (meaning "fifth (star) of Eridanus"). | ||
== History of the Western constellations == | == History of the Western constellations == |
Revision as of 13:41, 15 December 2007
A constellation is a formation of stars that ancient astronomers perceived as figures, like men or animals, so ordering the apparent chaos of the visible night sky.
Such figures are arbitrary, so numberous ancient constellations were independently imagined by different cultures, like the Chinese culture or the Indian culture.
The 88 modern constellations, which divide the whole night sky, were defined, as well as their boundaries, by the IAU in 1925. Most of them are ancient constellations in the Western culture, and they are officially named in Latin. The Latin declension of a constellation name in the genitive is conventionally used to build the designation of any star of the formation. For example, the fifth-brightest star in the constellation Eridanus is given a name consisting of the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet and the name of the constellation: "epsilon Eridani" (meaning "fifth (star) of Eridanus").
History of the Western constellations
Most constellations have their origins in the ancient Greek, Egyptian and Babylonian cultures. They are mentionned in the Book of Job, as in this apostrophe[1]:
- 31 "Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?
- Can you loose the cords of Orion?
- 32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
- or lead out the Bear with its cubs?
In the third century BC Aratos of Soli composed Phainomena, a didactic poem about the mythology of the constellations, which was the basis of the catalog of 48 constellations by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy. At the end of the 16th century the Dutch sailors Pieter Dirckszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman suggested twelve new constellations. In 1603 these were added by Johann Beyer to his important atlas Uranometria. Further constellations were added by the Gdansk astronomer Johann Hevelius and the French astronomer Louis de Lacaille. Lacaille introduced 14 new constellations that were named after scientific instruments and artist's tools.
List of the 88 modern constellations
Latin name | Latin genitive | International abbreviation |
Number of stars[2] |
English name | German name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andromeda | Andromedae | And | 139 | Andromeda | Andromeda |
Antlia | Antliae | Ant | 85 | Pump | Luftpumpe |
Apus | Apodis | Aps | 67 | Swallow | Paradiesvogel |
Aquarius | Aquarii | Aqr | 276 | Cup-bearer | Wassermann |
Aquila | Aquilae | Aql | 146 | Eagle | Adler |
Ara | Arae | Ara | 86 | Altar | Altar |
Aries | Arietis | Ari | 80 | Ram | Widder |
Auriga | Aurigae | Aur | 144 | Charioteer | Fuhrmann |
Bootes | Bootis | Boo | 140 | Herdsman | Bootes, Ochsentreiber |
Caelum | Caeli | Cae | 28 | Sculptor's Chisel | Grabstichel |
Camelopardis | Camelopardalis | Cam | 138 | Giraffe | Giraffe |
Cancer | Cancri | Can | 92 | Crab | Krebs |
Canes Venatici | Canum Venaticorum | CVn | 88 | Hunting Dogs | Jagdhunde |
Canis Maior | Canis Majoris | CMa | 178 | Great Dog | Großer Hund |
Canis Minor | Canis Minoris | CMi | 37 | Little Dog | Kleiner Hund |
Capricornus | Capricorni | Cap | 134 | Horned Goat | Steinbock |
Carina | Carinae | Car | 268 | Keel | Schiffskiel |
Cassiopeia | Cassiopeiae | Cas | 126 | Cassiopeia | Cassiopeia |
Centaurus | Centauri | Cen | 389 | Centaur | Centaur |
Cepheus | Cephei | Cep | 159 | Cepheus | Cepheus |
Cetus | Ceti | Cet | 321 | Whale | Wal |
Chamaeleon | Chamaeleontis | Cha | 50 | Chameleon | Chamaeleon |
Circinus | Circini | Cir | 48 | Compass | Kompass |
Columba | Columbae | Col | 112 | Dove | Taube |
Coma Berenices | Comae | Com | 70 | Berenice's Hair | Haar der Berenike |
Corona Australis | Coronae Australis | CrA | 49 | Southern Crown | Südliche Krone |
Corona Borealis | Coronae Aorealis | CrB | 31 | Northern Crown | Nördliche Krone |
Corvus | Corvi | Crv | 53 | Raven | Rabe |
Crater | Crateris | Crt | 53 | Bowl | Becher |
Crux | Crucis | Cru | 54 | (Southern) Cross | Kreuz |
Cygnus | Cygni | Cyg | 197 | Swan | Schwan |
Delphinus | Delphini | Del | 31 | Dolphin | Delfin |
Dorado | Doradus | Dor | 43 | Dolphin-fish | Schwertfisch |
Draco | Draconis | Dra | 200 | Dragon | Drache |
Equuleus | Equulei | Equ | 16 | Foal | Füllen |
Eridanus | Eridani | Eri | 293 | Eridanus | Eridanus |
Fornax | Fornacis | For | 110 | Furnace | Chemischer Ofen |
Gemini | Geminorum | Gem | 106 | Twins | Zwillinge |
Grus | Gruis | Gru | 106 | Crane | Kranich |
Hercules | Herculis | Her | 227 | Hercules | Hercules |
Horologium | Horologii | Hor | 68 | Clock | Pendeluhr |
Hydra | Hydrae | Hya | 393 | Hydra | Wasserschlange |
Hydrus | Hydri | Hyi | 64 | Snake | Männliche Wasserschlange |
Indus | Indi | Ind | 84 | American Indian | Indianer |
Lacerta | Lacertae | Lac | 48 | Lizard | Eidechse |
Leo | Leonis | Leo | 161 | Lion | Löwe |
Leo Minor | Leonis Minoris | LMi | 40 | Smaller Lion | Kleiner Löwe |
Lepus | Leporis | Lep | 103 | Hare | Hase |
Libra | Librae | Lib | 122 | Balance | Waage |
Lupus | Lupi | Lup | 159 | Wolf | Wolf |
Lynx | Lyncis | Kyn | 87 | Lynx | Luchs |
Lyra | Lyrae | Lyr | 69 | Lyre | Leier |
Mensa | Mensae | Men | 44 | Table | Tafelberg |
Microscopium | Microscopii | Mic | 69 | Microscope | Mikroskop |
Monoceros | Monocerotis | Mon | 165 | Unicorn | Einhorn |
Musca | Muscae | Mus | 75 | Fly | Fliege |
Norma | Normae | Nor | 64 | Square | Winkelmaß |
Octans | Octantis | Oct | 88 | Octant | Oktant |
Ophiuchus | Ophiuchi | Oph | 209 | Ophiuchus | Schlangenträger |
Orion | Orionis | Ori | 186 | Orion | Orion |
Pavo | Pavonis | Pav | 129 | Peacock | Pfau |
Pegasus | Pegasi | Peg | 178 | Pegasus | Pegasus |
Perseus | Persei | Per | 136 | Perseus | Perseus |
Phoenix | Phoenicis | Phe | 139 | Phoenix | Phönix |
Pictor | Pictori | Pic | 67 | Easel | Maler |
Pisces | Piscium | Psc | 128 | Fish (plural) | Fische |
Piscis Austrinus | Piscis Austrini | PsA | 75 | Southern Fish | Südliche Fische |
Puppis | Puppis | Pup | 313 | Poop | Hinterdeck |
Pyxis | Pyxidis | Pyx | 65 | Box | Kompass |
Reticulum | Reticuli | Ret | 34 | Net | Netz |
Sagitta | Sagittarae | Sge | 18 | Arrow | Pfeil |
Sagittarius | Sagittarii | Sgr | 298 | Archer | Schütze |
Scorpius | Scorpii | Sco | 185 | Scorpion | Skorpion |
Sculptor | Sculptoris | Scl | 131 | Sculptor | Bildhauer |
Scutum | Scuti | Sct | 33 | Shield | Schild |
Serpens | Serpentis | Ser | 123 | Snake | Schlange |
Sextans | Sextantis | Sex | 75 | Sextant | Sextant |
Taurus | Tauri | Tau | 188 | Bull | Stier |
Telescopium | Telescopii | Tel | 87 | Telescope | Fernrohr |
Triangulum | Trianguli | Tri | 227 | Triangle | Dreieck |
Triangulum Australe | Trianguli Australis | TrA | 46 | Southern Triangle | Südliches Dreieck |
Tucana | Tucanae | Tuc | 81 | Toucan | Tukan |
Ursa Maior | Ursae Maioris | UMa | 227 | Great Bear | Großer Bär |
Ursa Minor | Ursae Minoris | UMi | 54 | Little Bear | Kleiner Bär |
Vela | Velorum | Vel | 248 | Sails | Segel |
Virgo | Virginis | Vir | 271 | Virgin | Jungfrau |
Volans | Volantis | Vol | 46 | Flying Fish | Fliegender Fisch |
Vulpecula | Vulpeculae | Vul | 62 | Little Fox | Füchschen |