What are the constellations and stars. Constellation names. What are the constellations Ursa Minor and the Southern Cross famous for?

On a clear night, it always seems to us that all celestial bodies are equally distant from us, as if they are located on the inner surface of some sphere in the center of which is the observer's eye. The visible celestial sphere is actually an illusion, and the reason for this illusion is the inability of the human eye to tell the difference between the enormous actual distances to various celestial bodies.

For millennia, the prevailing opinion was that the celestial sphere exists in reality and is the boundary within which the universe extends. But in 1837-1839, when the annuals of some stars were first measured, it was proved that the stars are at great distances from us, and the celestial sphere is essentially the result of optical illusion, since these distances are different. Nevertheless, the concept of the celestial sphere has been preserved in astronomy, since it is convenient to use it when determining the positions of celestial bodies (by spherical coordinates).

On the visible celestial sphere, in fact, projections of stars and celestial bodies are visible, that is, those points at which the visual rays pierce the sphere. Due to the fact that the projections of any two stars are located close to each other on the celestial sphere, it seems to us that the stars are close to each other, while in space they can be separated by colossal distances. Both stars and other celestial bodies, which are located in space at great distances from each other and have nothing in common with each other, on the celestial sphere may seem to be located very close to each other. In this respect, physical multiple stars, star clusters, stellar associations, etc. are an exception. Individual stars in these formations are not only apparently close, but the actual distances between them are not so great (on an astronomical scale).

Turning our eyes to the starry sky, we see countless stars, chaotically scattered in space. In reality, only about 6 thousand stars in the celestial sphere can be seen with the naked eye, and from any point on the earth's surface at any given moment - only half of them.

With longer, regular observations, you will notice that the figures formed by the brighter stars remain "unchanged" and that, in general, the appearance of the starry sky "does not change" over time. It is possible that the "immutability" of the figures that the stars form on the celestial sphere is the first discovery made by man at the dawn of his conscious life. (In reality, because of the appearance of the starry sky, it changes over a period of about 25,800 years. Due to the proper motion of the stars, the contours of the constellations also change. But these changes occur so slowly that they become perceptible only after thousands of years and cannot be noted during one human life, if you do not apply astronomical methods of observation.)

Even several millennia BC, those areas of the starry sky, where brighter stars form characteristic figures, were delimited into separate constellations. First of all, apparently, the constellations were delimited, which, with their bright stars and formed configurations, most strongly attracted attention. The person was also impressed by the appearance in the starry sky of the same constellations in spring, summer, autumn and winter. The appearance of some of these constellations was associated (in time) with human economic activity, and therefore they received the corresponding names.

According to information that has come down to us, the delimitation of the zodiacal constellations and most of the constellations of the northern celestial hemisphere took place in Egypt around 2500 BC. NS. But the Egyptian names of the constellations are not known to us. The ancient Greeks adopted the Egyptian delimitation of the constellations, but gave them new names. Nobody can tell when it happened. Note that describing the famous shield of Achilles in the Iliad, Homer calls the constellations Ursa Major, Bootes, Orion depicted on the shield by the god Hephaestus, the clusters of stars in the constellation Taurus - Pleiades, Hyades, as they are called now.

By the decision of the International Astronomical Union (MAC), it was accepted that the number of constellations in the entire celestial sphere is 88, of which 47 were named about 4500 years ago. Most of the names are taken from Greek mythology.

The total number of constellations indicated so far is 83. The remaining five constellations are Carina, Poop, Sails, Serpent and Square. Previously, three of them - Keel, Korma and Sails - formed one large constellation Ship, in which the ancient Greeks personified the mythical ship of the Argonauts, under the leadership of Jason undertook a trip to distant Colchis for the golden fleece.
The constellation of the Serpent is the only one located in two separate regions of the sky. In fact, it is divided into two parts by the constellation Ophiuchus, and thus an interesting combination of the two constellations has turned out. In old star atlases, these constellations were depicted as a man (Ophiuchus) holding a huge snake in his hands.

For the first time, the designation of stars in Greek letters was introduced by Bayer in his star atlas. The brightest star in any constellation was designated by the letter ‘ a’(Alpha), following it in decreasing brightness - the letter’ b’(Beta), hereinafter - the letter’ y’(Gamma), etc. Only in a few constellations these designations do not correspond to the decreasing brightness of the stars.

About 300 of the brightest stars have their own names, most of which are given by the Arabs. It is interesting that the Arabs gave names to the star depending on what position it occupies in the allegorical or mythological depiction of the constellation. For example, a Taurus received the name Aldebaran ("Eye of the Taurus"), a Orion is called Betelgeuse ("Shoulder of the Giant"), b Leo - Denebola ("Lion's Tail") and others. The Greeks gave names to some of the stars on other grounds, for example, the star Sirius is named so because of its strong brilliance (from the Greek "sirios" - brilliant).

Some churchmen have made repeated attempts to replace the "wicked pagan" names of the constellations with Christian names. It was proposed, for example, to call the constellation Aries the Apostle Peter, Perseus - Saint Paul, Andromeda - the Holy Sepulcher, Cassiopeia - Mary Magdalene, Cepheus - King Solomon, Pisces - the Apostle Matthew, etc. These proposals were unanimously rejected by astronomers.

As a result of the expansion of international cooperation in the field of astronomy, it became necessary to more accurately determine the boundaries of the constellations, because in different atlases the same stars belonged to different constellations. Back in 1801, Bode outlined the boundaries of the constellations, referring the weaker stars of "voids", which had not previously been included in any of the constellations, to one or another neighboring constellation. Thanks to this, there were no "voids" left, and at the same time, the boundaries of the constellations on the celestial sphere were determined. The fact that the boundaries between the constellations represented broken lines forced the International Astronomical Union to specifically consider this issue at its congress in 1922. It was decided to exclude 27 constellations with inappropriate names in order to preserve the names of the ancient constellations and constellations added by Bayer, Hevelius and Lacaille. drawing the boundaries of the constellations along the celestial parallels and. It was recommended that the new constellation boundaries, as far as possible, follow the old ones and not deviate significantly from them.

There are now 88 constellations in the entire celestial sphere. Their boundaries pass along celestial parallels and declination circles and are determined in relation to the main coordinate systems (equatorial and ecliptic) for 1875. Due to precession, the boundaries of the constellations slowly change over time. After the end of one precessional period (25,800 years) from 1875, the boundaries of the constellations will be restored approximately in the form they had in 1875. But on the celestial sphere, the boundaries of the constellations are strictly fixed and unchanged; by the coordinates of a star, you can determine its position in the corresponding constellation.

At the same time, the International Astronomical Union expanded the concept of "constellation". Now the constellation is not understood as a configuration created by brighter stars, but one of 88 sections of the celestial sphere, inside which are figures formed by the brightest stars characteristic of this constellation. Consequently, in one constellation, in addition to bright and generally visible stars with the naked eye, all cosmic objects available for observation by all observational means are also included. That is why, for variable stars, after their designation, the constellation in which they are located is always indicated. This rule applies to both new and flares up in about ten days. Then its shine begins to slowly diminish. At its maximum brightness, it shines like several billion stars like the Sun! In addition to the expanding shell of gas thrown off by the outburst, a rapidly rotating neutron star, or pulsar, also remains in place of the supernova. ")"> Supernovae- the constellation in which they can be observed is always indicated. For each comet, it is certainly indicated in which constellation it is at a given moment, so that it is easier to detect and observe it.

Meteor showers are usually identified by the constellation in which they are located. Even for more prominent galaxies, the constellation in which they are located is indicated. For example, the closest galaxy we know is in the constellation Andromeda. All this requires a good knowledge of the constellations. They are indispensable reference points for anyone interested in astronomical phenomena and problems of astronomy.

Where did the strange names of the constellations come from, such as "Ursa Major"?

When people in ancient times observed the starry sky, they drew attention to separate groups of bright stars. Fantasy helped in the arrangement of the stars to see the outlines of fairytale heroes or animals.

Almost every constellation is associated with some ancient legend or myth. So, for example, the ancient Greeks had a legend that the almighty god Zeus decided to marry the most beautiful nymph Callisto, one of the maids of the goddess Aphrodite, against the wishes of the latter. To save Callisto from the persecution of the goddess, Zeus turned Callisto into a bear and took him to heaven. The ancient Greeks said about Ursa Minor that this is supposedly Callisto's favorite dog, turned into a bear along with its owner.

Another legend was told about the constellations Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Andromeda, Pegasus and Perseus.

Once upon a time, in time immemorial, the Ethiopian king Cepheus had a beautiful wife - Queen Cassiopeia. Once Cassiopeia had the imprudence to boast of her beauty in the presence of the Nereids, the mythical inhabitants of the sea. Offended, the envious Nereids complained to the god of the sea Poseidon, who sent a terrible monster - a whale - to the shores of Ethiopia. To buy off the whale that was devastating the country, Cepheus, on the advice of the oracle, was forced to give up his beloved daughter Andromeda to be devoured by the monster. He chained her to the coastal rock, and every minute Andromeda expected a whale to emerge from the depths of the sea and swallow it.

At this time, the mythical hero of Ancient Greece, Perseus, performed one of his exploits: he entered a secluded island at the end of the world, where three terrible women lived - gorgons, with snakes instead of hair. The gorgon's gaze turned all living things to stone

Taking advantage of the sleep of three gorgons, Perseus cut off the head of one of them, named Medusa, and the winged horse Pegasus fluttered out of her severed body. Waking up, two other gorgons wanted to rush at Perseus, but he jumped on the winged Pegasus and, holding the precious prey - the head of Medusa, flew home. Flying over Ethiopia, Perseus noticed Andromeda chained to a rock. A whale was already heading for it, emerging from the depths of the sea. Perseus entered into mortal combat with the monster. He managed to defeat the whale only after he directed the chilling gaze of the dead head of Medusa at him. The whale turned to stone and turned into a small island, and Perseus, having unbound Andromeda, brought her to Cepheus and married her. The ancient Greeks placed the main characters of this myth in the sky. This is how the names of the constellations Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Pegasus, Perseus, preserved and now, appeared.

Constellation names

Andromeda
Bird of paradise
Aquarius Equ.
Eagle
Altar
Aries
Auriga
Bootes
Cutter
Giraffe
Cancer
Hounds Dogs
Big Dog
Little Dog
Capricorn
Keel
Cassiopeia
Centaurus
Cepheus
Whale
Chameleon
Compass
Pigeon
Veronica Hair
South Crown
North Crown
Raven
Bowl
South Cross
Swan
Dolphin
Golden Fish
Dragon
Small Horse
Eridan
Bake
Twins
Crane
Hercules
Hydra
Southern hydra
Indian
Lizard
a lion
Small Lion
Hare
scales
Wolf
Lynx
Lyra
Table Mountain
Microscope
Unicorn Eq.
Fly
Square
Octant
Ophiuchus
Orion
Peacock
Pegasus
Pessey
Phoenix
Painter
A fish
Southern Fish
Fodder
Compass
Net
Arrow
Sagittarius
Scorpion
Sculptor
Shield
Snake
Sextan
Taurus
Telescope
Southern Triangle
Triangle
Toucan
Big Dipper
Ursa Minor
Sail
Virgo
Flying fish
Chanterelle

The night sky amazes with its beauty and countless number of heavenly fireflies. It is especially fascinating that their arrangement is structured, as if they were specially arranged in the right order, forming star systems. From ancient times, learned astrologers tried to count all these myriads of heavenly bodies and give them names. Today, a huge number of stars have been discovered in the sky, but this is just a small part of all existing immense Universe. Consider what constellations and luminaries are.

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Stars and their classification

A star is a celestial body that emits a huge amount of light and heat.

It consists mainly of helium (lat. Helium), as well as (lat. Hydrogenium).

The heavenly body is in a state of balance due to the pressure inside the body itself and its own.

Heat and light radiates as a result of thermonuclear reactions, occurring inside the body.

What are the types depending on life cycle and structure:

• Main sequence. This is the main life cycle of a luminary. This is exactly what it is, as well as the vast majority of others.
• Brown dwarf. A relatively small, dull object with a low temperature. The first such was opened in 1995.
• White dwarf. At the end of its life cycle, the ball begins to contract until its density balances out gravity. Then it goes out and cools down.
• Red giant. A huge body that emits a large amount of light, but not very hot (up to 5000 K).
• New. New stars do not light up, just old ones flare up with renewed vigor.
• Supernova. This is the same new one with a lot of light emission.
• Hypernova. It is a supernova, but much larger.
• Bright blue variables (LBV). The biggest ones as well as the hottest ones.
• Ultra X-ray sources (ULX). They give off a large amount of radiation.
• Neutron. It is characterized by fast rotation and strong magnetic field.
• Unique. Double, with different sizes.

Species dependent from the spectrum:

• Blue.
• White and blue.
• White.
• Yellow-white.
• Yellow.
• Orange.
• Red.

Important! Most of the stars in the sky are entire systems. What we see as one can actually be two, three, five and even hundreds of bodies of one system.

Names of stars and constellations

At all times, the stars have fascinated. They became the object of study, both from the mystical side (astrology, alchemy) and from the scientific side (astronomy). People searched for them, calculated, counted, put them into constellations, as well as d avali them names... Constellations are clusters of celestial bodies arranged in a specific sequence.

In the sky, under certain conditions, up to 6 thousand stars can be seen from different points. They have their own scientific names, but about three hundred of them also have personal names that have been received since ancient times. The stars are predominantly Arabic names.

The fact is that when astronomy was actively developing everywhere, the Western world was going through "dark ages", so its development lagged behind significantly. Here Mesopotamia succeeded most of all, China least of all.

The Arabs not only discovered new ones, but also renamed the heavenly bodies, who already had a Latin or Greek name. They went down in history with Arabic names. The constellations, however, mainly had Latin names.

Brightness depends on the light emitted, size and distance from us. The brightest star is the Sun. It is not the biggest, not the brightest, but closest to us.

The most beautiful luminaries with the greatest brightness. The first among them:

1. Sirius (Alpha Canis Major);
2. Canopus (Alpha Carina);
3. Toliman (Alpha Centauri);
4. Arcturus (Alpha Bootes);
5. Vega (Alpha Lyrae).

Naming periods

Conventionally, several periods can be distinguished in which people gave names to heavenly bodies.

Pre-antique period

Since ancient times, people have tried to "understand" the sky, and gave names to the night luminaries. No more than 20 names from those times have come down to us. Scientists from Babylon, Egypt, Israel, Assyria and Mesopotamia actively worked here.

Greek period

The Greeks did not particularly delve into astronomy. They gave names to only a small number of luminaries. Mostly, they took names from the names of the constellations or simply ascribed pre-existing names. All the astronomical knowledge of ancient Greece, as well as Babylon, was collected Greek scientist Ptolemy Claudius(I-II century) in the works "Almagest" and "Tetrabiblos".

Almagest (Great Construction) is the work of Ptolemy in thirteen books, where he, based on the work of Hipparchus of Nicea (c. 140 BC), tries to explain the structure of the Universe. He also lists the names of some of the brightest constellations.

Table of heavenly bodies described in the Almagest

Tetrabiblos is another work of Ptolemy Claudius in four books. The list of celestial bodies is supplemented here.

Roman period

The Roman Empire studied astronomy, but when this science began to actively develop, Rome fell. And behind the state, his science fell into decay. Nevertheless, about a hundred stars have Latin names, although this does not guarantee that they were given names their scientists are from Rome.

Arabic period

The work of Ptolemy Almagest was fundamental in the study of astronomy among the Arabs. They translated most of them into Arabic. Based on the religious beliefs of the Arabs, they changed the names of parts of the luminaries. Often names were given, based on the location of the body in the constellation. So, many of them have names or parts of names meaning a neck, a leg or a tail.

Arabic Names Table

Renaissance

Since the 16th century in Europe, antiquity has been reviving, and with it science. The Arabic names did not change, but Arab-Latin hybrids often appeared.

New clusters of celestial bodies practically did not open, but the old ones were supplemented by new objects. A significant event of that time was the release of the atlas of the starry sky "Uranometria".

It was compiled by amateur astronomer Johann Bayer (1603). On the atlas, he applied an artistic image of the constellations.

And most importantly, he suggested the principle of naming the luminaries with the addition of letters of the Greek alphabet. The brightest body of the constellation will be called "Alpha", the less bright "Beta" and so on until "Omega". For example, the brightest star in Scorpio is Alpha Scorpio, the less bright Beta Scorpio, then Gamma Scorpio, etc.

Nowadays

With the advent of powerful ones, they began to discover a huge number of luminaries. Now they are not given beautiful names, but simply assigned an index with a digital and alphabetic code. But it happens that celestial bodies are given nominal names. They are called names scientist discoverers, and now you can even buy the opportunity to name the luminary at will.

Important! The sun is not part of any constellation.

What are the constellations

Initially, the figures were figures formed by bright lights. Now scientists use them as landmarks of the celestial sphere.

The most famous constellations alphabetically:

1. Andromeda. Located in the northern hemisphere of the celestial sphere.
2. Twins. The luminaries with the greatest brightness are Pollux and Castor. Zodiac sign.
3. Big Dipper. Seven stars forming a bucket image.
4. Big Dog. Has the brightest star in the sky - Sirius.
5. Scales. Zodiacal, consisting of 83 objects.
6. Aquarius. Zodiacal, with asterism forming a jug.
7. Auriga. Its most outstanding object is the Capella.
8. Wolf. Located in the southern hemisphere.
9. Bootes. The brightest luminary is Arcturus.
10. Veronica's hair. Consists of 64 visible objects.
11. Crow. Best seen at mid-latitudes.
12. Hercules. There are 235 visible objects.
13. Hydra. The most important luminary is Alphard.
14. Pigeon. 71 body of the southern hemisphere.
15. Hounds Dogs. 57 visible objects.
16. Virgo. Zodiacal, with the brightest body - Spica.
17. Dolphin. It can be seen everywhere except Antarctica.
18. The Dragon. Northern Hemisphere, practically a pole.
19. Unicorn. Located on the milky way.
20. Altar. 60 visible stars.
21. Painter. There are 49 objects.
22. Giraffe. Faintly visible in the northern hemisphere.
23. Crane. The brightest is Alnair.
24. Hare. 72 celestial bodies.
25. Ophiuchus. 13th zodiac sign, but not included in this list.
26. Snake. 106 luminaries.
27. Golden Fish. 32 objects visible to the naked eye.
28. Indian. Faintly visible constellation.
29. Cassiopeia. Similar in shape to the letter "W".
30. Keel. 206 objects.
31. Whale. Located in the "water" zone of the sky.
32. Capricorn. Zodiacal, southern hemisphere.
33. Compass. 43 visible luminaries.
34. Stern. Located on the milky way.
35. Swan. Located in the northern part.
36. A lion. Zodiacal, northern part.
37. Flying fish. 31 objects.
38. Lyra. The brightest luminary is Vega.
39. Chanterelle. Dull.
40. Ursa Minor. Located above the North Pole. It has the North Star.
41. Small Horse. 14 luminaries.
42. Small Dog. A bright constellation.
43. Microscope. South part.
44. Fly. At the equator.
45. Pump. Southern sky.
46. The corner. Passes through the Milky Way.
47. Aries. The zodiac, which has the bodies of Mesarthim, Hamal and Sheratan.
48. Octant. At the south pole.
49. Eagle. At the equator.
50. Orion. Has a bright object - Rigel.
51. Peacock. Southern Hemisphere.
52. Sail. 195 luminaries of the southern hemisphere.
53. Pegasus. South of Andromeda. Its brightest stars are Markab and Enif.
54. Perseus. Discovered by Ptolemy. The first object is Mirfak.
55. Bake. Almost invisible.
56. Bird of paradise. Located near the South Pole.
57. Cancer. Zodiacal, faintly visible.
58. Cutter. South part.
59. Fishes. A large constellation divided into two parts.
60. Lynx. 92 visible luminaries.
61. Northern Crown. The shape of the crown.
62. Sextant. At the equator.
63. Net. Consists of 22 properties.
64. Scorpion. The first luminary is Antares.
65. Sculptor. 55 celestial bodies.
66. Sagittarius. Zodiacal.
67. Taurus. Zodiacal. Aldebaran is the brightest object.
68. Triangle. 25 stars.
69. Toucan. The Small Magellanic Cloud is located here.
70. Phoenix. 63 luminaries.
71. Chameleon. Small and dull.
72. Centaurus. Its brightest star for us, Proxima Centauri, is the closest to the Sun.
73. Cepheus. Has the shape of a triangle.
74. Compass. Near Alpha Centauri.
75. Watch. It has an elongated shape.
76. Shield. Near the equator.
77. Eridanus. Large constellation.
78. Southern Hydra. 32 celestial bodies.
79. South Crown. Faintly visible.
80. Southern Fish. 43 objects.
81. South Cross. In the form of a cross.
82. Southern Triangle. Has the shape of a triangle.
83. Lizard. No bright objects.

What are the constellations of the zodiac

Zodiac signs - constellations through which passes the Earth throughout the year, forming a conditional ring around the system. Interestingly, 12 signs of the zodiac are accepted, although Ophiuchus, which is not considered to be the zodiac, is also located on this ring.

Attention! There are no constellations.

By and large, there are no figures at all, composed of celestial bodies.

After all, we, looking at the sky, perceive it as plane in two dimensions, but the luminaries are not located on a plane, but in space, at a huge distance from each other.

They do not form any pattern.

Let's say the light from the closest to the Sun Proxima Centauri reaches us in almost 4.3 years.

And from another object of the same star system, Omega Centauri - reaches the earth in 16 thousand years. All divisions are rather arbitrary.

Constellations and stars - sky map, interesting facts

Names of stars and constellations

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It is impossible to calculate the reliable number of celestial bodies in the Universe. You can't even get close to the exact number. The stars are merging into galaxies. Our Milky Way galaxy alone numbers about 100,000,000,000. From Earth with the help of the most powerful telescopes about 55,000,000,000 galaxies can be found. With the advent of the Hubble Telescope, which is in Earth's orbit, scientists have discovered about 125 million galaxies, and each has billions, hundreds of billions of objects. It is only clear that there were no less than a trillion trillion luminaries in the Universe, but this is only a small part of what is real.

Humanity has always looked to the sky. The stars have long been sailors' guides, and they remain so today. A constellation is considered a group of celestial bodies, which are united by one name. However, they can be at different distances from each other. Moreover, in ancient times the name of the constellations often depended on the outlines taken by celestial bodies. More details about this will be discussed in this article.

General information

There are eighty-eight registered constellations in total. Of these, only forty-seven have been known to mankind since ancient times. Thanks to the astronomer Claudius Ptolemy, who systematized the known constellations of the starry sky in the treatise "Almagest". The rest appeared at a time when a person began to intensively study the world around him, travel more and write down his knowledge. So, other groups of objects appeared in the sky.

The constellations in the sky and their names (photos of some of them will be presented in the article) are quite diverse. Many have several names, as well as ancient legends of origin. For example, there is a rather interesting legend about the appearance of the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor in the firmament. In those days, when the gods ruled the world, the most powerful of them was Zeus. And he fell in love with the beautiful nymph Callisto, and he took her as his wife. In order to protect her from Hera, jealous and dangerous in her anger, Zeus took his beloved to heaven, turning her into a bear. So it turned out the constellation Ursa Major. Callisto the dog became Ursa Minor.

Zodiacal constellations of the solar system: names

The most famous constellations for humanity today are the zodiacal. For a long time, those who meet on the path of our Sun during its annual journey (ecliptic) have been considered as such. This is a fairly wide strip of heavenly space, divided into twelve segments.

Constellation name:

1. Aries;
2. Taurus;
3. Twins;
4. Virgo;
5. Capricorn;
6. Aquarius;
7. Fishes;
8. Scales;
9. Scorpion;
10. Sagittarius;
11. Ophiuchus.

As you can see, unlike the signs of the zodiac, there is one more constellation here - the thirteenth. This happened because the shape of the celestial bodies changes over time. The signs of the zodiac were formed quite a long time ago, when the sky map was slightly different. To date, the position of the stars has undergone some changes. So, on the path of the Sun, another constellation appeared - Ophiuchus. In its order, it stands just after the Scorpio.

The spring equinox is considered to be the starting point of the solar journey. At this moment, our star passes along the celestial equator, and the day becomes equal to the night (there is also an opposite point of the same - autumn).

Constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor

One of the most famous constellations of our firmament is the Ursa Major and the accompanying Little Dipper. But why did it happen that not the most pretentious constellation became so important? The fact is that the Polar Star is present in the Ursa Minor's cluster of celestial bodies, which was a guiding star for many generations of sailors, and it remains so today.

This is due to its practical immobility. It is located near the North Pole, and the rest of the stars in the sky revolve around it. This feature of it was noticed by our ancestors, which was reflected in its name among different peoples (Golden stake, Heavenly stake, North Star, etc.).

Of course, there are other main objects around this constellation of the starry sky, the names of which are listed below:

• Cohab (Beta);
• Ferkhad (Gamma);
• Delta;
• Epsilon;
• Zeta;

If we talk about the Big Dipper, then it more clearly resembles a bucket in its shape than its small counterpart. According to estimates, only with the naked eye in the constellation there are about one hundred and twenty-five stars. However, there are seven main ones:

• Dubhe (Alpha);
• Merak (Beta);
• Fekda (Gamma);
• Megrets (Delta);
• Aliot (Epsilon);
• Mitsar (Zeta);
• Benetnash (This).

Ursa Major has nebulae and galaxies, like numerous other stellar constellations. Their names are presented below:

• Spiral galaxy M81;
• The Owl Nebula;
• Spiral Galaxy "Lantern Wheel;
• Barred spiral galaxy M109.

Most amazing stars

Of course, our sky has quite remarkable constellations (photos and names of some are presented in the article). However, besides them, there are other amazing stars. For example, in the constellation Canis Major, which is considered ancient, since our ancestors still knew about it, there is the star Sirius. Many legends and myths are associated with it. In Ancient Egypt, the movement of this star was very carefully monitored, there are even assumptions by some scientists that the African pyramids with their point are aimed precisely at it.

Today Sirius is one of the stars closest to Earth. Its characteristics are twice as high as solar. It is believed that if Sirius were in the place of our star, then life on the planet in the form it is now would hardly be possible. With such intense heat, all the oceans from the surface would have boiled away.

A rather interesting star that can be seen in the sky of Antarctica is Alpha Centauri. This is the closest similar star to the Earth. According to its structure, this body contains three stars, two of which may well have terrestrial planets. The third, Proxima Centauri, according to all calculations, cannot have such, since it is rather small and cold.

Large and small constellations

It should be noted that today there are fixed large and small constellations. Photos and their names will be presented below. One of the largest can be safely called Hydra. This constellation covers an area of ​​the sky of 1302.84 square degrees. Obviously, this is why it received such a name, all in appearance it resembles a thin and long strip that occupies a quarter of the stellar space. The main place where Hydra is located is south of the line of the celestial equator.

In terms of its stellar composition, Hydra is rather dim. It includes only two worthy objects that stand out significantly in the sky - Alphard and Gamma Hydra. An open cluster called M48 can also be noted. The second largest constellation belongs to Virgo, which is slightly smaller in size. Therefore, the representative of the space community described below is truly small.

So, the smallest constellation in the sky is the Southern Cross, which is located in the Southern Hemisphere. It is considered an analogue of the Big Dipper in the North. Its area is sixty-eight square degrees. According to ancient astronomical chronicles, it used to be part of Centauri, and only in 1589 it was singled out separately. In the Southern Cross, about thirty stars are visible even with the naked eye.

In addition, there is a dark nebula in the constellation called the Coal Sack. It is interesting in that star formation processes can take place in it. Another unusual object is the open cluster of celestial bodies - NGC 4755.

Seasonal constellations

It should also be noted that the name of the constellations in the sky changes from season to season. For example, in summer the following are clearly visible:

• Lyre;
• Eagle;
• Hercules;
• Snake;
• Chanterelle;
• Dolphin, etc.

Other constellations are characteristic of the winter sky. For example:

• Big Dog;
• Small Dog;
• Auriga;
• Unicorn;
• Eridan, etc.

The autumn sky is the following constellations:

• Pegasus;
• Andromeda;
• Perseus;
• Triangle;
• Keith et al.

And the following constellations open the spring sky:

• Little Lion;
• Crow;
• Bowl;
• Hounds Dogs and others.

Constellations of the northern hemisphere

Each hemisphere of the Earth has its own celestial objects. The names of the stars and the constellations they enter are quite different. So, let's consider which of them are typical for the northern hemisphere:

• Andromeda;
• Auriga;
• Twins;
• Veronica's hair;
• Giraffe;
• Cassiopeia;
• Northern Crown and others.

Constellations of the southern hemisphere

The names of the stars and the constellations they enter are also different for the southern hemisphere. Let's consider some of them:

• Crow;
• Altar;
• Peacock;
• Octant;
• Bowl;
• Phoenix;
• Centaurus;
• Chameleon and others.

Indeed, all the constellations in the sky and their names (photo below) are quite unique. Many have their own special history, beautiful legend or unusual objects. The latter include the constellations Doradus and Toucan. The first contains the Large Magellanic Cloud, and the second contains the Small. These two objects are truly amazing.

The Big Cloud is very similar in appearance to a Segnerian wheel, and the Small Cloud is very similar to a punching bag. They are quite large in terms of their area in the sky, and observers note their similarity to the Milky Way (although they are much smaller in actual size). They seem to be a part of it, which separated in the process. However, in their composition, they are very similar to our galaxy, moreover, the Clouds are the closest systems of stars to us.

A surprising factor is that our galaxy and the Clouds can revolve around the same center of gravity, which forms a triple star system. True, each of this trinity has its own star clusters, nebulae and other space objects.

Conclusion

So, as you can see, the name of the constellations is quite diverse and unique. Each of them has its own interesting objects, stars. Of course, today we do not know even half of all the secrets of the cosmic order, but there is hope for the future. The human mind is quite inquisitive, and if we do not die in a global catastrophe, then there is the possibility of conquering and conquering space, building new and more powerful devices and ships to gain knowledge. In this case, we will not only know the name of the constellations, but also comprehend much more.

Pleiad, cohort, connection, heavenly compass, square Dictionary of Russian synonyms. constellation see Pleiad Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M .: Russian language. Z.E. Aleksandrova. 2011 ... Synonym dictionary

CONSTELLATION, a group of stars forming an imaginary figure in the sky. The stars that make up such a group can lie at very different distances from the Earth, and therefore the division by constellation is devoid of physical meaning. In 1930, at the congress ... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

CONSTELLATION, constellations, cf. (astr.). A group of stars, conventionally united by a common name. Twelve constellations of the zodiac. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

CONSTELLATION, I, cf. 1. One of 88 sections, into which the starry sky is divided for the convenience of orientation and designation of stars (special); a separate group of stars. Bright s. 2. transfer. Connection (celebrities, talents) (high). S. names. S. talents. ... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Wed kupa, a flock of stars, randomly collected under one general name. Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary. IN AND. Dahl. 1863 1866 ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

- (Constellation) a group of stars forming some kind of figure. Ancient astronomers saw in these groups a resemblance to animals and various objects, and accordingly gave names to S. (Ursa Major, Libra, etc.). Division of the sky into S. ... ... Marine dictionary

constellation- Groups of stars in the sky (there are 88 in total), allocated for ease of orientation in the celestial sphere and sometimes used for orientation in the cardinal directions ... Geography Dictionary

A group of stars named after a religious or mythical character or animal, or some remarkable object of antiquity or modernity. Constellations are unique monuments of ancient human culture, his mythology, ... ... Collier's Encyclopedia

An area of ​​the sky or a group of prominent stars in this area that has its own name. There are 88 constellations in total. The constellations are different in terms of the area occupied in the celestial sphere and the number of stars in them. If we turn to history, ... ... Astronomical Dictionary

constellation- CONSTELLATION, I, cf. A set of celestial bodies of stars in a section of the sky, united by a common name. Constellation Virgo ... Explanatory dictionary of Russian nouns

Books

• Constellation, 1978 Edition. The preservation is satisfactory. The authors of the works included in the collection explore the moral problems of the society of the future, reflect on alien civilizations, about ... Category: Collections of works Publisher: Children's Literature. Leningrad,
• The constellation of twins, Maya Ganina, Maya Ganina devoted her work to moral and ethical problems. The focus of the writer is on issues of morality, spiritual enrichment of a modern person, education in him ... Category: Classical and contemporary prose Publisher: