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Mythology in the Stars
Constellations
What are Constellations?
Constellations are groups of stars that
helped people map the skies.
 The ancient Greeks named constellations
after characters in their mythology.
 In the 17th century, other constellations
were discovered and named by
astronomers.
 There are 88 constellations in all.

Orion,
The Hunter
Orion is one of the most well known
constellations.
 Orion is visible from late fall to early
spring.
 The most distinguishing feature of Orion is
the three stars that make up his belt.

Canis Major and Canis Minor
Canis Major and Canis Minor are Orion’s
dogs.
 Sirius is the name of Canis Major.
 He was depicted as having two heads.
 Procyon is the name of Canis Minor.
 He is found behind Orion.

Lepus and Taurus
• Lepus, also known as the Hare, is seen as
•
pursued by Orion and his hounds.
Sometimes it is said that the trio is after
Taurus, the Bull.
Orion’s Origins
The myth of Orion has been known in
Greece since 500 BCE.
 He was known as The Great Hunter or as
The Warrior.
 His father was Poseidon, god of the sea.
 There are many versions surrounding the
death of Orion.

Myth #1

Orion boasted that he was a great hunter, so
great that he could kill any animal that roamed
the Earth. Gaia, the Earth, heard this and
became worried. She feared that he would one
day carry out his boasts. She decided that he
must be killed. Gaia sent a giant scorpion, called
Scorpius, to kill Orion. The scorpion overcame
Orion. He was stung in his heel, at the star
Rigel, and died. The gods placed Orion and
Scorpius in opposite ends of the sky. Orion flees
before the scorpion every spring, when it is his
turn to be in the sky.
Myth #2

Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, the moon, and
childbirth fell in love with Orion. Her twin brother,
Apollo, the god of medicine, music, and the sun,
became very jealous and plotted to kill Orion.
When Orion was swimming one day, Apollo
dared his sister to hit the target in the water.
Artemis did not know it was Orion. She
proceeded to draw her bow and shot Orion in
the head. When his body washed up to shore,
she was horrified at what she had done. Artemis
placed his body in the sky as a memorial.
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are also
known as the Big Dipper and the Little
Dipper.
 Ursa Major is made up of bright stars that
are spread out.
 Ursa Minor is a fainter version of Ursa
Major.
 These constellations were
introduced in 600 BCE.

Myth Of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor

In Greek mythology, Callisto was a companion of
the goddess Artemis. Artemis and all her
companions had taken vows of chastity. Zeus,
however, fell in love with her and seduced her.
She became pregnant and had a son, Arcas.
Hera, Zeus’ wife and queen of the gods, became
so enraged that she turned Callisto into a bear.
Callisto lived in the forest. When her son was
older he was hunting and spied Callisto as a
bear. As he was about to kill her, Zeus turned
him into a bear as well. Zeus then placed Ursa
Major and Ursa Minor in the heavens.
Another Group of Constellations

The constellation of Perseus is depicted
as holding the head of Medusa.

The brightest star in Andromeda’s
constellation is the
Alpheratz, which
indicates her head.

Cassiopeia is shown sitting in a chair.

The constellation Cepheus is not too
bright, but still noticeable. It is located to
the west of Cassiopeia.

The constellation of Pegasus is next to
Andromeda and very obvious.

The stars of Cetus are very faint. It is
made up of UV Ceti that is actually two red
dwarfs 9 light years away.
The Myth

Cepheus was king of Ethiopia. His wife
was named Cassiopeia. She was very
beautiful, but also very vain. She bragged
about her beauty and the beauty of her
daughter, Andromeda. The Nereids
complained to Poseidon about Cassiopeia.
As punishment, Poseidon had Andromeda
chained to a rock. The monster, Cetus
(that was actually a whale) was going to
eat the girl.

Then the hero Perseus came by. He had
just freed the winged horse , Pegasus
from the Gorgon, Medusa. He offered to
save Andromeda in exchange for her hand
in marriage. The frantic parents agreed
and Andromeda was saved. When the girl
was safely with her parents, Cassiopeia
changed her mind. Perseus became
enraged, killed everyone there and carried
Andromeda off as his bride.

Poseidon placed Cepheus and Cassiopeia
in the sky. But as further punishment for
Cassiopeia he put her in a chair near the
Pole Star. She spends half of the year
upside down. Perseus, Andromeda,
Pegasus and Cetus were also put up
above for all to see.
Zodiac Constellations

In the winter sky there are six zodiac
constellations visible:
Aries, the Ram

Taurus, the Bull


Gemini, the Twins

Cancer, the Crab

Leo, the Lion

Pisces, the Fish