Among the countless number of stars, there are also those with their own names. Many of them are well-known and have probably been seen at least once on the pages of newspapers and books - Sirius, Fomalhaut... But what other names of stars are there, and what do they mean? Today we will learn more about the names of stars.
Those who have been interested in the constellations and their history know about the beautiful and romantic names that stand behind their names. Heroes ancient greek myths, fabulous animals, legendary artifacts - they all found their place in the outlines of the stars of the night sky. It is logical that the stars should also mean something... But everything turned out to be much more prosaic.
The fact is that during the period of antiquity - the ancient era, when the foundations were laid modern sciences- only a few stars were named. They shone brightest in sacred constellations, or served as navigational ones - they pointed to the cardinal directions or rose in certain seasons. We will return to them later. However, most of the other stars remained unnamed, which over time began to annoy astronomers.
The situation with the names of stars became critical in modern times, when new ones began to be added to the ancient 48 constellations - especially in the sky Southern Hemisphere, which for the time being was partially hidden from European scientists. In 1592, the first 3 new constellations were added, and by the end of the century their number increased by another 11. And thanks to the fact that astronomy became fashionable among monarchs and rulers, a real madness began to create new constellations in honor of the greats of this world. It got to the point that court astrologers moved the “arms” and “legs” of ancient figures in order to place the beloved and rich king in the sky.
This lawlessness was stopped only in 1922, when the International Conference of Astronomers divided celestial sphere into 88 constellations, which cover entire areas of the sky. The remaining, “illegitimate” constellations, for which there was no place in the main ones, began to be called asterisms.
Stars: from Alpha to Omega
Bayer's "Uranometry" page
The hero's name was Johann Bayer, and he was a lawyer who was passionate about the stars. His love bore fruit that remained forever in the history of astronomy: in 1603, he released the atlas Uranometria, which became the world's first complete map of the starry sky. In addition, he also drew artistic images of the constellations, and gave each star a name corresponding to... its brightness.
The solution turned out to be incredibly simple - the brightest star was named after the first letter of the Greek alphabet, α (Alpha), the next brightest, β (Beta), and so on until the dimmest, ω (Omega). The method was captivating with its clarity and simplicity: this way you can always identify a specific star. With the growth of telescope power, the number of visible stars in the constellation zones increased, and Latin letters were added to the Greek letters lower case, and then capitals. In the 18th century, a digital index appeared that indicated the right ascension of a star. For example, the final astronomical name of the brightest star in the sky became α 9 Canis Majoris (the Latin name of the constellation Canis Major).
However, the years passed, science developed, and the names given in 1603 also did not stand still. Constellations “changed” their outlines during the redistribution of stars. The stars under the gaze of telescopes turned out to be brighter than visible with the naked eye, and the stars themselves changed their brightness due to internal processes. Thus, the star Nat, a “butting” horn in Arabic, previously belonged to another constellation, . It was not the brightest star among its “colleagues”, and therefore was called Gamma, and was confined to the “foot” of the constellation. However, over time, she was transferred to Taurus, where she became Beta. And some constellations are generally deprived of “letters” - in the constellation Chanterelle there is only one star, Alpha. Therefore the most bright star the constellations are also called Lucida in order to avoid confusion with old and new reference systems.
Today, even letter names in professional astronomy have faded into the background. Since the seventeenth century, scientists have been compiling catalogs of the starry sky, which include not only stars, but also other space objects - nebulae, clusters, galaxies, black holes and others. The luminaries are designated in them by a letter index, indicating their belonging to the catalog, and a number, which indicates the position of the star in it. For example, according to Henry Draper's catalog, containing data from 225 thousand luminaries, the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, is designated as HD 48915. There are as many designations as there are catalogs. Despite the apparent confusion, this is much more convenient than classical names: catalogs not only indicate the location of the star, but also valuable information about it.
Famous stars
So, above we learned the harsh truth - most of the stars wear technical name, depending on its various characteristics. And the astronomers themselves were not particularly keen on naming, more willingly paying attention to their movement and constellations in ancient times, and the cosmogonic aspect in modern times.
However, there are also those stars who are lucky to have their own name. Today there are about 270 of them. This number can be stretched to 400-500 - thanks to the relay of scientific championship between the Europeans of Antiquity and the Arabs of the Middle Ages, many stars and constellations acquired several spellings at once. And yet, what secrets do the names of the stars hide?
Names with a trick
Suddenly - the most beautiful and most mysterious names luminaries are of the same utilitarian nature as modern ones. You may have already heard that many of the current names of stars are of Arabic origin - when the Roman Empire, the beacon of science of antiquity, was destroyed by a stream of barbarian peoples, its scientific and philosophical developments were continued by the Arabs.
Religion and worldview did not allow them to develop Greek naming traditions, tied to myths alien to the Arabs - and at the same time, astronomy as a science required accuracy. In order to identify the most important and brightest stars in the sky, the Arabs decided to give them names that would depend on the position of the star in its constellation. They managed to solve the problem of the namelessness of the luminaries, but the result was very prosaic.
Take, for example, the star Fomalhaut in the constellation Southern Pisces- her name simply translates to “fish mouth.” Betelgeuse, Alpha Orionis, sounds even simpler - “the giant’s armpit”, because it is right at the celestial’s fingertips. This practical approach has led to star names often duplicated. As a result, there are more than a dozen stars named Deneb, which translates as “tail.” Moreover, in some constellations with a long “tail” there may be several Denebs at once - like the constellations Cetus or Eagle.
Like the Greeks, the Arabs named stars after their constellations. But when greek names stars demarcated clusters of stars, or revealed their mythological history more fully, the Arabs simply repeated the name. The brightest star of the zodiac constellation Capricorn, thanks to the Arabs, is today called Giedi, “the little goat.” The famous star Altair, lucida Eagle, is also not far away - her name means “flying eagle”.
The days of Arab astronomy are long gone, but the stars today get simple names. The red supergiant star μ Cephei is called Garnet with light hand William Herschel, who described it this way characteristic color. The well-known (translated as “closest”) Centauri is so called because it is the star closest to the Sun. And many more names were split up - for example, the already mentioned star Giedi Capricorn was found to have a “twin”, and Giedi became two: Giedi Prima and Secunda.
Modern titles
Some stars received their names completely by accident. NASA astronauts especially distinguished themselves in the field of “baptism” of stars. In astronautics, stars are used as a compass - they are motionless relative to the Sun and can serve as correct landmarks. Of the 36 stars on NASA's navigation charts, 33 had their own memorable names. The remaining three either had no name or had a repetitive Arabic designation. The astronauts had to learn all the stars by heart - and to make the training process easier, they came up with their own nicknames for them.
Virgil Ivan Grissom is the “godfather” of Navi star
Gamma Parusov, a bright star, began to be called "Regor" - curved English word"Roger", representing the name Roger and the phrase "That's right!" Gamma Cassiopeia turned into "Navi" - an inverted name of "Ivan", and Iota of the Big Dipper - into Dnokes, a twisted word "Second", "second". These names were at first unofficial, but were widely used by NASA astronauts, including on the legendary Apollo mission to the Moon, and later in work reports. Gradually, Dnokes, Regor and Navi came into astronomical use.
There is also one scientific tradition: name various space objects after their discoverers, or simply in honor of outstanding scientists. This is especially visible on the Moon: the craters there are named after Mendeleev, Pavlov, Copernicus... The same thing happens with the stars. The first helium star, discovered in the 40s by Daniel Popper, has since been called by scientists “Popper’s star.” There are also stars of Barnard, Krzeminski, Moiseev... Usually such names are not recognized by the official scientific community, but they go “with a bang” in the press and popular science literature.
Legends of antiquity
Now that we have dealt with the scientific prose of astronomy, we can move on to the lyrics. After all, there are many beautiful luminaries whose names have a thousand-year history behind them.
The oldest star known to man is Sirius. Its name from Greek translates as “brightest, hottest,” which perfectly reflects the two main properties of the star. In addition to being the brightest star in the sky, it appears only with the beginning of the warm season. The rising of Sirius in Egypt was a sign for the beginning of grain sowing - at that very time the Nile, the source of water and fertile lands of the ancient civilization, was flooding.
Due to the fact that Sirius heads the constellation Canis Major, the Greeks called the luminary the Canis of Orion - the constellation is located very close to the celestial figure of the legendary hunter (the one in whose armpit the star Betelgeuse is located). In the Roman Empire, Sirius was called "Vacation", "little dog", and the hot period of summer that comes after its rising - "dog days". Hence the modern term “vacation”. Now this word carries only pleasant associations, but earlier “dog” heat was a threat to the economy of Ancient Rome - and in order to scare away the hot Sirius, the Romans sacrificed dogs to the gods. By the way, the first written mention of Sirius in the Russian language also has a “dog spirit” - in the 16th century the Slavs called the star Psitsa.
But not all stars were known for their brightness or their association with the seasons. An example of this is the twin stars Castor and Polydeuces, who serve as the brightest stars in the constellation Gemini. The translation of the names itself (“beaver” and “many sweets”) means little - but the story of the two star brothers has been passed down for centuries from plot to plot. In Greek legends they were also twins - only one was the son of a mortal, and the other the son of a god; one after death ascended to Olympus, and the other into the darkness of the kingdom of the dead. Separated by nature, the brothers went through many trials together on Earth, and were eventually reunited in the starry sky.
The history of the most expressive luminary of the constellation, Regulus, is also interesting. The word means "king" in Latin, and it seems logical that it refers to the royal nature of Leo. But this is just not the case - Regulus is one of the few stars that were named before their constellation received a name. Its mentions are found in ancient Mesopotamia, and have a similar character to Sirius - Regulus served as a sign of the beginning and end of field work.
Stars have many names, but now they are becoming a thing of the past - the International Union of Astronomers is increasingly bypassing the traditional names of luminaries, preferring them letter designations in constellations or numbers in catalogs. And this is especially true for those star names that are sold for money - they are fundamentally not recognized, even if the purchase is offered by authoritative organizations like Roscosmos. The fact is that anyone can create a star catalogue, where Sirius will be called the Cat, and the North Star - the South Star. But at the same time, such names remain only on paper, and have nothing to do with real astronomy.
Therefore, if you want to perpetuate the names of your family and friends, you should not trust their stars. They are too far away, and every year they fly further and further from us - it is easier and more pleasant to make your name immortal by doing things on.
Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences E. LEVITAN.
- Maybe someone has questions? - asked the planetarium lecturer, completing his story about the stars. - I'm ready to answer.
Then one woman stood up and, noticeably embarrassed, said:
- You told a lot of interesting things about the stars, and everything was clear, but I can’t even imagine one thing: how did astronomers know their names?..
Part of the starry sky of the northern hemisphere. Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are clearly visible. Based on a painting by V. Kranz.
The North Star has at least a hundred names, and almost all of them are related to the star’s place in the sky.
Scheme relative position the main constellations and the brightest stars of the northern sky.
Image of the constellation Ursa Major in an old atlas.
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are united in the constellation Horse. (Based on old drawings.)
Summer-autumn star triangle.
Winter star triangle.
Star spring triangle.
An ancient image of the constellation Leo and its two brightest stars: Regulus (Heart of Leo) and Denebola (Tail of the Lion).
Pleiades star cluster.
Constellations Taurus and Orion in the "Atlas" of John Hevelius.
Scorpio is one of the constellations whose star configuration to some extent corresponds to its name.
Of the navigation stars in the southern sky, the most famous is Canopus, the brightest star in the sky after Sirius.
Fomalhaut is the only double star in its constellation, which is located south of Aquarius and Capricorn.
In honor of Chiron, the wise centaur (half man, half horse), the constellation Centaurus (Centaur) is named.
Almost a joke.
Aldebaran, Sirius, Vega, Antares, Canopus, Betelgeuse, Procyon, Fomalhaut... These star names are literally mesmerizing, as if they contain some kind of incomprehensible mystery. Where do they come from, these names? Who invented them and when? How did this happen? Similar questions are probably of interest to many astronomy enthusiasts.
Of the six thousand stars that are observable with the naked eye (in both hemispheres of the Earth), approximately only 275 now have their own names. They were given to the stars in different eras, in different countries. Not all have reached us in their original form. It is not always possible to understand why this or that star is named this way. It is sometimes difficult to understand the numerous names that were assigned to particularly notable stars in different times and among different peoples. We will try to tell at least the most essential things about the origin of star names and their semantic meaning.
It appears that the names of most stars are younger than the names of the constellations in which they belong. In the most ancient drawings depicting constellations, the bright stars were simply specially marked. Later, for example, in the famous catalog of Claudius Ptolemy, containing 48 constellations (see "Science and Life" No. 10, 1999), the stars in the constellations are numbered or given a descriptive name associated with the image of the constellation. These are the designations of the stars of the α Ursa Major bucket. For example: “On the back of the quadrangle” (meaning α Ursa Major); “The one on his side” (βBig Dipper); “The first in the tail” (ε), etc. Descriptive names of stars were also given by medieval Arab astronomers (Biruni, Ulugbek, al-Sufi and others). Next, the baton of naming stars passed to the Europeans. Thus, the book “On the Fixed Stars” by the Italian astronomer Alexandro Piccolomini (1508-1578) enjoyed great success and was reprinted 14 times. In the atlas of this astronomer, the designations of stars in Greek and with Latin letters(alphabetically, in descending order of brightness). This innovation was carried over into the famous atlas of the German astronomer Johann Bayer (1572-1625). The English astronomer John Flamsteed (1646-1719) supplemented the letter designations of stars with serial numbers, for example 61 Cygni. Interestingly, this star later received its own name - Flying Swan. But this was only later, when astronomers learned about its features: its large proper motion and the fact that it has its own solar system, which may include satellites like Jupiter.
Having provided the stars with designations (or names), determining their celestial coordinates, brightness (stellar magnitudes), astronomers, as it were, issued “passports” to the stars, which then began to include data on distance and physical characteristics(luminosity, mass, temperature, spectral class). It is not yet possible to collect such data on all stars. But the coordinates and brightness of more than 15 million stars (up to 15th magnitude) have already been determined. This is truly a colossal job.
But let's return to the proper names of the stars. First of all, we’ll talk about the most striking ones - navigation ones. In ancient times they were used for orientation at sea, and in our days - in the sea, in the air, and in space.
Let's start with the North Star (α Ursa Minor). It has at least a hundred names, and almost all of them are related to the star’s place in the sky. It is located near the North Pole of the world and is practically motionless, like a stake or nail driven into the sky. All the other stars of the northern sky, as if tied to this stake, make their eternal movement around it. That is why Polaris, far from the brightest (only 2nd magnitude), has become such an important star in our sky. Among the guiding stars, it is called the most important landmark, the compass star.
The unusual nature of this star was noticed in very ancient times by different peoples. This was reflected in the names that were assigned to the star. The peoples of our country called it: Kol, Heavenly Kol, Prikol, Prikol-star, Northern star. The Turkic name is Iron Stake, the Turkic and Mongolian name is Golden Stake, the Estonian name is Pyhyanael (northern nail). In Yugoslavia it is called Nekretnica (non-spinning). The immobility of the star is noted both in the Khakass name Khoskhar (tied horse), and in the Evenki name Buga sangarin (hole in the sky).
The main indicators of Polaris are always called the stars α Ursa Major (Dubhe) and β Ursa Major (Merak, which means the lower back). Other stars in this constellation also have their own names; let us recall Mizar (Horse) and Alcor (Horseman) - stars that were once used to test the visual acuity of future warriors.
The summer-autumn triangle is formed by the stars Vega (αLyra), Altair (αOrla) and Deneb (αCygnus). The Arabs called the main stars Eagle and Lyra - Flying Eagle and Falling Eagle. In the Biruni atlas Vega is called the Brightest. The Arabs called Deneb Bright or Hen's Tail.
Winter star triangle: Betelgeuse (αOrion), Sirius (αCanis Major) and Procyon (αCanis Minor). Every astronomy lover can easily find these navigational stars in the winter sky. Betelgeuse means "armpit of the giant" in Arabic. And the star Rigel (βOrion) means “leg”. Behind the beautiful sonorous names there is such a prosaic meaning. This is because here the names of the stars do not mark some of their personal qualities, but indicate the place of the star in the figure of the constellation.
Sirius is the brightest star not only in the winter star triangle, but also in the earth’s sky in general (minus 1.6 magnitude). The Egyptians called Sirius the Radiant Star of the Nile, Sothis, the Tear of Isis, the King of the Sun, and the Dog Star. Unlike the Egyptians, the Romans called this beautiful star very prosaically - the Little Dog (Canicula in Latin), sometimes the Sultry Little Dog. For them, its appearance coincided with the beginning of the unbearable summer heat, and many believed that this was not connected with the Sun, but with Sirius. I had to interrupt work and take vacations that lasted almost two months.
Nowadays, holidays (“dog days”), whether in winter, spring or summer, invariably delight schoolchildren and students. And for the Roman farmers this was a great disappointment; they anxiously and impatiently awaited the end of the dry period. They tried to somehow appease the gods and even sacrificed red dogs to them.
Procyon (αCanis Minor) translated from Arabic means “shedding tears”, and from Greek - “the one before the dog”, because Procyon ascends before Sirius.
The starry spring triangle is composed of Arcturus (α Bootes), Spica (α Virgo) and Denebola (β Leo). It is very easy to find Arcturus and Spica in the sky; they are located on a downward curved line (arc) that continues the handle of the Ursa Major bucket.
Arcturus, translated from Greek, means “guardian” or “guardian bear” (“arktos” means bear, one of the largest and strongest animals living in the Arctic). In the myth about the beautiful Callisto, transformed into a bear, Arcturus is identified with Arkad, the son of Callisto. He went to heaven in order to protect his mother there, whom, out of ignorance, he almost killed on earth...
Spica is the brightest star in the zodiac constellation Virgo. Once upon a time this star was called Kolos. Therefore, the constellation Virgo is often depicted as a girl with ears of corn in her hands. This is apparently explained by the fact that when the Sun is in this constellation, it is harvest time.
Denebola is just the “tail of a lion,” that is, here the name of the star is also associated with the part of the constellation in which it is located, and not with any myth.
The main star in the constellation Leo is Regulus, which means “king” in Latin. And the lion, as you know, is the king of beasts. You might think that the name of the star repeats the name of the constellation. But this is apparently not the case here. Many sources say that in this case the name of the star is more ancient than the name of the entire constellation. The “royal” name Regulus dates back to very ancient times. This star was called this way not only by Ptolemy, but also by Arab, and before them, by Babylonian astronomers.
From the name of the star Regulus comes the word regulate, which is widely used in our language: regulate movement, regularly brush your teeth or take medicine. If such a meaning was invested in the name of a star, this indicates some special importance. There is an assumption that in the old days, with the help of this star, the Egyptians determined the timing of field work, that is, they regulated them.
This star also had another name - Lionheart. It only indicates the place that the bright star occupies in the figure of the constellation.
Now let's focus on the navigation stars of the zodiac constellations Taurus, Gemini, and Scorpio.
The main star of Taurus is Aldebaran, which in Arabic means “coming after.” This is because the star moves across the sky behind the Pleiades (a beautiful open star cluster), as if catching up with them.
αTaurus had other, now almost forgotten names - Bull's Eye, Ox's Eye, Taurus's Eye. We have already talked about the origin of these kinds of names.
There are two navigational stars in Gemini: Castor (α) and Pollux (β). These are the names of the brothers, the sons of Zeus (Dioscuri) and Queen Leda. However, according to one version of the legend, only Pollux was the son of Zeus, and he was destined to become immortal. And Castor - the son of King Tyndareus (husband of Leda) - was a mere mortal prince. The brothers were inseparable and loved each other very much. Castor was famous for his ability to tame horses, and Pollux for his victories in fist fights. But then trouble came: Castor killed him cousin Idas. Having avenged Castor, Pollux began to ask Zeus to take away his immortality and give him the opportunity to die like a human. Zeus, highly appreciating brotherly love, made the recently deceased Castor immortal. He lifted the brothers into the sky, turning them into a beautiful constellation. The Dioscuri became a symbol of the change between life and death, light and darkness. And since time immemorial, sailors have been able to navigate bright stars Gemini and once upon a time they even seriously believed that these stars were capable of taming the raging elements of the sea...
You may have noticed that in Gemini the star β is brighter than the star α. This is not a mistake, this happens sometimes.
Antares - αScorpii - is also a navigation star of the first magnitude. She is almost as bright as Pollux. Antares is sometimes called the “enemy of Mars,” and in astrological fabrications, even worse, the “vampire star.” The name of the star Antares most likely comes from the name of the planet Mars. Both celestial bodies are reddish in color and appear very similar to each other when they are "next to each other" in the constellation Scorpio. In appearance they can even be confused. The words "Antares" and "Mars" seem to be completely different. But this is only at first glance. After all, the Greeks called the reddish planet Ares. The planet received the name Mars when it original name(Areus) was translated into Latin.
Scorpio is one of the constellations whose star configuration to some extent corresponds to its name. Antares adorns the chest of this poisonous creature, so the star has another name - Scorpio Heart. Astrologers usually do not skimp on gloomy prophecies when certain planets find themselves in Scorpio. This may be due to the fact that Antares is not just a red supergiant, but a double star, and because of this, the nature of its brightness is constantly changing.
And Camille Flammarion, on the contrary, wrote about Antares with extreme enthusiasm: “This is a wonderful system for the planets hanging there, near these suns, on their double network of universal gravity. How delightful it must be for the planets there to swing in the cradle of such a dual gravity emanating from this hot orange sun and another magnificent emerald luminary... Our earthly island seems like a completely pitiful, completely destitute dwelling in the face of this radiant cosmic beauty!
Of the navigation stars in the southern sky, the most famous is Canopus (αCarinae), the brightest star in the sky after Sirius (approximately minus 0.8 magnitude). Mariners used this star to navigate thousands of years before our era, and in our time Canopus has become one of the main stars of space navigation. Once upon a time, the constellation Carina was only part of the huge constellation Ship Argo (remember the legendary voyage for the Golden Fleece). The star at that time was named Suheil, which translated from Arabic means “flat of the oar.” The name was given according to its place in the constellation.
And legend associates the now accepted name of the star - Canopus - with the completion of the voyage of the Spartan fleet from Troy to the Egyptian shores near Alexandria. There, Canopus, the beloved captain of King Menelaus, died from a snake bite. It was then that the city of Canopus (now Adu-Kir) was founded, and it was then that the star was named. Its other names are also known: Alsahl (which means “diamond” in Arabic), Ptolemeon (in honor of the founder of the Egyptian dynasty of kings, Ptolemy Lygos).
Among the stars of the southern sky one cannot fail to mention at least two more magnificent bright luminaries. Fomalhaut (αSouthern Pisces) is a navigation star of the first magnitude. The name of the star is translated as “mouth of a fish” or “nose of a fish diving into the sky.” Fomalhaut is the only double star in its constellation, which is located south of Aquarius and Capricorn. She was not always a “fish” star; thousands of years ago she was called the Hermit, the Royal Star. Fomalhaut is located more than 22 light years away from us. From such a distance it is difficult to imagine that this star is almost twice the size of the Sun and approximately 14 times larger in luminosity.
In honor of Chiron, the wise centaur (half man, half horse), the constellation Centaurus (Centaur) is named. This constellation contains a star, the closest neighbor of the Sun. This is α Centauri, it is called Toliman or Rigel Centaurus, which means "foot of the Centaur". The star is distant from us at a distance of 4.3 light years. A very beautiful double star (the orbital period of the companion star is about 80 years). A red dwarf (Proxima Centauri), also a satellite of αCentauri, was discovered at an angular distance of 2 degrees from this pair. Here it is, strictly speaking, the closest sun to us (Proxima means “nearest”). So the Centauri system turned out to be triple, and it is called in the old way - Rigel Centaurus.
And finally, we cannot help but say a few words about one more star, by no means the most noticeable and bright in our Galaxy, but extremely important and dear to us - a star called the Sun. Her name is unusual, not at all similar to the names of other stars.
The Slavic word “sun” is derived from the ancient Indo-European root san - “to shine” and means “luminous”. Origin general word"star" is also the word for "light".
Much has been devoted to the names of stars. interesting books and articles that we recommend that astronomy lovers and all those who are interested in the details of this topic turn to.
Literature
Karpenko Yu. A. Names of the starry sky. - M.: Nauka, 1985.
Shcheglov P.V. Myths of the Earth reflected in the sky. - M.: Nauka, 1999.
Magazine "Earth and Universe" (articles in the sections "Legends of the Starry Sky" and "History of Science").
Journal "Science and Life" No. 2, 1978; No. 4, 1980; No. 6, 1986; No. 1, 5, 1988; No. 9, 1990; No. 10, 1995; No. 4, 8, 1996
1. ANDROMEDA (Andromeda) α Alferats ar, Al Surrat al Faras - *horse navel* Sirrah, Alpharet β Mirakh γ Alamak 2. GEMINI (Gemini) α Castor gr, the mythical name of one of the Dioscuri twins, after whom it was named the constellation itself β Pollux lat. gr. the mythical name of one of the Dioscuri twins, after whom the constellation γ Alchena sole was named? in. Algieba δ Wazad ε Mebsuta ζ Mekbuda η Pass 3. URSA MAJOR (Ursa Major) α Dubhe ar, *bear* β Merak ar, *lower back* γ Phekda ar, *thigh* δ Megrets ar. *root* (beginning of tail) ε Aliot ar., meaning is not clear ζ Mizar ar., *loincloth* η Benetash ar. *owner* Alkaid g (80) Alcor pers. *insignificant*, *forgotten* 4. BIG DOG (Canis Major) α Sirius probably from gr. seirios - *brightly burning*, possibly from Lat.gr. *shimmering*, *sparkling* or from ar. Sirai - *sparkling* or al-Shira - *opening the door* among the ancient Greeks - a dog, among the Romans - a dog (canicula) name from the name of the constellation α (B) “Puppy” is how modern astronomers nicknamed the satellite of this bright star β Mirtsam in . Mirzam δ Vezen ε Adara ζ Furud η Aludra 5. LIBRA (Libra) α Zubenesh from ar. *Northern Claw* β Zuben spruce Genubi ar. Al Zuban al Yanubiyyah - *Southern Claw* 6. AQUARIUS (Aquarius) α Sadalmelik ar. Sa'ad al Malik - *happiness of the ruler*, *happiness of the kingdom* β Sadalsuud Ar. *happiest of happy ones* γ Sadakhbia ar. *happiest of treasures* δ Skat Sheat Ar. *desire* ε Albali 7. CHARAITI (Auriga) α Capella lat. *goat*, *little goat* ar. El-Nat Sumerians, Greeks and Arabs called it *goat star* β Menkalinan ε and η Little Goats This is how the ancient Greeks called these stars Primichaniye. The star γ Aurigae is identical to β Taurus (Nat) 8. WOLF (Lupus) α Men 9. BOOTES (Bootes) α Arcturus gr. *guardian bear* β Nikkar γ Segina ε Itzar Pincherima Pulcherrima - the name was given by the Russian astronomer V. Ya. Struve in 1835 η Mufrid 10. VERONICA’S HAIR (Coma Berenices) 11. RAVEN (Corvus) α Alshiba Ar. *tent* or from ar. Al-Minhar Al-Ghurab - *raven's beak* In. Alchiba β Kratz γ Hyena δ Algorab ε Minkar 12. HERCULES (Hercules) α Ras Algeti Ar. *head of a kneeling [man]* β Korneforos γ δ Sarin 13. HYDRA (Hydra) α Alphard ar. *lonely*, or perhaps from ar. Al Faqar Al Shuja - *snake spine* in. modern Heart of the Hydra or Heart of the Great Serpent 14. DOVE (Columba) α Fact 15. HOUND DOGS (Canes Venatici) α Hara gr. *dear to the owner’s heart*, on behalf of one of the dogs, in whose honor the constellation Cor Caroli (Heart of Charles) was formed in the lane. from Cor Caroli, the name of the star was given by E. Halley in 1725. in honor of the English king Charles II β Asterion gr. *rich in stars* 16. VIRGO (Virgo) α Spica lat. *spike* β Alaraf γ Porrima δ Auva ε Vindemiatrix gr. *vinedresser*, the name of the star has been mentioned since the ancient era ζ Heze 17. DOLPHIN (Delphinus) α Sualotsin inverted Nikolaus, the name of the star was given by the astronomer of the Palermo Observatory Nikolai Venator β Rotanev 18. DRAGON (Draco) α Thuban ar. *dragon* β Rastaban γ Etamin δ Altais ι Ed Asikh? 19. UNICORN (Monoceros) 20. ALTAR (Ara) 21. PAINTER (Pictor) 22. GIRAFFE (Camelopardalis) 23. CRANE (Grus) α Alnair β γ Aldanab 24. HARE (Lepus) α Arneb ar.*hare* β Nihal 25. Ophiuchus (Ophiuchus) α Ras-Alhage ar. Ras al Hagge - *head of a snake charmer* β Kolb-ar-rai in. Tselbalrai η Sabik GL699 Barnard's Flying Named in honor of the American astronomer who discovered the fact of the unusually rapid movement of this star among other stars. 26. SNAKE (Serpens) α Unuk al Hey ar. Unuk al Hayyah - *neck of the snake* in. Unuk al Hay etc. Kor Serpentis θ Alua 27. GOLDEN FISH (Dorado) 28. INDIAN (Indus) 29. CASSIOPEIA (Cassiopeia) α Shedar ar. Al-Sadr - *chest* β Kaf γ Tsikh δ Rukba ε Segin η Akhir 30. KIL (Carina) α Canopus β Miaplacidus ε Avior 31. KIT (Cetus) α Menkar ar. Al Minhar - *nose*, *nostril* in. Menkab β Difda Deneb Keitos γ Kaffalidma ζ Baten Keitos in. Botein Keitos ι Deneb al Shemali ο Mira lat. *amazing* v Noyub? 32. CAPRICORN (Capricornus) α Algedi ar. Al Jadi - *forehead* in. Giedi β Dabi in. Dabih γ Nashira δ Deneb Algedi 33. COMPASS (Pyxis) 34. STERN (Puppis) ζ Naos 35. SWAN (Cygnus) α Deneb ar. Al Dhanab al Dajadnah - *chicken tail* β Albireo γ Sadr ε Gienah 36. LION (Leo) α Regulus ar. *king*, lat. *prince* β Denebola ar. *Lion's tail* γ Algieba δ Zosma θ Tsoksa 37. FLYING FISH (Volans) 38. LYRA (Lyra) α Vega ar. al-vaki - *falling* or from ar. Wakki - *vulture bird* β Sheliak γ Sulafat 39. CHANTELLER (Vilpecula) 40. URSA MINOR (Ursa Minor) α Polar Russian. etc. Kinosura. Among the Arabs - *kid* β Kohab ar. *northern* γ Ferkad δ Yildun β and ε Horevts gr. 41. SMALL HORSE (Equuleus) α Kitalfa ar. al Kitah al Faras - *part of a horse* 42. SMALL LION (Leo Minor) 43. SMALL DOG (Canis Minor) α Procyon β Gomeisa 44. MICROSCOPE 45. FLY (Musca) 46. PUMP (Antila) 47. SQUARE (Norma) 48. ARIES (Aries) α Gamal β Sheratan γ Mesarthim δ Botein 49. OCTANT (Octant) 50. EAGLE (Aquila) α Altair β Alshain γ Tarazed 51. ORION (Orion) α Betelgeuse β Rigel γ Bellatrix δ Mintaka ε Alnilam ζ Alnitak κ Saif π3 Thabit 52. PEACOCK (Pavo) α Peacock 53. SAILS (Vela) γ Regor λ Al Suhail 54. PEGASUS (Pegasus) α Markab β Sheat γ Algenib ε Enif ζ Homam η Matar θ Baham μ Sadalbari 55. PERSEUS (Perseus) α Mirfak β Algol κ Misam ο Atik ξ Menkib 56. OVEN (Fornax) 57. BIRD OF PARADISE (Apus) 58. CANCER (Cancer) α Akubens β Tarf 59. INCISER (Caelum) 60. FISH (Pisces) α Alrisha 61. LYNX (Lynx) 62. NORTHERN CROWN (Corona Borealis) α Alphecca Gemma β Nusakan 63. SEXTANT (Sextans) 64. NET (Reticulum) 65. SCORPIO (Scorpius) α Antares β Acrab δ Jubba θ Sargass λ Shaula 66. SCULPTOR (Sculptor) 67. TABLE MOUNTAIN ( Mensa) 68. ARROW (Sagitta) 69. SAGITTARIUS (Sagittarius) α Al-Rishi (Al-Rami, Rukbat) from Ar. Rukbat alb Rami - *arrow's knee* δ Kaus Meridionalis in. Acrab ε Kaus Australis ζ Ascella (Askella) λ Kaus Borealis σ Nunki 70. TELESCOPE (Telescopium) 71. TAURUS (Taurus) α Aldebaran ar. Al Dabaran - *next, following* in. Ox Eye β Nat η Alcyone (Alcyone) – from the Pleiades Pleiades: q - Taygeta, 17 - Electra, 20 - Maya, 27 - Atlas, 28 Pleione, 21 Asterope (Sterope), 23 Merope, Keleno. 7 Pleiades, the remaining 2 were added (received names) by G. Riccioli (1598-1671) in honor of the parents of the Pleiades Atlas and Pleione. Hyades: Theropes, Clea. Eudora, Faeo – γ, δ, ε, σ Taurus. Their names were mentioned by Hesiod in the 7th century BC. 72. TRIANGLE (Triangulum) 73. TOUCAN (Tucana) 74. PHOENIX (Phoenix) α Ankaa 75. CHAMELEON (Chamaeleon) 76. CENTAUR (Centaurus) α A Toliman (Rigl Centaurus - Ar. *centaur leg*) α B Proxima ( Nearest) β Hadar (Algena, Agena) θ Menkent 77. CEPHEUS (Cepheus) α Alderamin ar. Dhira Al Amin - *right hand* β Alfirk (Alfekka) γ Alrai (Arlana) μ Erakis (Garnet) the name was given by W. Herschel 78. COMPASS (Circinus) 79. CLOCK (Horologium) 80. BOWL (Crater) α Alkes ar. *bowl* 81. SHIELD (Scutum) 82. ERIDAN (Eridanus) α Achernar ar. *end of the river* β Kursa in. Akar γ Zaurak in. Zaimak δ Rana θ Akamar in. Bade? 83. SOUTHERN HYDRA (Hudrus) 84. SOUTHERN CROWN (Corona Australis) 85. SOUTHERN FISH (Piscis Austrinus) α Fomalhaut ar. Fum Al Khut - *mouth of the southern fish* 86. SOUTHERN CROSS (Crux) α Acrux β Becrux in. Mimosa γ Gacrux in. Kostrix δ Vetrix 87. SOUTHERN TRIANGLE (Triangulum Australe) α Atria 88. LIZARD (Lacerta) According to the list here - 203 stars that have names and also “second”, “other” names of stars of a different origin - 27 (without altering the pronunciation). There are 230 star names in total.
To planetarium lecture-goers who craned their necks to see the stars projected above their heads, I used to repeat: “If you can’t see the Big Dipper overhead, don’t worry. sees".
Ancient people divided the sky into imaginary figures, such as Ursa Major, Cygnus, Perseus and Andromeda. Each figure corresponded to a certain configuration of stars. Although, to be honest, for most people Andromeda does not at all resemble the silhouette of a chained girl or anything else like that (Fig. 1.2).
Rice. 1.2. Is Andromeda chained?
Today the sky is divided into 88 constellations, which include all visible stars. International Astronomical Union, highest governing body in astronomy, defines the boundaries of constellations so that there is a clear division into which constellation each star belongs to. Previously, sky maps were drawn by different astronomers who did not adhere to common standards. But it doesn't have to be that way. When you read that the Tarantula Nebula is located in the Dorado constellation (details in Chapter 12), you know that you need to look for it in the Dorado constellation, located in the Southern Hemisphere.
The largest constellation is Hydra, and the smallest is the Southern Cross. There is actually a Northern Cross, but you won't find it in the list of constellations because it is an asterism in the constellation Cygnus. There is general agreement on the names of the constellations, but there is no agreement on what each name means. For example, some astronomers call the constellation Doradus "Swordfish", but I am in favor of rejecting this name. And the constellation Serpens is divided into two disconnected parts located on both sides of the constellation Ophiuchus - the Head of the Serpent (Serpens Caput) and the Tail of the Serpent (Serpens Cauda).
Individual stars in a constellation are usually not connected in any way, they just appear to be located nearby from Earth. Some stars may be located relatively close to Earth, while others may be at much greater distances. But for an observer from Earth they form a certain pattern.
As a rule, all the bright stars in a constellation were assigned a Greek letter by the ancient Greeks or astronomers of later times. The brightest star in any constellation is usually called "alpha" (the first letter of the Greek alphabet). The second brightest star is called "beta" (the second letter of the Greek alphabet), etc.
That's why Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky - which is in the constellation Canis Major - is called Alpha Canis Majoris. (Astronomers add endings to names to get the Latin Genitive. What can you do, scientists have always loved Latin.) In the table. 1.1 shows a list of letters of the Greek alphabet in order - the names of the letters and their corresponding symbols.
But if you look at the constellations today, it becomes clear that the order of brightness of the stars does not always exactly correspond to the Greek letters indicated on the star map. These exceptions are caused by the following.
Letters were assigned based on naked eye observations, which are not very accurate.
Many of the smaller constellations and constellations of the Southern Hemisphere were mapped not during the time of Ancient Greece, but much later, so the previous rules were not always followed.
Many centuries after the ancient Greeks, the brightness of some stars changed.
An example is the constellation Vulpecula, in which only one star is assigned a Greek letter (alpha).
Astronomers don't have special names, such as Sirius, for each star in the constellation Canis Major, so they simply name them with Greek letters or other symbols. In fact, there are constellations in which there is not a single named star. (Do not “buy” advertising that offers to name a star for a certain amount of money. The International Astronomical Union does not recognize “purchased” star names.) In other constellations, the stars were assigned Greek letters, but it turned out that there were more than 24 easily distinguishable stars in them, And greek letters wasn't enough. Therefore, astronomers have assigned numbers and letters of the Latin alphabet to many stars: for example, 236 Cygni, b Vulpeculae, HR 1516, etc. There are even stars called RU Lupi and SX Sex (honestly, I mean that I didn’t make it up at all). But like any other stars, they can be identified not by their names, but by their position in the sky (indicated in astronomical tables), brightness, color and other characteristics.
If you look in a star atlas, you will see that individual stars in the constellation are not marked as d. When in some astronomical magazine you read about a star that is proposed in the list of objects to observe, then most likely it will not be mentioned either as Alpha Canis Majoris, not even as Cma; "Cma" is an abbreviation of Canis Majoris. Abbreviated designations of constellations are given in table. 1.2.
Because alpha is not always the brightest star in a constellation, another term is needed to describe the "high" status of the brightest star. This term - lucida(lucida). Lucida Canis Major - Sirius (in this case - simply 46 Leo Minoris).
In table 1.2 lists 88 constellations, their brightest stars and the magnitudes of the latter. Magnitude is a measure of the brightness of a star. (We'll talk about magnitudes a little later in the section "Smaller is Brighter: What is Magnitude.") If a constellation's lucida coincides with its alpha and it has a name, I'll just give it. For example, the brightest star in the constellation Auriga is Capella, aka
Identifying stars would be much easier if, like conference delegates, they had little name tags that could be seen through a telescope.
The night sky amazes with its beauty and countless number of heavenly fireflies. What is especially fascinating is that their arrangement is structured, as if they were specially placed in the right order, forming star systems. Since ancient times, stargazers have tried to count all these myriads of heavenly bodies and give them names. Open today great amount stars in the sky, but this is only a small part of all existing vast Universe. Let's look at what constellations and luminaries there are.
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Stars and their classification
A star is a celestial body that emits enormous amounts of light and heat.
It consists mainly of helium (lat. Helium), as well as (lat. Hydrogenium).
The celestial body is in a state of equilibrium due to the pressure inside the body itself and its own.
Emits warmth and light as a result of thermonuclear reactions, occurring inside the body.
What types are there depending on life cycle and structures:
- Main sequence. This is the main life cycle of the star. This is exactly what it is, as well as the vast majority of others.
- Brown dwarf. A relatively small, dim object with a low temperature. The first one was opened in 1995.
- White dwarf. At the end of its life cycle, the ball begins to shrink until its density balances gravity. Then it goes out and cools down.
- Red giant. Huge body highlighting a large number 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 the release of a large amount of light.
- Hypernova. This is a supernova, but much larger.
- Bright Blue Variables (LBV). The biggest and also the hottest.
- Ultra X-ray sources (ULX). They release large amounts of radiation.
- Neutron. Characterized by rapid rotation and a strong magnetic field.
- Unique. Double, with different sizes.
Types depending 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 may actually be two, three, five or even hundreds of bodies of one system.
Names of stars and constellations
The stars have always fascinated us. They became the object of study, both from the mystical side (astrology, alchemy) and from the scientific side (astronomy). People looked for them, calculated them, counted them, put them into constellations, and also give them names. Constellations are clusters of celestial bodies located in a certain 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 they received from ancient times. Stars mostly have Arabic names.
The fact is that when astronomy was actively developing everywhere, western world experienced the “dark ages”, so its development lagged significantly behind. Here Mesopotamia was most successful, China less so.
The Arabs not only discovered new but they also renamed the heavenly bodies, who already had a Latin or Greek name. They went down in history with Arabic names. The constellations 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 largest, not the brightest, but it is closest to us.
The most beautiful luminaries with the greatest brightness. The first among them:
- Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris);
- Canopus (Alpha Carinae);
- Toliman (Alpha Centauri);
- Arcturus (Alpha Bootes);
- Vega (Alpha Lyrae).
Naming periods
Conventionally, we can distinguish several periods in which people gave names to heavenly bodies.
Pre-Antique period
Since ancient times, people have tried to “understand” the sky and gave the night luminaries names. No more than 20 names from those times have reached us. Scientists from Babylon, Egypt, Israel, Assyria and Mesopotamia worked actively here.
Greek period
The Greeks didn't really 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 attributed them to existing titles. All astronomical knowledge of ancient Greece, as well as Babylon, was collected Greek scientist Ptolemy Claudius(I-II centuries) 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 celestial bodies described in the Almagest
| Name of the stars | Name of constellations | Description, location |
| Sirius | Big dog | Located in the mouth of the constellation. She is also called the Dog. The brightest of the night sky. |
| Procyon | Small dog | On the hind legs. |
| Arcturus | Bootes | Did not enter Bootes form. It is located below it. |
| Regulus | a lion | Located in the heart of Leo. Also called Tsarskaya. |
| Spica | Virgo | On the left hand. It has another name - Kolos. |
| Antares | Scorpion | Located in the middle. |
| Vega | Lyra | Located on the sink. Another name is Alpha Lyra. |
| Chapel | Auriga | Left shoulder. Also called - Goat. |
| Canopus | Ship Argo | On the keel of the ship. |
Tetrabiblos is another work of Ptolemy Claudius in four books. The list of celestial bodies is supplemented here.
Roman period
The Roman Empire was engaged in the study of astronomy, but when this science began to actively develop, Rome fell. And behind the state, its science fell into decay. However, about a hundred stars have Latin names, although this does not guarantee that they were given names their scientists are from Rome.
Arab period
The fundamental work of the Arabs in the study of astronomy was the work of Ptolemy Almagest. Most they translated to Arabic. Based on the religious beliefs of the Arabs, they replaced the names of some of the luminaries. Names were often given based on the location of the body in the constellation. So, many of them have names or parts of names meaning neck, leg or tail.
Table of Arabic names
| Arabic name | Meaning | Stars with Arabic names | Constellation |
| Ras | Head | Alpha Hercules | Hercules |
| Algenib | Side | Alpha Persei, Gamma Persei | Perseus |
| Menkib | Shoulder | Alpha Orionis, Alpha Pegasus, Beta Pegasus, Beta Aurigae, Zeta Persei, Phita Centauri |
Pegasus, Perseus, Orion, Centaurus, Auriga |
| Rigel | Leg | Alpha Centauri, Beta Orionis, Mu Virgo | Centaurus, Orion, Virgo |
| Rukba | Knee | Alpha Sagittarius, Delta Cassiopeia, Upsilon Cassiopeia, Omega Cygnus | Sagittarius, Cassiopeia, Swan |
| Sheat | Shin | Beta Pegasus, Delta Aquarius | Pegasus, Aquarius |
| Mirfak | Elbow | Alpha Persei, Capa Hercules, Lambda Ophiuchus, Phita and Mu Cassiopeia | Perseus, Ophiuchus, Cassiopeia, Hercules |
| Menkar | Nose | Alpha Ceti, Lambda Ceti, Upsilon Crow | Keith, Raven |
| Markab | That which moves | Alpha Pegasus, Tau Pegasus, Cape of Sails | Ship Argo, Pegasus |
Renaissance
Since the 16th century in Europe, antiquity has been revived, and with it science. Arabic names did not change, but Arabic-Latin hybrids often appeared.
New clusters of celestial bodies were practically not discovered, but old ones were supplemented with new objects. A significant event of that time was the release of the starry atlas “Uranometry”.
Its compiler was the amateur astronomer Johann Bayer (1603). On the atlas he painted an artistic image of the constellations.
And most importantly, he suggested principle of naming luminaries with the addition of letters from 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 Scorpii is Alpha Scorpii, the less bright Beta Scorpii, then Gamma Scorpii, etc.
Nowadays
With the advent of powerful ones, a huge number of luminaries began to be discovered. Now they are not given beautiful names, but are simply assigned an index with a digital and alphabetic code. But it happens that celestial bodies give personal names. They are called by names scientific discoverers, and now you can even buy the opportunity to name the luminary as you wish.
Important! The sun is not part of any constellation.
What are the constellations?
Initially, the figures were figures formed by bright luminaries. Nowadays scientists use them as landmarks of the celestial sphere.
The most famous constellations in alphabetical order:
- Andromeda. Located in the northern hemisphere of the celestial sphere.
- Twins. The brightest luminaries are Pollux and Castor. Zodiac sign.
- Big Dipper. Seven stars forming the image of a ladle.
- Big Dog. It has the brightest star in the sky - Sirius.
- Scales. Zodiac, consisting of 83 objects.
- Aquarius. Zodiac, with an asterism forming a jug.
- Auriga. Its most outstanding object is the Chapel.
- Wolf. Located in the southern hemisphere.
- Bootes. The brightest luminary is Arcturus.
- Veronica's hair. Consists of 64 visible objects.
- Crow. It is best seen in mid-latitudes.
- Hercules. Has 235 visible objects.
- Hydra. The most important luminary is Alphard.
- Pigeon. 71 bodies of the southern hemisphere.
- Hound Dogs. 57 visible objects.
- Virgo. Zodiac, with the brightest body - Spica.
- Dolphin. Visible everywhere except Antarctica.
- The Dragon. North hemisphere, almost a pole.
- Unicorn. Located on the milky way.
- Altar. 60 visible stars.
- Painter. Includes 49 objects.
- Giraffe. Faintly visible in the northern hemisphere.
- Crane. The brightest is Alnair.
- Hare. 72 celestial bodies.
- Ophiuchus. The 13th sign of the zodiac, but not included in this list.
- Snake. 106 luminaries.
- Golden Fish. 32 objects visible to the naked eye.
- Indian. Faintly visible constellation.
- Cassiopeia. It's shaped like the letter "W".
- Keel. 206 objects.
- Whale. Located in the “water” zone of the sky.
- Capricorn. Zodiac, southern hemisphere.
- Compass. 43 visible luminaries.
- Stern. Located on the milky way.
- Swan. Located in the northern part.
- A lion. Zodiac, northern part.
- Flying fish. 31 objects.
- Lyra. The brightest luminary is Vega.
- Chanterelle. Dim.
- Ursa Minor. Located above the North Pole. It has the North Star.
- Small Horse. 14 luminaries
- Small Dog. Bright constellation.
- Microscope. South part.
- Fly. At the equator.
- Pump. Southern sky.
- Square. Passes through the Milky Way.
- Aries. Zodiacal, having bodies Mezarthim, Hamal and Sheratan.
- Octant. At the South Pole.
- Eagle. At the equator.
- Orion. Has a bright object - Rigel.
- Peacock. Southern Hemisphere.
- Sail. 195 luminaries of the southern hemisphere.
- Pegasus. South of Andromeda. Its brightest stars are Markab and Enif.
- Perseus. It was discovered by Ptolemy. The first object is Mirfak.
- Bake. Almost invisible.
- Bird of paradise. Located near the south pole.
- Cancer. Zodiac, faintly visible.
- Cutter. South part.
- Fish. A large constellation divided into two parts.
- Lynx. 92 visible luminaries.
- Northern Crown. Crown shape.
- Sextant. At the equator.
- Net. Consists of 22 objects.
- Scorpion. The first luminary is Antares.
- Sculptor. 55 celestial bodies.
- Sagittarius. Zodiac.
- Calf. Zodiac. Aldebaran is the brightest object.
- Triangle. 25 stars.
- Toucan. This is where the Small Magellanic Cloud is located.
- Phoenix. 63 luminaries.
- Chameleon. Small and dim.
- Centaurus. Its brightest star for us, Proxima Centauri, is the closest to the Sun.
- Cepheus. Has the shape of a triangle.
- Compass. Near Alpha Centauri.
- Watch. It has an elongated shape.
- Shield. Near the equator.
- Eridanus. Big constellation.
- South Hydra. 32 celestial bodies.
- Southern Crown. Dimly visible.
- Southern Fish. 43 objects.
- South Cross. In the form of a cross.
- Southern Triangle. Has the shape of a triangle.
- Lizard. No bright objects.
What are the constellations of the Zodiac?
Zodiac signs - constellations through which the earth passes through throughout the year, forming a conditional ring around the system. Interestingly, there are 12 accepted zodiac signs, although Ophiuchus, which is not considered a zodiac, is also located on this ring.
Attention! There are no constellations.
By and large, there are no figures at all made up of celestial bodies.
After all, when we look at the sky, we perceive it as plane in two dimensions, but the luminaries are located not on a plane, but in space, at a huge distance from each other.
They do not form any pattern.
Let's say that light from Proxima Centauri, closest to the Sun, reaches us in almost 4.3 years.
And from another object of the same star system, Omega Centauri, it reaches the earth in 16 thousand years. All divisions are quite arbitrary.
Constellations and stars - sky map, interesting facts
Names of stars and constellations
Conclusion
It is impossible to calculate a reliable number of celestial bodies in the Universe. You can't even get close to the exact number. Stars unite into galaxies. Our Milky Way galaxy alone numbers about 100,000,000,000. From Earth using the most powerful telescopes About 55,000,000,000 galaxies can be detected. With the advent Hubble telescope, which is in Earth's orbit, scientists have discovered about 125,000,000,000 galaxies, and each has billions, hundreds of billions of objects. What is clear is that there are at least a trillion trillion luminaries in the Universe, but this is only a small part of what is real.
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