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Chapter 24
Stars and Galaxies
Stars : Constellations
The constellations are totally imaginary things
that poets, farmers, sailors, and astronomers
have made up over the past 6,000 years
The real purpose for the constellations is to
help us tell which stars are which.
On a really dark night, you can see about
1000 to 1500 stars.
The constellations help by breaking up the
sky into more manageable bits.
Constellations
They are used as mnemonics, or memory
aids.
For example, if you spot three bright stars in
a row in the winter evening, you might realize,
"Oh! That's part of Orion!"
Now, the rest of the constellation falls into
place and you can say: "There's Betelgeuse
in Orion's left shoulder and Rigel is his foot."
Constellations : Orion ,The
Hunter
Orion, The Hunter
Orion, The Hunter
Orion
Orion is the master of the
winter skies with his hunting
dog Sirius trailing at his feet.
The mythic tales of Orion go
as far back as the Hittites, from
2000 B.C. to around 1200 B.C.
Orion
There are many different stories
from the Greeks. Basically, Orion
was known as the "dweller of the
mountain", and was famous for his
skill as a hunter.
88 Constellations
• The constellations have changed over time.
In the modern world, many of the constellations
have been redefined so now every visible star
in the sky is in exactly one constellation.
•In 1929, the International Astronomical Union
(IAU) adopted official constellation boundaries that
defined the 88 official constellations that exist
today.
Constellations Web Site (The source for much of this
information.)
More Web Constellations
Constellations from Various
Cultures
Lakota People ( Native American )
African
Indian
Lakota People
The Constellation of the Hand
It represents the arm of a great Lakota chief.
It symbolizes harmony between the gods
and the people with the help of young
people.
The index finger is Rigel (star)
and the thumb is
the Orion Nebula.
Egypt : North Africa
Nut was the Egyptian sky goddess. She
was depicted as a giant, naked woman who
was supporting the sky with her back.
Her body was blue and covered by stars.
Each evening, the Sun entered the mouth of
Nut and passing through her body was born
each morning.
India
The Seven Rishis
According to the epic Mahabharata,
composed in about 500 B.C., the stars
of the Big Dipper were the seven sages
called Rishis.
These seven sages are said to be those
who made the Sun rise and shine.
Orion
Leo
Hercules
Ursa Major
Bootes (Bo O Teez)
Draco
Cassiopeia
Canis Major
Leo
Hercules
Ursa Major
Ursa Major
Bootes
Bootes : The Herdsman
A Roman Villa
Bootes
Draco
Draco : The Dragon
The origin of the constellation, Draco, and
of most dragon lore as well, was probably
the dragon Tiamat, the sea serpent who
existed even before the sea and sky had
been divided from each other, the dragon of
chaos. (Chaldeans)
Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia
The Queen.
Cepheus was King of Æthiopia (not present
day Ethiopia), and the beautiful Cassiopeia
was his Queen. Soon after their marriage,
Cassiopeia had a daughter, Andromeda.
Canis Major
Canis Major
The brightest star is Sirius, also known as
the Dog Star. ( Found in the “neck” (alfa))
One of Orion’s Hunting Dogs.
November Star Map
November 18 Sky Map 7:30 PM
Greek Letters Web
Alpha = A
Beta =
B
Gamma = G
Delta = D
Epsilon = E
Zeta = Z
Greek Letters in Science
1. Star Charts
2. Hurricanes
3. Physics equations …Delta means
“Change”
4. Lamda means “Wavelength”
5. Mu means “micro”
Constellations in Art
Alexander Calder – Mobiles, The
Constellations…A Philadelphian