The Record of Astronomy - The Discovery of the Constellations
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Coming from the very first moment man gazed up in to the night air he will have been intrigued by what he observed. Even the first civilisations will have had their particular own explanations for what they might view. We as humankind love to see patterns within the stuff we witness so it is only to be expected that we would see patterns and shapes in the stars.
The first sea explorers depended upon the stars regarding navigation for the duration of their voyages. Chances are that early star gazers, priests and wise men of the ancient world might have utilized groups of stars to govern their actions and beliefs. Likewise ancient mythology tried to explain their existence and significance in terms of stories, legends and symbols. Some of the first constellations recognised across multiple civilisations were the 12 signs of the Zodiac: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius (masculine signs) and Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces (the feminine signs).
A constellation is defined as, "a group of celestial bodies, usually stars, which appear to form a pattern in the sky." However, in contemporary astronomy, a constellation is more commonly defined as, "an area of celestial spheres, characterized by accurate boundaries." In 1928 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) divided the sky up into eighty-eight (88) official constellations with exact borders. The Greeks recognized and named forty-eight constellations. Many of these were also recognized by the Arabs, Egyptians and the Babylonians. The rest consist of the constellations that were originally defined by astronomers who gazed and studied the skies in the southern hemisphere.
The following are the eighty-eight modern constellations (in alphabetical order): Andromeda, Antlia, Apus, Aquarius, Aquila, Ara, Aries, Auriga, Bo?tes, Caelum, Camelopardalis, Cancer, Canes Venatici, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Capricornus, Carina, Cassiopeia, Centaurus, Cepheus, Cetus, Chamaeleon, Circinus, Columba, Coma Berenices, Corona Australis, Corona Borealis, Corvus, Crater, Crux, Cygnus, Delphinus, Dorado, Draco, Equuleus, Eridanus, Fornax, Gemini, Grus, Hercules, Horologium, Hydra, Hydrus, Indus, Lacerta, Leo, Leo Minor, Lepus, Libra, Lupus, Lynx, Lyra, Mensa, Microscopium, Monoceros, Musca, Norma, Octans, Ophiuchus, Orion, Pavo, Pegasus, Perseus, Phoenix, Pictor, Pisces, Piscis Austrinus, Puppis, Pyxis, Reticulum, Sagitta, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Sculptor, Scutum, Serpens, Sextans, Taurus, Telescopium, Triangulum, Triangulum Australe, Tucana, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Vela, Virgo, Volans, Vulpecula.
The names of the constellations are given in Latin, because Latin was once the language of learning. Modern day stargazers can use a star map or planisphere to help them identify what they are observing in the night sky and locate the various constellations and planets when visible.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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