A look at Constellations and Their Origins
October 12th 2008 06:48
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A look at the constellation of Orion the Hunter.
The stars that make up the constellation of Orion the Hunter and the big Dipper are perhaps the most recognizable patterns of stars in the northern sky. For us people down-under it’s the Southern Cross.
What is the makeup of constellations?
The constellations are imaginary they perhaps evolved from ancient cultures religious beliefs, nomadic tribes of hunter gathers, poets, farmers and astronomers. These imaginary images in the sky may have interesting names but they remain illusions a representation of mythical beasts, people, ships and many other objects made up over the past 7,000 years.
The Australian indigenous culture have stories of how the stars were born that goes back some 40 thousand years. The Egyptians saw the constellation of Orion as the god Osiris holding the star Aldebaran.The constellations are in Latin, because Latin was once the language of learning. The names used by the Greeks, Egyptians, & other people were translated into Latin.
Apart from the cultural and religious aspects the constellations were also used for navigation and planting crops.
The real purpose for the constellations is to help form a pictorial icon in our mind that helps us see which stars are which, nothing more. On a really dark night, you can see about 1000 to 1600 stars. Trying to tell which is which is not easy.
If we take the constellation of Orion for example, a popular constellation known worldwide . Even in conversation when I have been taking to people about the stars in the night sky some people may not know it’s called Orion but the descriptions people make about the Orion constellation is interesting because the images they see is purely a representational image of what they perceive. A common description people give is the saucepan or saucepan handle. Orion looks different form the southern hemisphere because we see the constellations upside down.
The constellations help by breaking up the sky into more manageable sections. They are used as iconic reference points, or memory aids. For example, one evening you are out looking at the night sky you see three bright stars in a row you may conclude, That's part of constellation, you might rush inside and get a star guide (not the astrological section) the map shows three stars in a row, plus some other bright stars within the constellation the rest falls into place.
The surrounding stars are Betelgeuse in Orion's left shoulder and Rigel is his foot. You begin to picture in your mind’s eye the hunter Orion you recognize Orion. If Orion the hunter is about then Orion's Hunting Dogs are also nearby. Then you might recognize the two bright stars in the upper and lower left as Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major (big dog little dog).
Getting to know your way in the night
Getting to know your way in the night sky becomes a little easier , perhaps one of the best constellation to get to know is Orion, Orion is a great constellation to start with because it has a series of stars in row formation, it also has a number of bright stars to act a guide markers. One of the brightest stars is Sirius followed by Rigel and Betelgeuse. These three bright stars form the perimeter of Orion.
The most obvious features people see in Orion is the three stars that make up what most people consider the belt of the hunter. Mintaka , the star located on the west side of the belt, comes from the Arabic word for belt. Alnilam, the center star in the belt, translated from Arabic meaning "a belt of pearls". And Alnitak, the eastern-most star, means the girdle. The Orion constellation is spectacular to see with the naked eye, especially when seen from a location away from the bright city lights.
Orion has may other “treasures” Why not try finding the constellation for yourself it is an interesting way to spend an evening .when your eyes have become accustom to the dark evening sky you will spot the row of three stars Mintaka, Alnilam and Alnitak if you look slightly to the right of the star Alnitak you will notice a fuzzy spot that fuzzy spot is the Diffuse Nebula NGC 2024.
Casting your eyes to the left just under the constellation of Orion you will come to another constellation of Taurus the bull just below the bull’s horns is the bright star Aldebaran. Casting your eyes a little more to the left you will see a bright cluster of stars in a group (M45) called the Pleiades, seven sisters. Once you have a few reference points navigating the night sky will be a breeze.
There are many computer programs, one I recommend is Stellarium available free from http://www.stellarium.org/ next time your out at night try to find Orion and other constellations depending on the time or season and which side of the hemisphere you are living in. The Orion constellation is complex Stella nursery see for yourself you might find looking for constellations rewarding and enjoyable.
References: carlcan, NASA, Jon Christensen Jon Christensen
The stars that make up the constellation of Orion the Hunter and the big Dipper are perhaps the most recognizable patterns of stars in the northern sky. For us people down-under it’s the Southern Cross.
Photo of the Orion Constellation: Image Credit Carlcan
What is the makeup of constellations?
The constellations are imaginary they perhaps evolved from ancient cultures religious beliefs, nomadic tribes of hunter gathers, poets, farmers and astronomers. These imaginary images in the sky may have interesting names but they remain illusions a representation of mythical beasts, people, ships and many other objects made up over the past 7,000 years.
The Australian indigenous culture have stories of how the stars were born that goes back some 40 thousand years. The Egyptians saw the constellation of Orion as the god Osiris holding the star Aldebaran.The constellations are in Latin, because Latin was once the language of learning. The names used by the Greeks, Egyptians, & other people were translated into Latin.
Orion constellation with relevant stars
Apart from the cultural and religious aspects the constellations were also used for navigation and planting crops.
The real purpose for the constellations is to help form a pictorial icon in our mind that helps us see which stars are which, nothing more. On a really dark night, you can see about 1000 to 1600 stars. Trying to tell which is which is not easy.
If we take the constellation of Orion for example, a popular constellation known worldwide . Even in conversation when I have been taking to people about the stars in the night sky some people may not know it’s called Orion but the descriptions people make about the Orion constellation is interesting because the images they see is purely a representational image of what they perceive. A common description people give is the saucepan or saucepan handle. Orion looks different form the southern hemisphere because we see the constellations upside down.
The constellations help by breaking up the sky into more manageable sections. They are used as iconic reference points, or memory aids. For example, one evening you are out looking at the night sky you see three bright stars in a row you may conclude, That's part of constellation, you might rush inside and get a star guide (not the astrological section) the map shows three stars in a row, plus some other bright stars within the constellation the rest falls into place.
The surrounding stars are Betelgeuse in Orion's left shoulder and Rigel is his foot. You begin to picture in your mind’s eye the hunter Orion you recognize Orion. If Orion the hunter is about then Orion's Hunting Dogs are also nearby. Then you might recognize the two bright stars in the upper and lower left as Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major (big dog little dog).
Getting to know your way in the night
Getting to know your way in the night sky becomes a little easier , perhaps one of the best constellation to get to know is Orion, Orion is a great constellation to start with because it has a series of stars in row formation, it also has a number of bright stars to act a guide markers. One of the brightest stars is Sirius followed by Rigel and Betelgeuse. These three bright stars form the perimeter of Orion.
The most obvious features people see in Orion is the three stars that make up what most people consider the belt of the hunter. Mintaka , the star located on the west side of the belt, comes from the Arabic word for belt. Alnilam, the center star in the belt, translated from Arabic meaning "a belt of pearls". And Alnitak, the eastern-most star, means the girdle. The Orion constellation is spectacular to see with the naked eye, especially when seen from a location away from the bright city lights.
Orion has may other “treasures” Why not try finding the constellation for yourself it is an interesting way to spend an evening .when your eyes have become accustom to the dark evening sky you will spot the row of three stars Mintaka, Alnilam and Alnitak if you look slightly to the right of the star Alnitak you will notice a fuzzy spot that fuzzy spot is the Diffuse Nebula NGC 2024.
A look at the M42 this Magnificent image taken by Jon Christensen
Casting your eyes to the left just under the constellation of Orion you will come to another constellation of Taurus the bull just below the bull’s horns is the bright star Aldebaran. Casting your eyes a little more to the left you will see a bright cluster of stars in a group (M45) called the Pleiades, seven sisters. Once you have a few reference points navigating the night sky will be a breeze.
Orion Nebula (M42) also the home of the Horsehead Nebula :NASA
There are many computer programs, one I recommend is Stellarium available free from http://www.stellarium.org/ next time your out at night try to find Orion and other constellations depending on the time or season and which side of the hemisphere you are living in. The Orion constellation is complex Stella nursery see for yourself you might find looking for constellations rewarding and enjoyable.
References: carlcan, NASA, Jon Christensen Jon Christensen
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Comment by Damo
Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
Camera Sense
Thank you for the comment.
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
Camera Sense
Thank you for the coments,
I am not sure of your location. if you are near Iowa you will be able to see Orion at around 11:00pm look South East about 10 degrees above the horizon with the Moon just above the constellation. Can be seen form most parts of the U.S after midnight.
Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
Camera Sense
Look for Orion east south east at 11:30pm your time.
Just above the horizon. You should be able to see the seven sisters the pleadies high in the night sky a bright bunch of stars, they appear to be fuzzy.
Happy viewing.
Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief