Date post: | 17-Jul-2015 |
Category: |
Education |
Upload: | marietorres072 |
View: | 191 times |
Download: | 3 times |
Ptolemy listed 48 constellations in his Almagest.
21 Northern Constellations
Andromeda, Aquila, Auriga, Boötes, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Delphinus, Draco, Equuleus, Hercules, Lyra, Ophiuchus,
Pegasus, Perseus, Sagitta, Serpens, Triangulum, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
12 Zodiacal Constellations
Aries, Aquarius, Cancer, Capricornus, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Taurus, Virgo
15 Southern Constellations
Ara, Argo Navis, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Centaurus, Cetus, Corona Australis, Corvus, Crater, Eridanus, Hydra, Lepus, Lupus, Orion, Pisces
Austrinus
ROLES
Represented the Gods and their symbols
Farming Calendar and rustic activities
These figures developed in stages from 3200 BC – 500 BC
The most important in the divine set was the 12 Zodiac Signs plus
several associated animals ∆ serpent, crow, eagle and fish ∆
Where the earliest direct evidence for the
constellation comes from inscribed stones and
clay writing tablets dug up.
1300 – 1000 B.C were Mesopotamian
constellations were created
There are Babylonian star catalogues
o MUL.APIN – a text dating to the Late Bronze Age
(14th – 12th century BC) which include the farming
calendar tradition that gives an accurate divine
associations of constellation.
o Venus Tablet of King Ammizaduga
Orion correlation theory
According to Egyptian mythology, the gods descended from
the belt of Orion and Sirius– the brightest star in the sky. The
ancient Egyptian civilization firmly believed that from Sirius and
Orion beings came in the form of humans– Osiris and Isis and
they instigated the human race.
The concept that the three pyramids at Giza are in a special
alignment of Orion’s Belt is amazing.
Why does the Great Pyramid have air shafts that point to Orion?
These are just some of the question that– until today, do not
have a clear answer.
The Modern Constellation in this region were defined during the Age of Exploration. In 1919 a group of astronomers formed the International Astronomical Union or IAU. One of the first items they tackled was the celestial disarray. The IAU made a list of 88 'official' constellations in 1922 and approved the boundary of each six years later.
The 88 official constellations chosen by the IAU were all of European origin because those constellations were already well known and used by many professional astronomers.
The official constellations are no more and no less important than the constellations of any other time, country, or culture. What they are is the common language for astronomers around the world. Think of the world's spoken languages - there is no best or correct language and each conveys some meanings better than others. Still, English is becoming the lingua franca and like English the official constellations are a useful tool for international communication.
Common Names
The Bayer Naming System
The Flamsteed Naming System
Constellations are useful because they can help people to recognize stars in the sky. By looking for patterns, the stars and locations can be much easier to spot.
The constellations had uses in ancient times. They were used to help keep track of the calendar. This was very important so that people knew when to plant and harvest crops.
Another important use for constellations was navigation. By finding Ursa Minor it is fairly easy to spot the North Star (Polaris). Using the height of the North Star in the sky, navigators could figure out their latitude helping ships to travel across the oceans.
The largest constellation by area is Hydra which is 3.16% of the sky.
The smallest is Crux which only takes up 0.17 percent of the sky.
Small patterns of stars within a constellation are called asterisms. These include the Big Dipper and Little Dipper.
The word "constellation" comes from a Latin term meaning "set with stars."
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1998JBAA..108....9R
http://www.ducksters.com/science/physics/constellations.php
http://www.modernconstellations.com/constellationhistory.html
http://www.modernconstellations.com/celestialmaps.html
http://www.modernconstellations.com/constables.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation
http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-
iarticle_query?bibcode=1998JBAA..108....9R&db_key=AST&page_ind=1&plate_select=NO&data_type=GI
F&type=SCREEN_GIF&classic=YES