In the world there are enough things, concepts and phenomena that cause admiration. Take at least the starry sky. It is as mysterious as magnificent. The study of stars began back in the VI millennium BC. e. Even then they began to unite in groups. A constellation is not only a cluster of stars, but also part of the firmament. However, where do the stars come from? There are several legends that lift the veil over this mystery.
The history of the stars
Many stars, especially bright and beautiful, got names. However, none of the scientists today can say where they came from. According to one legend, the stars are the eyes of the boys who escaped to heaven. They caught the bird and ordered it to tie a liana to the strongest tree in heaven. When the bird did everything, the boys began to climb up it. However, their mothers noticed this and began to ask the children to return. But the sons were deaf to requests. Then the mothers began to scramble after them to return the spoilers. When the last boy climbed up to heaven, he cut the vine, and the women who fell down turned into animals. Since that time, the guys had to watch their actions from heaven every night as a punishment. And the stars are their eyes.
There is another legend that tells about the appearance of stars in the sky. She says that a long time ago near a small village was a lake in which mermaids lived. During the day, they swam and frolic with fish and other marine inhabitants, and at night they went ashore, sang and danced. By the way, mermaids never had tails. These creatures were no different from ordinary girls. The villagers believed that it was impossible to look at the singing and dancing mermaids, therefore they did not leave the house at night. But one guy decided to challenge this belief. He went to the lake at night and hid behind a tree. As soon as it got dark, mermaids began to come out of the reservoir. They had fun all night, and with the advent of the sun went back to the lake. And suddenly one of them (the one that came last) noticed the boy. She did not begin to tell the rest of her friends about this, but she wanted to live on earth, together with people. She decided in the morning to go and find the village. The mermaid walked through the forest all day, but she still could not find the village. As soon as it began to get dark, she saw the lights in the windows of the houses, and realized that she was very close to her dream. She also understood that it was hard for her to breathe without water, so she was not destined to live among people. The mermaid burst into tears of bitterness and resentment and hit her with water on her hands. However, the drops did not fall back into the lake, but rose into the sky and turned into stars, as a symbol of unfulfilled dreams. And each new sparkling dot in the sky is someone else's dream, which is not destined to come true.
If we talk about scientific hypotheses, then they associate the appearance of stars with the compression of gas-dust condensations in molecular clouds. However, no scientist can explain where clumps in molecular clouds come from and why they are compressed. Opinions are divided. Some researchers believe that molecular clouds are kept from being compressed by the magnetic field that is present in it. And in those places where this field begins to weaken, and clots form that act as stellar nuclei. And what about their opponents? And they say that stellar nuclei are the result of randomly colliding chaotic flows of matter. Neither the first nor the second version has a sufficient evidence base, and therefore it is impossible to say what is the real cause of star formation.
Constellations - one of the most amazing shows
As already mentioned, a constellation is a certain group of stars. Currently, scientists are talking about the existence of 88 such clusters. We will not consider each of them, but dwell on the most famous ones. Let's talk about how constellations look , the names of which are well known to everyone. Most of us often heard and even used these names in our speech, but far from everyone managed to find some or other star clusters on the sky map. And this is not surprising, because the night sky is literally dotted with myriads of flickering dots, and to assemble them into a concrete figure oh how difficult. Constellations differ in shape, the number of celestial bodies that enter them, size and age. And, probably, everyone has their own story. The names of stars and constellations, which we will consider, are usually associated with legends and folk tales. We will offer some of them to your attention a little lower, and now a little more theory.
Classification
There are large and small constellations. The first include Ursa Major, Hercules, Pegasus, Aquarius, Bootes, Andromeda. The second - the Southern Cross, Chameleon, Flying Fish, Small Dog, Bird of Paradise. Of course, we called only a small fraction, the most famous.
Astronomers divided the sky map into 2 parts: southern and northern (by analogy with the hemispheres of the Earth). Thus, the constellations distinguish between southern and northern. We will name the most famous of them. There are more significant constellations in the northern sky. The southern has always been a guide for sailors. By the way, it is the latter that is considered the center of our galaxy, and the former - its edge. Constellations of the Northern Hemisphere: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Dragon, Swan, Lyra, Bootes and others. The Southern ones include the Southern Cross, Centaurus, Fly, Altar, Southern Triangle, etc. The night sky map is fascinating, and each cluster of stars is beautiful in my own way.
Some "heavenly compasses" are visible all 365 days a year, and some can only be seen during a certain period (say, Hydra, Leo and Ursa Major are clearly visible in April). Therefore, the question of when to observe the constellations can be precisely answered only as follows: every night. And some star clusters will not work at all. For example, the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere are not always "shown" to the inhabitants of the northern latitudes. Although the same Leo can be found in the Northern Hemisphere in spring and in the Southern Hemisphere in autumn.
Ursa Constellation
The constellation that even children recognize in heaven is Ursa Major. It is the third largest and has the shape of a bucket. In any case, we think so, but this is only an apparent appearance. Few people know that Ursa Major consists of 125 stars. This constellation got its name because of its shape. And the appearance in heaven is obliged, according to legend, Zeus.
Once a thunderer was in love with the beautiful Callisto. However, this upset Zeus's wife. In revenge, she turned a rival into a bear, which her son nearly killed, the hunter Arkas, who returned home and saw a wild beast. Zeus himself prevented this. And he placed Callisto in the sky with Arkas and his dog. Now the son must guard the mother in heaven. Arkas turned into the constellation Bootes, and his dog is Ursa Minor. Here is such an interesting legend.
Ursa Constellation is located 70 light years from Earth. With the naked eye, you can distinguish 7 stars, which are considered the main ones. These are Dubhe, Merak, Fekda, Megrets, Aliot, Mizar, Benetnash. They form a bucket that is clearly visible in the night sky. All these stars, except Dubhe, are hot white giants. Dubhe is an orange giant star.
Near Bolshoi is also Ursa Minor. The highlight of this constellation is that it contains the North Star - the most famous in the entire sky. She is a supergiant. In addition to Polaris, the constellation includes Kokhab, Ferkhad, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta and Eta Ursa Minor.
Every night you can see these constellations in the sky. Photo Ursa Major really resembles the shape of a beast. In order to find the North Star, you need to mentally connect the extreme points of the large bucket and extend this line up. Its length should be approximately equal to 5 lines connecting the extreme stars of Ursa Major.
Orion
Another treasure of the starry sky is the constellation Orion. It is one of the largest and most interesting. According to legend, this constellation is the personification of the hunter Orion. He once went to the forests of Kiferon. However, the day was so hot that all the guy’s thoughts were only looking for a stream with cool water, where he could quench his thirst. Orion found such a stream, and nearby I saw a wonderful cave, covered with greenery. When the hunter came closer, he saw Artemis resting with his nymphs. The hunting goddess at that time wanted to swim in the lake, and the nymphs who saw Orion cried out, having managed to close their mistress from the eyes of a mortal. However, Artemis was angry and turned Orion into a deer, leaving him with the human mind. The hunter rushed to run away, and his dogs chased after him. Orion wanted to shout to them that he is their master, but can deer really speak? Dogs caught up with him and tore him to shreds. The gods had mercy on the unfortunate and left in heaven in the form of a constellation. Do not forget the hounds.
This southern constellation has 2 main stars - Rigel and Betelgeuse. They are one of the brightest in the sky. It is also interesting that in addition to bright light, nothing else unites them. The crossbar is a hot bluish-white star, and Betelgeuse belongs to the cold red supergiants. If we consider the size of these celestial bodies, then Betelgeuse is much larger. But her temperature is much lower than that of Rigel. Therefore, the light emitted by her is not so bright. There are also gas nebulae that adorn this constellation. A photo of Orion looks very beautiful. Agree, to trace some kind of relationship between individual stars and combine them into a specific figure, you need to have a powerful fantasy. And people have put 88 such schemes on the sky map!
Canis constellation
The appearance of this constellation in the sky is associated with the legend of Orion. Since this hunter had 2 favorite dogs, there are also 2 constellations in the sky - Big and Small Dog. We will briefly consider each of them.
The Canis Minor constellation is quite small. It is decorated with the star Procyon. It is very close to the Sun, and therefore stands out in the sky. By nature, Procyon is a yellowish subgiant.
The constellation Canis Major is located in the southern hemisphere. Its decoration is white-blue Sirius. This star can change color from blue to red and is one of the brightest and largest in this constellation. It can even be called the brightest in the sky. The blue hot star Mirzam is also very beautiful. Its brightness changes every few hours. This cluster of celestial bodies is rich in a large number of galaxies and nebulae. The constellation of Dog in Montenegro is especially clearly visible.
Swan
Swan owes his appearance in heaven to the almighty Zeus. According to legend, once the ancient Greek supreme god saw the beautiful Leda. She was the wife of King Sparta Tyndareus. But what did it mean in the eyes of Zeus? He liked Leda so much that he decided to make her his lover. Only the jealousy of his wife Hera terrified him. Therefore, a thunderer in the guise of a white swan flew to a meeting with a beautiful woman. And after some time, a woman and a son were born to the woman. The gods immortalized the image of a swan in heaven as a symbol of the love of Zeus and Leda.
This northern constellation has another name - the Northern Cross. You can find it near Cepheus. His brightest stars are Deneb, Sadr and Albireo.
a lion
Legends of the constellations say that the Nemean Leo is the prototype of Leo, located in the sky. This animal once instilled fear and horror in people. To get rid of him, King Eurystheus turned to Heracles for help. He immediately went in search of the Nemean Lion. He spent the whole day searching for the monster, but all efforts were in vain. And as soon as night fell on the ground, the lion itself betrayed itself with a terrifying roar. It did not take much time for the hero to get to the monster's den. Taking a closer look, he saw 2 exits from the cave in which the Nemean Lion lived. Hercules laid stones at one of the exits, and hid himself near the other. When the animal appeared, Hercules began to shower him with arrows from the bow. However, they all bounced off the skin of the monster, without causing him the slightest harm. Then the fearless hero rushed to the beast and strangled him. But the Nemean Lion came to heaven thanks to the same Zeus, who wanted to leave people a reminder of the deed of his son.
This northern constellation really looks like a lion with a lush mane. Want to find him on a map of the night sky? Then lower your gaze slightly below the hind legs of Ursa Major. This constellation contains several bright stars. However, the most striking is Regulus. Slightly dimmer - Denebola and Zosma.
Virgo
If we turn to Greek mythology, the prototype of the constellation Virgo is the goddess of fertility Demeter. She had a daughter Persephone, whose father was the almighty Zeus. Persephone was very sweet and loved life. However, Zeus promised to give her in marriage to Hades. As soon as the time came, the god of the underworld kidnapped Persephone and took him to the kingdom of shadows. Day and night, Demeter shed tears. In her sadness, she could not think of anything but her daughter. All plants began to wither, and hunger seized the Earth. The only salvation for all the living was Persephone's return to her mother. Zeus Aida then asked to let the girl go. The lord of darkness could not but obey. However, before parting, he forced the beauty to swallow pomegranate seeds, which is a symbol of the continuity of marriage. Thus, Persephone could not forget her husband. Zeus arranged the life of Persephone as follows: for 2/3 years she was on Olympus with her mother, and 1/3 - with Hades. Seeing her daughter, Demeter blossomed with happiness, and again the fields turned green and the birds began to sing. But as soon as the daughter went to her husband, Demeter was sad, and on the earth there came a time of snow blizzards.
This constellation cannot be attributed to the brightest. However, its dimensions are quite impressive. It is located to the left of Leo and below Bootes and has the shape of a curved quadrangle. The brightest star of the Virgin is Spica. The rest are inferior to her in this parameter. The most significant of them are Porrima and Vindemeatrix.
Ophiuchus
As already mentioned, many names of stars and constellations are associated with ancient myths. Ophiuchus is no exception. This constellation immortalized the memory of the healer Asclepius, the son of Apollo. One day he saw a snake bring medicinal herbs to his girlfriend. Thus, he learned the secrets of healing and could even resurrect the dead. Zeus was afraid that all of humanity would become immortal, and killed the healer with a lightning strike. However, he left him a place in the starry sky.
This constellation is large enough. Its appearance resembles a polygon that does not have a clear shape. It is located near Hercules. Ophiuchus contains 3 bright stars: Rasalhag, Cebalray and Sabik.
Pegasus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Andromeda and Perseus
There is a legend that links as many as five constellations. These are Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Andromeda, Pegasus and Perseus. Once upon a time, King Cepheus ruled Ethiopia. He had a beautiful wife, Queen Cassiopeia. In this marriage, the daughter of Andromeda was born, who surpassed in beauty even her mother. Once the king boasted the beauty of his daughter, being surrounded by Nereids. The mythical inhabitants of the sea envied her and complained to the mighty Poseidon. The lord of the seas sent a monster to Ethiopia, from which flames erupted from his mouth. The only thing that could save the country from destruction was the Andromeda sacrifice. Then he tied his own daughter to the rock of Cepheus. However, at this time Perseus flew past Pegasus. Seeing the girl, he entered into a battle with the monster and defeated him. All the main participants in this legend were transferred to heaven. Since then, the constellations Pegasus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Andromeda and Perseus have been adorning the sky.
Pegasus in shape resembles a square and contains the star Alferats, which is extreme in Andromeda. In addition to her, there are 4 more bright heavenly bodies. These are Markab, Sheat, Algenib and Enif. The constellation Andromeda has in its composition 3 bright stars: Alferats, Mirah, Almakh.
Centaurus
This is the southern constellation. Its prototype is the centaur Chiron, who was the son of the god of the time of Kronos. He was a wise teacher. His students were Achilles, Jason and others. Once his friend Hercules fired a random arrow and mortally wounded Chiron. The gods, in reward for his achievements, decided to give the centaur a place in the sky in the form of a constellation.
There is not a single person who would not admire the starry sky. A constellation is something as mysterious as it is beautiful. It has its own history and its own life. Unfortunately, we are not much interested in this, so not everyone knows beautiful legends about the constellations. Some constellations are large and bright, some are small, but from this they do not become less beautiful.