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S GUIDE TO THE IAU DEFINED CONSTELLATIONS

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Published By : Penguin Random Publication House (507) 373-7119 1610 S Broadway Ave Albert Lea, Minnesota(MN), 56007 Content are mostly written by the author and most images are taken from sources like Google Images and freepik All rights reserved.

No part of the publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

First impression 2020 09 8 7 6 The moral right of author has been asserted.

This book is sold subject to condition that it shall not, by way of trade or therwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form of binding or cover than that in which it is published.

Preface This book is an elusive guide to the most major constelltions that are defined by the International Astronomical Union. It is based on the 48 Greek constellations and a few which were added later on to the list.

Originally the constellations were defined informally by the shapes made by their star patterns, but, as the pace of celestial discoveries quickened in the early 20th century, astronomers decided it would be helpful to have an official set of constellation boundaries. One reason was to aid in the naming of new variable stars, which brighten and fade rather than shine steadily.

Such stars are named for the constellation in which they reside, so it is important to agree where one constellation ends and the next begins.

Eugène Delporte originally listed the 88 “modern” constellations on behalf of the IAU Commission 3 (Astronomical Notations), in Délimitation scientifique des constellations. (Delporte, 1930) In star maps it is common to mark line “patterns” that represent the shapes that give the name to the constellations. However, the IAU defines a constellation by its boundary (indicated by sky coordinates) and not by its pattern and the same constellation may have several variants in its representation.

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GUIDE TO THE IAU DEFINED CONSTELLATIONS PETER PILE

BEACON PUBLICATION

“ Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein -Friedrich Nietzsche

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Celestial Planisphere

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S NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

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Contents January

February

March

o1

02

03

01-06

08-13

14-20

July

August

September

07

08

09

34-39

40-42

43-49

April

04 15-25

October

10 50-54

May

June

05

06

26-29

30-33

November

11

55-59

December

12

60-65

01

January

The six January constellations include such notable groups as Orion, the hunter, and Taurus, the bull. Hidden among these stellar groupings can be found the famous Orion Nebula, one of the brightest nebulae in the sky.

CHAPTER 1 - JANUARY

Caelum

The Sculptors Chisel 3. Beta Caeli

2. Gamma-1 Caeli Pronunciation: (SEE-lum) Abbreviation: Cae Genitive: Caeli Right Ascension: 5 hours Declination: -40 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 125 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, January 15 Visible Between Latitudes: 40 and -90 degrees

1. Alpha Caeli

4. Delta Caeli

Caelum is an extremely dim and insignificant constellation. The brightest star in the constellation is Alpha Caeli with a visual magnitude of only 4.46. It is a binary star system located approximately 66 light years from Earth. The second brightest star is Gamma-1 Caeli with a magnitude of 4.58. It is one of a pair of binary star systems separated by only 0.22 degrees in the sky. Its twin, Gamma-2 Caeli has a combined magnitude of only 6.34. Gamma-1 Caeli is located about 185 light years from Earth while Gamma-2 Caeli is over 334 light years away.

The third brightest star in Caelum is Beta Caeli with a magnitude of only 5.04.

It is a yellow-white dwarf star that lies about 90 light years from our solar system.Caelum contains no Messier objects. Due to its small size and location away from the plane of the Milky Way, it is mostly devoid of deep-sky objects.

The only notable object to be found here is HE0450-2958. It is an unusual Seyfert galaxy, also known as a quasar, with hot jets of plasma from a supermassive black hole at its center. It is extremely dim and can only be seen with the largest of telescopes.

THE SCULPTOR'S CHISEL Designation

Object/Meaning

V Mag

Alpha Caeli

Binary Star System

4.46

Gamma-1 Caeli

Binary Star System

4.48

Beta Caeli

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

5.04

Delta Caeli

Blue-White Subgiant Star

5.07

01

CHAPTER 1 - JANUARY

Dorado The Dolphinfish

Pronunciation: (doh-RAH-doh) Abbreviation: Dor Genitive: Doradus Right Ascension: 5 hours Declination: -65 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 179 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, January 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 15 and -90 degrees

4. Gamma Doradus

6. Zeta Doradus

3. Beta Doradus

5. Delta Doradus 1. Large Magellanic Cloud

2. Alpha Doradus

Dorado is composed mainly of dim stars. The brightest star is Alpha Doradus with a visual magnitude of 3.30. It is a binary star system located approximately 169 light years from Earth. The second brightest star is Beta Doradus. It is a Cepheid variable star with an average magnitude of 3.63. This star varies in brightness from magnitude 3.45 to 4.05. It lies about 1,050 light years away. The third brightest star in Dorado is Gamma Doradus. It is also a variable star with an average magnitude of 4.25. It is a white dwarf star located 66 light years from our solar system.

Dorado contains no Messier objects but does contain one of the most famous deep-sky objects in the southern hemisphere, the Large Magellanic Cloud, or LMC. The LMC is an irregular galaxy located just outside our own Milky Way. It is the third closest galaxy to our own and is one of the few galaxies that can be seen with the naked eye. The LMC contains a few notable deep-sky objects of its own.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Meaning

V Mag

Large Magellanic Cloud

Irregular Galaxy

0.90

Alpha Doradus

Binary Star System

3.30

Beta Doradus

Cepheid Variable Star

3.63

Gamma Doradus

Variable Star

4.25

Delta Doradus

White Dwarf Star

4.34

Zeta Doradus

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

4.68

02

CHAPTER 1 - JANUARY

Mensa

The Table Mountain

Pronunciation: (MEN-suh) Abbreviation: Men Genitive: Mensae Right Ascension: 5 hours Declination: -80 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 153 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, January 30 Visible Between Latitudes: 0 and -90 degrees

2. Beta Mensae

1. Alpha Mensae

4. Eta Mensae 3. GammaMensae

The constellation Mensa, the table mountain, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is the second southernmost constellation and cannot be seen in most of the northern hemisphere. It is visible at latitudes south of 5 degrees from May through July. It can best be seen in northern latitudes in January. It is a small constellation that covers an area of only 153 square degrees. It ranks 75th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Dorado to the north, Hydrus to the northwest and west, Octans to the south, Chamaeleon to the east, and Volans to the northeast.

There are no myths associated with Mensa. It is one of 14 southern constellations named by the French astronomer Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century. The name means “the table” in Latin. Lacaille named it to commemorate the table mountain near his observatory in Cape Town, South Africa. Lacaille originally named the constellation Montagne de la Table on his planisphere in 1756. He later Latinized it to Mons Mensae for the second edition in 1763. The name was later shortened to Mensa by British astronomer Francis Baily at the suggestion of John Herschel. The constellation is depicted as a mountain with a flattened top.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alpha Mensae

Yellow Dwarf Star

5.09

Beta Mensae

Yellow Dwarf Star

5.30

Gamma Mensae

Orange Giant Star

5.17

Eta Mensae

Orange Giant Star

5.47

03

CHAPTER 1 - JANUARY

Orion

The Great Hunter

3. GammaMensae

6. Bellatrix

Pronunciation: (oh-RY-un) Abbreviation: Ori Genitive: Orionis Right Ascension: 5 hours 7. Alnilam Declination: 5 Degrees 8. Alnitak Area in Square Degrees: 594 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, January 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 85 and -75 degrees

10. Mintaka

1,2. M42, M43 11. Nair al Saif

9. Saif

4. Rigel

It is a large constellation filling an area 594 square degrees. It ranks 26th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Taurus to the northwest, Eridanus to the southwest, Lepus to the south, Monoceros to the east, and Gemini to the northeast. It contains an asterism of three stars in a straight line known as Orion’s Belt. This is one of the most recognizable groupings of stars in the night sky. It was named after the hero of Greek mythology who was killed by Scorpius, the scorpion. It is one of the oldest constellations with roots in many ancient cultures. It has been depicted on ivory carvings that are believed to have been fashioned over 32,000 years ago.

The ancient Babylonians saw it as the Heavenly Shepherd. To the Egyptians, it represented a god called Sah. In Greek mythology, the stars represent the great hunter Orion. He was the son of the sea god Poseidon and Euryale, the daughter of King Minos of Crete. Orion boasted that he would kill every animal on Earth. This angered the goddess Gaia so she sent a scorpion to kill him. The gods felt sorry for Orion, so they put him and his dogs in the sky as constellations, along with all of the animals he hunted. Scorpius, the scorpion, was placed on the opposite side of the sky so that Orion would never be hurt by it again. To this day, Orion is never seen in the sky at the same time as Scorpius.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Betelgeuse

Red Supergiant Star

0.50

Bellatrix

Blue-White Giant Star

1.64

Alnilam

Middle of the Belt

1.69

Alnitak

Blue Supergiant Star

1.77

Saif

Blue Supergiant Star

2.09

Mintaka

Binary Star System

2.23

Nair al Saif

Blue Giant Star

2.77

Meissa

Blue-White Giant Star

3.54

04

CHAPTER 1 - JANUARY

Reticulum The Reticle

3. Epsilon Reticuli

7. Iota Reticuli

5. Delta Reticuli 4. Gamma Reticuli 3. Epsilon Reticuli Pronunciation: (ree-TIK-u-lum) Abbreviation: Ret Genitive: Reticuli Right Ascension: 4 hours Declination: -60 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 114 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, December 30 Visible Between Latitudes: 20 and -90 degrees

3. Beta Reticuli

The constellation Reticulum, the reticle, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is completely visible at latitudes south of 23 degrees north from October through December. It is best seen in northern latitudes in January. It is a very small constellation filling an area of only 114 square degrees. This makes it the seventh smallest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Dorado, Horologium and Hydrus.

There are no myths associated with Reticulum. It is one of 14 southern constellations named by the French astronomer Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century. Its name means “the reticle” in Latin. It represents a small net of corsshairs on the eyepiece of a telescope that is used to measure the positions of stars. The constellation was originally introduced by the German astronomer Isaac Habrecht II on a celestial globe he published in 1621. He originally named the constellation Rhombus. Lacaille renamed it to le Réticule Rhomboide to commemorate the reticle in his telescope eyepiece. The name was later Latinized to Reticulum when Lacaille published his star catalog.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alpha Reticuli

Yellow Giant Star

3.32

Beta Reticuli

Triple Star System

3.84

Epsilon Reticuli

Double Star

4.44

Gamma Reticuli

Red Giant Star

4.48

Delta Reticuli

Red Giant Star

4.56

Kappa Reticuli

Binary Star System

4.71

05

CHAPTER 1 - JANUARY

Taurus The Bull

4. Elnath

6. Zeta Tauri 14. Tau Tauri

8. Ain 3. Aldebaran

11. Hyadum II

12. Theta Tauri Pronunciation: (ree-TIK-u-lum) Abbreviation: Ret Genitive: Reticuli Right Ascension: 4 hours Declination: -60 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 114 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, December 30 Visible Between Latitudes: 20 and -90 degrees

9. Hyadum I 7. Lambda Tauri

7. Lambda Tauri 10. Xi Tauri

13. Nu Tauri

16. Omicron Tauri

The constellation Taurus, the bull ranks 17th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Aries to the west, Gemini to the east, Perseus and Auriga to the north, Orion to the southeast, Eridanus to the south, and Cetus to the southwest. It is one of the thirteen constellations of the zodiac. This means it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year.

Its importance to agriculture influenced the mythology of many ancient civilizations including Sumer, Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Depictions of the constellation have been found in cave paintings dating back to 15,000 BC. In Greek mythology it is believed to represent the story of Europa and the bull. The story tells of Europa, daughter of Agenor, who was King of Phoenica. One day Europa saw a majestic white bull grazing near her father's herd. The bull was actually Zeus in disguise. After allowing Europa to climb on its back, the bull whisked her off to Crete where he made her his mistress.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M1

Supernova Remnant

3.32

M45

Open Star Cluster

3.84

Aldebaran

Orange Giant Star

4.44

Elnath

Blue-White Giant Star

4.48

Alcyone

Binary Star System

4.56

Zeta Tauri

Binary Star System

4.71

Ain

Orange Giant Star

3.53

Hyadum I

Yellow Giant Star

3.65

06

02

February The February constellations include a few well-known groups such as Gemini, the Twins, and Canis Major, the Great Dog. Located in these constellations are seven Messier objects. All of these are open star clusters except for M79, which is a beautiful globular cluster located in the constellation of Lepus, the rabbit.

CHAPTER 2 - FEBRUARY

Auriga

The Charioteer

Pronunciation: (ah-RY-guh) Abbreviation: Aur Genitive: Aurigae Right Ascension: 6 hours Declination: 40 Degrees 7. Hassaleh Area in Square Degrees: 114 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, January 10 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -40 degrees

16. Omicron Tauri

11. Haedus 8. Almaaz

4. Capella 12. Nu Aurigae

5. Menkalinan

10. Omicron Tauri

The constellation Auriga, the charioteer, can be seen most of the year in northern latitudes due to its circumpolar nature. It is bordered by the constellations Camelopardalis, Gemini, Lynx, Perseus, and Taurus. Auriga is the site of the galactic anticenter, a theoretical point in the sky that lies directly opposite the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

The name means “the charioteer� in Latin. It is an ancient constellation with roots in many cultures. It was first recognized in Mesopotamia as a scimitar or crook. The crook stood for a goat-herd or shepherd. To the ancient Bedouin astronomers, the constellation represented a herd of goats. The Chinese saw it as Wuche, the five chariots of the celestial emperors and the representation of the grain harvest. In Greek mythology, it represented the charioteer Erechtheus, who is seen carrying his children in his arm. This constellation is believed to have originated with the Babylonians. In some references, the charioteer carries a goat along with the two children. His other hand holds the reins to the chariot.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Capella

Double Binary Star System

3.32

Menkalinan

Binary Star System

3.84

Mahasim

Binary Star System

4.44

Hassaleh

Orange Giant Star

4.48

Almaaz

Eclipsing Binary Star System

4.56

Haedus II

Blue Subgiant Star

4.71

Prijipati

Binary Star System

3.53

Haedus

Yellow Giant Star

3.65

08

CHAPTER 2 - FEBRUARY

Camelopardalis The Giraffe

Pronunciation: (ka-MEL-oh-POR-duh-lis) Abbreviation: Cam Genitive: Camelopardalis Right Ascension: 6 hours Declination: 70 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 757 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, February 1 Visible Between Latitudes: -90 and -10 degrees

3. Alpha Camelopardalis

1. Beta Camelopardalis

2. CS Camelopardalis

Camelopardalis is a circumpolar constellation which means it is visible all night as it rotates around the north celestial pole. It contains a star formation known as Kemble’s Cascade. This asterism forms a cascade of about 20 dim stars spread out in a straight line.There are no myths associated with Camelopardalis. The ancient Greeks thought that this region of the sky was empty. Camelopardalis is one of 12 constellations named by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius based on observations by Dutch navigators.

Plancius included it on his celestial globe and a year later, in 1624, it was featured in a star atlas created by German astronomer Jakob Bartsch. This constellation was first observed to look like a camel. Bartsch originally described it as the animal Rebecca rode to marry Isaac in the Bible. The name was eventually changed to camelopardalis, which is Latin for giraffe.

When dark conditions allow most of the stars to be seen, the constellation does resemble a giraffe.Camelopardalis is an extremely faint constellation with no stars brighter than magnitude 4. The brightest star in the constellation is Beta Camelopardalis with a visual magnitude of only 4.02. It is a yellow supergiant star located about 1,000 light years from Earth. The second brightest star is known as CS Camelopardalis.

It is a binary star system with a combined magnitude of 4.21. It lies approximately 3,000 light years away. The third brightest star is Alpha Camelopardalis with a magnitude of only 4.29. It is a blue supergiant star located about 6,000 light years from Earth.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alpha Mensae

Yellow Dwarf Star

5.09

Beta Mensae

Yellow Dwarf Star

5.30

Gamma Mensae

Orange Giant Star

5.17

Eta Mensae

Orange Giant Star

5.47

09

CHAPTER 2 - FEBRUARY

Canis Major The Great Dog

9. Theta Canis Majoris

10. Muliphen Pronunciation: (KAY-nis MAY-jur) Abbreviation: CMa Genitive: Canis Majoris Right Ascension: 7 hours Declination: -20 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 380 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, February 15 Visible Between Latitudes: 60 and -90 degrees

9. Theta Canis Majoris 2. Sirius

4. Wezen

6. Aludra

7. Furud

The constellation Canis Major, the great dog, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is visible in the northern hemisphere from December through March. It can be seen at latitudes between 60 degrees and -90 degrees. It is a small to mid-sized constellation covering an area of 380 square degrees. It ranks 43rd in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky.

Canis Major is one of the 48 constellations originally cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “the greater dog� in Latin. It represents the larger of Orion's two hunting dogs who accompany him as he hunts Lepus, the rabbit. It is an ancient constellation with many different meanings to many different cultures. The ancient Babylonians saw it as an arrow aiming towards Orion. Part of the stars from Puppis formed the bow. To the Chinese, the stars in Canis Major were part of the Vermillion Bird. In Greek mythology, the constellation represented the dog Laelaps, a gift from Zeus to Europa. The dog was famous for being the fastest in the world. Zeus eventually placed the dog into the night sky. If you connect the stars with lines, this constellation does somewhat resemble a dog.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M41

Open Star Cluster

4.60

Sirius

Binary Star System

-1.46

Adhara

Binary Star System

1.50

Wezen

Yellow-White Supergiant Star

1.83

Mirzam

Beta Cephei Variable Star

-1.46

Aludra

Blue-White Supergiant Star

2.45

Furud

Binary Star System

3.02

Muliphen

Blue-White Giant Star

4.10

10

CHAPTER 2 - FEBRUARY

Columba The Dove

3. Ghusn al Zaitun 8. Lambda Columbae 1. Phact 6. Gamma Columbae 2. Wezn

4. Epsilon Columbae

Pronunciation: (koh-LUM-buh) Abbreviation: Col Genitive: Columbae Right Ascension: 6 hours Declination: -35 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 270 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, Jnauary 30 Visible Between Latitudes: 45 and -90 degrees

5. Eta Columbae

There is no mythology associated with Columba. It is one of 12 fairly recent constellations named by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius based on observations by Dutch navigators. Plancius included it on his celestial globe in 1592. Plancius originally named the constellation Columba Noachi, which means Noah’s dove. It refers to the dove that brought an olive branch to Noah to show that the great flood was receding. In some other interpretations, the dove represents the bird the Argonauts sent out ahead to help them navigate the narrow passage at the mouth of the Black Sea. The German astronomer Johann Bayer included this constellation in his star atlas in 1603 and the name was eventually shortened to Columba.

Columba consists of mainly dim stars. The brightest star is Phact, a double star with a combined visual magnitude of 2.64. It is located approximately 270 light years from Earth. The second brightest star is Wezn with a magnitude of 3.12. Wezn is an orange giant star located about 86 light years from our solar system. Ghusn al Zaitun is the third brightest star with a magnitude of 3.85. It is a yellow giant star that lies some 237 light years away

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Phact

Double Star

2.64

Wezn

Orange Giant Star

3.12

Ghusn al Zaitun

Yellow Giant Star

3.85

Epsilon Columbae

Orange Giant Star

3.88

Eta Columbae

Orange Giant Star

3.95

Gamma Columbae

Blue-White Subgiant Star

4.35

Kappa Columbae

Orange Giant Star

4.37

Lambda Columbae

Blue-White Dwarf Star

4.86

11

CHAPTER 2 - FEBRUARY

Lepus The Hare

5. Neshmet 4. Sasin

Pronunciation: (koh-LUM-buh) Abbreviation: Col Genitive: Columbae Right Ascension: 6 hours Declination: -35 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 270 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, Jnauary 30 Visible Between Latitudes: 45 and -90 degrees

2. Arneb 8. Nihal

7. Zeta Leporus 8. Gamma Leporus 9. Eta Leporus

6. Theta Leporus

10. Delta Leporus

Lepus is a small constellation occupying an area of 290 square degrees. It ranks 51st in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Caelum, Canis Major, Columba, Eridanus, Monoceros and Orion.Lepus is one of the 48 constellations identified by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Is name means “the hare” in Latin. It is represented as a rabbit that is being hunted by Orion and his two hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor. The mythology behind Lepus is uncertain. It is, however, an ancient constellation known at least since the time of the Greeks. Lepus is sometimes confused with the constellation Lupus, the wolf.

Lepus contains a number of bright stars. The brightest is Arneb with a visual magnitude of 2.58. Its name means “the hare” in Arabic. It is a white supergiant star located approximately 2,218 light years from Earth. The second brightest star is Nihal with a magnitude of 2.84. Nihal is a yellow giant star that lies 160 light years from our solar system. Sasin is the third brightest star with a magnitude of 3.16. It is an orange giant star located about 213 light years away.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M79

Globular Star Cluster

2.64

Arneb

White Supergiant Star

3.12

Nihal

Yellow Giant Star

3.85

Sasin

Orange Giant Star

3.88

Neshmet

Blue Subgiant Star

3.95

Theta Leporus

White Dwarf Star

4.35

Zeta Leporus

White Dwarf Star

4.37

Gamma Leporus

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

4.86

11

CHAPTER 2 - FEBRUARY

Monoceros The Unicorn

4. Gamma Monocerotis Pronunciation: (moh-NOS-er-us) Abbreviation: Mon Genitive: Monocerotis Right Ascension: 7 hours Declination: -5 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 482 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, February 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 75 and -85 degrees

6. Beta Monocerotis

4. Delta Monocerotis

2. Alpha Monocerotis 5. Zeta Monocerotis

There are no myths associated with Monoceros. It is one of 12 constellations named by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius based on observations by Dutch navigators. Plancius included it on a celestial globe in 1612. He originally called it Monoceros Unicornis. It was created to fill a large gap between the constellations Orion and Hydra. The German astronomer Jakob Bartsch named it Unicornu in his star chart published in 1624. It represents a classic unicorn, a horse with a single horn protruding from its forehead. The faint stars of Monoceros make its shape difficult to discern. It is often overlooked since it is surrounded on all sides by the much brighter constellations Orion, Canis Major, Canis Minor, and Gemini.

Monoceros contains one Messier object, M50. It is an open cluster of about 200 stars. In addition, this constellation contains a large number of fascinating deep-sky objects. The Rosette Nebula is an emission nebula known for its beautiful colors and patterns. NGC 2244 is an open star cluster located within the Rosette Nebula.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M50

Open Star Cluster

4.00

Alpha Monocerotis

Orange Giant Star

3.94

Gamma Monocerotis

Orange Giant Star

3.98

Delta Monocerotis

White Dwarf Star

4.15

Zeta Monocerotis

Yellow Supergiant Star

4.36

Beta Monocerotis

Triple Star System

4.60

12

CHAPTER 2 - FEBRUARY

Pictor

The Painter's Easel 2. Beta Pictoris

Pronunciation: (PIK-ter) Abbreviation: Pic Genitive: Pictoris Right Ascension: 6 hours Declination: -55 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 247 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, January 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 25 and -90 degrees

3. Gamma Pictoris

4. Delta Pictoris

2. Alpha Monocerotis

Pictor is not associated with any mythology. It is one of 14 southern constellations named by Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille during his trip to the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa. Its name means “painter” in Latin, but it was actually named for a painter’s easel. Lacaille originally named the constellation "Le Chevalet et la Palette" in 1756, which means "The Painter's Easel and Palette". Its shape resembles that of a painting easel. He changed the name to Equuleus Pictoris on his planishpere in 1763. The name was later shortened to Pictor by the English astronomer Francis Baily based on a suggestion by John Herschel.

Pictor contains no Messier objects and very few deep-sky objects. NGC 1705 is an irregular dwarf galaxy located about 17 million light years from Earth. It is one of the most active star forming galaxies in our corner of the universe.

Pictor A is a double-lobed radio galaxy with a supermassive black hole at its center.The black hole shoots a jet of plasma over 800,000 light years out into space. SPT-CL J0546-5345 is a massive galaxy cluster located approximately seven billion light years away. It is one of the most massive galaxy clusters yet discovered and contains hundreds of individual galaxies.

These objects are extremely dim an can only be seen with large telescopes.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M50

Open Star Cluster

4.00

Alpha Monocerotis

Orange Giant Star

3.94

Gamma Monocerotis

Orange Giant Star

3.98

Delta Monocerotis

White Dwarf Star

4.15

13

03

March

The March constellations include many notable groups the most famous of which is Cancer, the crab. Cancer is home to two Messier objects, both open star clusters. The remainders of objects worth noting are found in the constellation Puppis.

Puppis contains three Messier open star clusters

CHAPTER 3 - MARCH

Cancer The Crab

2. Beta Pictoris

Pronunciation: (KAN-ser) Abbreviation: Cnc Genitive: Cancri Right Ascension: 9 hours Declination: 20Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 506 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, March 15 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -60 degrees

3. Gamma Pictoris

4. Asellus Australis

5. Acubens

2. M67

The constellation Cancer, the crab, is visible in the northern hemisphere in the early spring. It ranks 31st in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Gemini to the west, Lynx to the north, Leo Minor to the northeast, Leo to the east, Hydra to the south, and Canis Minor to the southwest. It is one of the thirteen constellations of the zodiac. This means it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year.

Cancer is one of the 48 constellations originally listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “the crab” in Latin. It is believed to represent the crab in the story of the twelve labors of Hercules. It was sent by the goddess Hera to distract Hercules while he is fighting the Hydra. When the crab tries to kill Hercules, he kicks it so hard that it is propelled into the sky among the stars. In another version, the crab tried to grab Hercules’ toe, but Hercules crushed it under his foot. In some ancient cultures this constellation was believed to be the gate through which souls passed from Heaven to Earth as they were born into human bodies.

Cancer is not a particularly bright constellation. The brightest star is Altarf with a visual magnitude of only 3.54. It is an orange giant star located 290 light years from earth.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M44

Open Star Cluster

3.70

M67

Open Star Cluster

6.10

Altarf

Orange Giant Star

3.54

Asellus Australis

Orange Giant Star

3.94

Acubens

Multiple Star System

4.26

Asellus Borealis

Blue Subgiant Star

4.66

14

CHAPTER 3 - MARCH

Canis Minor The Little Dog

Pronunciation: (KAN-ser) Abbreviation: Cnc Genitive: Cancri Right Ascension: 9 hours Declination: 20Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 506 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, March 15 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -60 degrees

4. Epsilon Canis Minoris

3. Gamma Canis Minoris 2. Gomeisa

1. Procyon

The constellation Canis Minor, the little dog, is visible in the northern hemisphere from December until April. It is bordered by Monoceros to the south, Gemini to the north, Cancer to the northeast, and Hydra to the east.

Canis Minor is one of the 48 constellations first cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “lesser dog� in Latin. It represents the smaller of Orion's two hunting dogs along with its larger neighbor, Canis Major. In another legend, this constellation represents Maere, the dog of the wine-maker Icarius, who was killed by his friends after they mistakenly thought that Icarius was trying to poison them. Canis Minor was sometimes associated with the Teumessian Fox, the beast that could not be outrun. Zeus turned the fox to stone along with its hunter, the dog Laelaps. Zeus then placed the two of them in the heavens as Canis Minor and Canis Major. Canis Minor is usually depicted on charts as a small dog standing on the back of Monoceros, the unicorn.

Canis Minor is famous for the bright star Procyon. It is the brightest star in the constellation and the 8th brightest star in the night sky with a visual magnitude of 0.38. It is a binary star system located only 11.4 light years from Earth. The name Procyon means "before the dog".

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Procyon

Binary Star System

0.38

Gomeisa

Blue Subgiant Star

2.89

Gamma Canis Minoris

Binary Star System

4.33

Epsilon Canis Minoris

Yellow Giant Star

4.99

15

CHAPTER 3 - MARCH

Carina The Keel

1. Canopis

Pronunciation: (kuh-REE-nuh) Abbreviation: Car Genitive: Carinae Right Ascension: 9 hours Declination: -60Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 494 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, March 15 Visible Between Latitudes: 20 and -90 degrees

9. Chi Carinae

3. Avior

4. Aspidiske

4. Aspidiske

2. Miaplacidus

8. Foramen 5. Theta Carinae

7. Omega Carinae

The constellation Carina, the keel, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is visible at latitudes south of 15 degrees and is completely below the horizon for latitudes north of 39 degrees. It is a medium-sized constellation occupying an area of 494 square degrees. It ranks 34th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Centaurus, Chamaeleon, Musca, Pictor, Puppis, Vela, and Volans.

Carina was once part of a larger constellation called Argo Navis. This larger constellation represented the great ship of Jason and the Argonauts on their voyage to find the golden fleece. Argo Navis was one of the 48 constellations first listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. This constellation was later divided by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille into three smaller parts. Carina became the Keel, Puppis the Stern, and Vela the Sails. These three smaller constellations were added to the official list of modern constellations in the early 20th century by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Canopis

Blue-White Supergiant Star

-0.74

Miaplacidus

Blue Subdwarf Star

1.68

Avior

Binary Star System

1.86

Aspidiske

Blue Supergiant Star

2.21

Theta Carinae

Blue-White Dwarf Star

2.76

Upsilon Carinae

Double Star

2.97

Omega Carinae

Blue-White Giant Star

3.29

Chi Carinae

Blue Subgiant Star

3.30

16

CHAPTER 3 - MARCH

Lynx

The Lynx

4. 2 Lyncis

Pronunciation: (LINKS) Abbreviation: Lyn Genitive: Lyncis Right Ascension: 8 hours Declination: 45 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 545 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, March 5 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -35 degrees

3. Alsciaukat

3. 38 Lyncis 1. Alpha Lyncis

The constellation Lynx, the lynx, can be seen in the northern hemisphere in February. It ranks 28th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Camelopardalis to the north, Auriga to the west, Gemini to the southwest, Cancer to the south, Leo to the east and Ursa Major to the northeast.

Lynx was created by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in the 17th century to fill a large gap between the constellations Auriga and Ursa Major.

It was named Lynx because the stars were so dim one would have to have the eyes of a lynx to see them. Lynx appears as a dim, bumpy line running just north of Leo and Cancer. It is not known if Hevelius intended to associate any mythology with the constellation, but there is one story that could be linked to the name. A sailor named Lynceus, who sailed with Jason and the Argonauts, was said to have extremely keen eyesight. It was even said he could see things underground. He was part of the expedition to recover the legendary Golden Fleece.

Lynx contains no Messier objects but there are a few notable deep-sky objects worth mentioning. NGC 2419, also known as the Intergalactic Wanderer, is a globular star cluster containing thousands of individual stars. It received its name because when it was first discovered, it was believed that it was not in orbit around our Milky Way galaxy. This has since been proven false. The UFO Galaxy (NGC 2683) is a spiral galaxy seen edge-on from out line of sight.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alpha Lyncis

Red Giant Star

3.14

38 Lyncis

Binary Star System

3.82

Alsciaukat

Orange Giant Star

4.25

2 Lyncis

White Dwarf Star

4.45

17

CHAPTER 3 - MARCH

Puppis The Stern

6. Turais

1. Azmidiske

Pronunciation: (PUP-is) Abbreviation: Pup Genitive: Puppis Right Ascension: 8 hours Declination: -40 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 673 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, February 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 40 and -90 degrees

8. Tureis

4. Naos

9. Hadir

8. Nu Puppis

7. Tau Puppis

The constellation Puppis, the stern, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is a medium-sized constellation with a total area of 673 degrees. It ranks 20th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Carina, Canis Major, Columba, Hydra, Monoceros, Pictor, Pyxis and Vela.

Puppis was once part of a larger constellation called Argo Navis. This large constellation represented the ship that Jason and the Argonauts sailed on their voyage to find the legendary golden fleece. Argo Navis was one of the 48 constellations first listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. This constellation was later divided by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille into three smaller parts. Puppis became the Stern, Carina the Keel, and Vela the Sails. These three smaller constellations were added to the official list of modern constellations in the early 20th century by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Puppis contains three Messier objects, all of which are open star clusters.

M46 is an open cluster of about 150 stars. It is believed to be about 300 million years old and is located nearly 5,500 light years from our solar system.

M47 is a cluster of about 50 stars located approximately 1,600 light years from Earth. It is believed to be more than 78 million years old.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Tureis

Blue Supergiant Star

2.25

Turais

Double Star System

2.73

Naos

Yellow-White Giant Star

2.78

Tau Puppis

Binary Star System

2.95

Hadir

Blue-White Giant Star

3.17

Azmidiske

Orange Giant Star

3.25

18

CHAPTER 3 - MARCH

Vela The Sails

Pronunciation: (VEE-luh) Abbreviation: Vel Genitive: Velorum Right Ascension: 9 hours Declination: -50 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 500 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, March 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 30 and -90 degrees

1. Suhail al Muhlif

3. Suhail 7. Psi Velorum

2. Koo She

4. Markeb 6. Tseen Kee

5. Mu Velorum

The constellation Vela, the sails, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is completely visible at latitudes south of 30 degrees from January through March. It ranks 32nd in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Antlia and Pyxis to the north, Puppis to the northwest, Carina to the south and southwest, and Centaurus to the east.

Vela means “the sails� in Latin. It was once part of a larger constellation known as Argo Navis. This large constellation represented the great ship that Jason and the Argonauts sailed during their voyage to find the golden fleece.

Argo Navis was one of the 48 constellations first listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. This constellation was later divided by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille into three smaller parts. Vela became the Sails, Carina the Keel, and Puppis the Stern.

These three smaller constellations were added to the official list of modern constellations in the early 20th century by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Vela contains no Messier objects, but it does contain a number of notable deep-sky objects. The Eight-Burst Nebula, also known as the Southern Ring Nebula, is a bright, rainbow-colored planetary nebula that bears a strong resemblance to the Ring Nebula in the constellation Lyra.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Suhail al Muhlif

Multiple Star System

1.83

Koo She

Triple Star System

1.99

Suhail

Orange Supergiant Star

2.21

Markeb

Binary Star System

2.48

Mu Velorum

Binary Star System

2.69

Tseen Kee

Blue-White Supergiant Star

3.52

19

CHAPTER 3 - MARCH

Volans

The Flying Fish

Pronunciation: (VOH-lanz) Abbreviation: Vol Genitive: Volantis Right Ascension: 8 hours Declination: -70 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 141 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, March 1 Visible Between Latitudes: 10 and -90 degrees

6. Epsilon Volantis 1. Beta Volantis

6. Epsilon Volantis

6. Epsilon Volantis

5. Alpha Volantis

3. Zeta Volantis

The constellation Volans, the flying fish, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is completely visible at latitudes south of 15 degrees from December through February. It is a small constellation that occupies an area of only 141 square degrees. It ranks 76th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky.

There are no myths associated with Volans. It is one of 12 constellations named by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius based on observations by Dutch navigators. Plancius originally named it Vliegendenvis and included it on his celestial globe in 1598. The German astronomer Johann Bayer included it in his star atlas in 1603. He called it Piscis Volans, the flying fish.

The name was later shortened to Volans. It represents a type of fish that can jump out of the water and glide through the air on specially enhanced fins that resemble wings. It is often depicted on charts as being chased by the dolphin fish in the constellation Dorado.

Volans contains no Messier objects. It does, however contain a few interesting deep-sky objects that are worth mentioning. NGC 2397 is a spiral galaxy located approximately 60 million light years from Earth. Its nucleus contains older yellow and red stars while its spiral arms contain younger blue and white stars.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Suhail al Muhlif

Multiple Star System

1.83

Koo She

Triple Star System

1.99

Suhail

Orange Supergiant Star

2.21

Markeb

Binary Star System

2.48

Mu Velorum

Binary Star System

2.69

Tseen Kee

Blue-White Supergiant Star

3.52

20

04

April The March constellations include many notable groups the most famous of which is Cancer, the crab. Cancer is home to two Messier objects, both open star clusters. The remainders of objects worth noting are found in the constellation Puppis.

Puppis contains three Messier open star clusters

CHAPTER 4 - APRIL

Antlia

The Air Pump

Pronunciation: (ANT-lee-uh) Abbreviation: Ant Genitive: Antliae Right Ascension: 10 hours Declination: -35 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 239 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, April 5 Visible Between Latitudes: 45 and -90 degrees

4. Theta Antilae

1. Alpha Antilae

2. Epsilon Antilae

3. Iota Antilae

The constellation Antlia, the air pump, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It can be seen at latitudes between 45 degrees and -90 degrees from January through March. It ranks 62nd in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Centaurus, Hydra, Pyxis, and Vela. Antlia occupies a mostly empty region of the sky and contains only faint stars. It requires a lot of imagination to see an air pump in this area.

There is no mythology associated with Antlia. It was too far south and too faint to be noticed by the ancient Greeks. It is one of the 14 constellations named by French astronomer AbbĂŠ Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century to fill in empty spaces in the southern hemisphere. It was originally named "Antlia Pneumatica" to commemorate the invention of the air pump

by French physicist Denis Papin. Lacaille depicted it as a single-cylinder vacuum pump used in Papin’s experiments. Later, German astronomer Johann Bode depicted the constellation as a more advanced double-cylinder pump. It was officially adopted as one of the 88 modern constellations by the International Astronomical Union in 1922.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alpha Antilae

Orange Giant Star

4.28

Epsilon Antilae

Orange Giant Star

4.51

Iota Antilae

Orange Giant Star

4.60

Theta Antilae

Binary Star System

4.79

21

CHAPTER 4 - APRIL

Crater The Cup

Pronunciation: (KRAY-ter) Abbreviation: Crt Genitive: Crateris Right Ascension: 11 hours Declination: -15 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 282 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, April 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 65 and -90 degrees

5. Theta Crateris

7. Epsilon Crateris

8. Eta Crateris 1. Labrum

6. Zeta Crateris 3. Gamma Crateris

2. Alkes

4. Al Sharas

The constellation Crater, the cup, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky.It is a small constellation covering an area of 282 square degrees. It ranks 53rd in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Corvus, Hydra, Leo, Sextans, and Virgo. The shape of this constellation does indeed resemble a cup.

Crater is one of the 48 constellations identified by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “the cup� in Latin. It represents the goblet of the Greek god Apollo and is usually depicted as a two-handed chalice. It is associated with the story of Apollo and his sacred bird, the crow, represented by the constellation Corvus. In the story, Apollo sends the crow to fetch some water with the cup. The crow gets distracted by a fig tree and spends a few days waiting for the figs to ripen. He finally brings the water-filled cup to Apollo along with a water snake as an excuse for being late. Apollo sees through his lies and in a fit of anger casts all three, the cup, the crow, and the snake, into the sky to become the constellations Crater, Corvus, and Hydra.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Labrum

Orange Giant Star

3.56

Alkes

Orange Giant Star

4.07

Gamma Crateris

Double Star

4.08

Al Sharas

Blue-White Subgiant Star

4.48

Theta Crateris

Blue-White Dwarf Star

4.68

Zeta Crateris

Yellow Giant Star

4.72

Epsilon Crateris

Orange Giant Star

4.82

Eta Crateris

Giant Star

5.17

21

CHAPTER 4 - APRIL

Hydra

The Sea Serpent 9. Ashlesha

16. Delta Hydrae 19. Minchir

6. Hydrobius

18. Eta Hydrae

Pronunciation: (HYD-ruh) Abbreviation: Hya Genitive: Hydrae Right Ascension: 10 hours 14. Iota Hydrae Declination: -25 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 1303 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, April 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 60 and -90 degrees

11. Lambda Hydrae

4. Alphard 15. Upsilon-1 Hydrae 12. Mu Hydrae 7. Nu Hydrae

10. Xi Hydrae 5. Gamma Hydrae

8. Pi Hydrae

17. Beta Hydrae

The constellation Hydra, the sea serpent, is best seen from the southern hemisphere, but can be observed in the north between January and May. It is the largest constellation in the night sky, covering an area of 1,303 square degrees. It is also one of the longest constellations with a length of over 100 degrees. Its southern end borders Libra and Centaurus and its northern end borders Cancer.

Hydra is one of the 48 constellations first listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It is an ancient constellation with roots in many cultures. In Hindu mythology, it represented Ashlesha, one of the Nakshatras of Hindu astrology. The Chinese saw it as the Vermilion Bird and the Azure Dragon. In Greek mythology, it represents the water snake brought to the god Apollo by the crow, Corvus, as an excuse for being late from his errand to fetch water. It may also represent the hydra from the myth of Hercules and his twelve labors. The Hydra was a giant beast with the body of a dog and many snake-like heads. It was slain by Hercules on the second of his twelve labors for the king of Mycenae. As each head was cut off, two more would grow in its place. Hercules burned the roots of the heads to prevent them from growing back. This constellation was once much larger, but was later split into Sextans, Crater, Corvus, and a slightly smaller Hydra.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M83

Open Star Cluster

7.80

Alphard

Globular Star Cluster

4.07

Hydrobius

Spiral Galaxy

4.08

Ashlesha

Binary Star System

3.38

Minchir

Yellow Giant Star

4.68

Upsilon-1 Hydrae

Yellow-White Subdwarf Star

4.72

Iota Hydrae

Orange Giant Sta

4.82

M68

Binary Star System

7.60

22

CHAPTER 4 - APRIL

Leo

The Lion 20. Al Minliar al Asad

Pronunciation: (LEE-oh) 16. Ras Elased Borealis Abbreviation: Leo Genitive: Leonis Right Ascension: 11 hours Declination: -15 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 947 12. Adhafera Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, April 10 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -65 degrees

11. Lambda Hydrae

7. Algiebra

6. Regulus

14. Subra

22. Pi Leonis

8. Denebola

17. Iota Leonis 21. Chi Leonis 18. Sigma Leonis

15. Rho Leonis

The constellation Leo, the lion, can be seen in the northern hemisphere in the spring. It is a large constellation covering an area of 947 square degrees.

This makes it the 12th largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Cancer, Coma Berenices, Crater, Hydra, Leo Minor, Lynx, Sextans, Ursa Major and Virgo. Leo is one of the thirteen constellations of the zodiac. This means it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year. It is easily recognizable in the night sky due to its many bright stars and distinctive shape.

Leo is one of the 48 constellation first identified by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “lion� in Latin. The ancient Mesopotamians may have had a constellation similar to Leo as early as 4,000 BC. The ancient Egyptians worshiped Leo as the place where the Sun rose after creation. It appearance in the night sky coincided with the summer solstice and the flooding of the Nile river. In Greek mythology, it was named after the Nemean lion, which was killed by Hercules on the first of his twelve labors for the king of Mycenae. According to legend, the lion had a hide that could not be pierced by iron, bronze, or stone. Hercules strangled the great beast after unsuccessfully trying to reason with it.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Regulus

Multiple Star System

1.36 2.08

Algiebra

Binary Star System

Denebola

Blue-White Subgiant Star

2.14

Ras Elased Australis

Blue-White Subgiant Star

2.56

Chertan

Yellow Giant Star

2.98

Adhafera

Blue-White Subgiant Star

3.32

Subra

Blue-White Giant Star

3.44

Ras Elased Borealis

Blue-White Subgiant Star

3.49

Alterf

Orange Giant Star

3.52

23

CHAPTER 4 - APRIL

Sextans The Sextant

4. Delta Sextantis

2. Beta Sextantis

Pronunciation: (SEKS-tunz) Abbreviation: Sex Genitive: Sextantis Right Ascension: 10 hours Declination: 0 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 314 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, April 5 Visible Between Latitudes: 80 and -80 degrees

1.Alpha Sextantis

4. Gamma Sextantis

The constellation Sextans, the sextant, is best seen from the southern hemisphere from January through May and is completely visible at latitudes between 80 degrees and -90 degrees.It is a mid-sized constellation covering an area of 314 square degrees. It ranks 47th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is located near the celestial equator and is bordered by the constellations Crater, Hydra and Leo. It is a dim constellation that can be challenging to find even under ideal conditions.

There are no myths associated with Sextans. It was introduced by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in 1687. Its name is Latin for the astronomical sextant, an instrument made by Hevelius to help measure the positions of the stars. The constellation was originally named Sextans Uraniae after the instrument he used until it was destroyed by a fire in his observatory in 1679.

Hevelius preferred the sextant instead of the telescope when making his observations of the stars.Sextans contains no Messier objects but does contain a few notable deep-sky objects. NGC 3115 is a lenticular galaxy that appears nearly edge-on to our line of sight. Sometimes referred to as the Spindle Galaxy, it is located only 31.6 million light years away from Earth. It is also the nearest galaxy believed to contain a supermassive black hole at its center. NGC 3169 and NGC 3166 are a pair of spiral galaxies that appear very close together. They are only 50,000 light years apart and will eventually merge to form a single larger galaxy. Sextans A and Sextans B are both irregular galaxies. Sextans B is one of the smallest irregular galaxies known to contain planetary nebulas.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alpha Sextantis

Blue-White Giant Star

4.48

Beta Sextantis

Blue-White Dwarf Star

5.00

Gamma Sextantis

Triple Star System

5.07

Delta Sextantis

Blue-White Dwarf Star

5.19

24

CHAPTER 4 - APRIL

Ursa Major

The Great Bear 10. Alkaid

Pronunciation: (ER-suh MAY-jer) Abbreviation: UMa Genitive: Ursae Majoris Right Ascension: 11 hours Declination: 50 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 1280 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, April 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -30 degrees

11. Mizar 8. Alioth 17.Megrez

13. Phad 9.Dubhe

23. Chi Ursae Majoris

12. Merak

16. Theta Ursae Majoris 25. Aula Australis 4. Gamma Sextantis 4. Gamma Sextantis 4. Gamma Sextantis

12. Merak

The constellation Ursa Major, the great bear, is visible in the northern hemisphere all year long. It is a large constellation occupying an area of 1,280 square degrees. This makes it the third largest constellation in the night sky.

It is one of the best-known constellations and is famous for containing an asterism known as the Big Dipper.

Ursa Major is one of the 48 constellations cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “the great bear� in Latin. It is one of the oldest constellations in the night sky, dating back as far as 13,000 years. It is mentioned in the Bible and in the works of the Greek author Homer. It is associated with several Greek and Roman myths. In Greek mythology, it is often associated with Callisto, a nymph who was turned into a bear by Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus. It has taken different forms in different cultures including an ox, camel, shark, skunk, sickle, bushel, and canoe. In Hindu legend the brightest stars represent the Seven Sages and the constellation is known as Saptarshi. The Chinese believed the seven bright stars represented Tseih Sing, the Government, or Pih Tow, the Northern Measure. In some Native American stories, the three stars in the handle of the dipper represented three warriors chasing a great bear. In South Korea, the constellation is referred to as the Seven Stars of the North.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alioth

Blue-White Subdwarf Star

1.77

Dubhe

Blue-White Subgiant Star

1.79

Alkaid

Blue Subgiant Star

1.86

Mizar

Blue Subgiant Star

2.27

Merak

Blue Subgiant Star

2.37

Phad

Blue Subgiant Star

2.44

Alkaid

Blue Subgiant Star

3.14

Talitha

Blue Subdwarf Star

3.31

Megrez

Blue Subgiant Star

3.14

25

05

May

The seven May constellations feature such well-known groups as Centaurus, the centaur, and Virgo, the maiden. These constellations contain a large number of interesting Messier objects including galaxies and star clusters.

CHAPTER 5 - MAY

Centaurus The Centaur 10. Ke Kwan 12. Mu Centauri Pronunciation: (sen-TAHR-us) Abbreviation: UMa Genitive: Centauri Right Ascension: 13 hours Declination: -50 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 1060 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, May 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 30 and -90 degrees

11. Nu Centauri

12. Mu Centauri

12. Mu Centauri 1. Rigel Kentaurus 2.Hadar

5.Epsilon Centauri 4.Muhlifain 14.Sigma Centauri

8. Ma Wei

8. Pi Centauri

The constellation Centaurus, the centaur, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is a large constellation that covers an area of 1,060 square degrees. This makes it the ninth largest constellation in the night sky.

It is bordered by the constellations Antlia, Carina, Circinus, Crux, Hydra, Libra, Lupus, Musca, and Vela.

Centaurus is one of the 48 constellations first identified by the second century Greek astronomer Ptolemy. It represents a centaur, a half man half horse creature from Greek mythology. It is an old constellation that dates back to the ancient Babylonians. They knew it as the Bison-man. It was depicted as a four-legged bison with the head of a man. The ancient Greeks identified it as a centaur, but it is not clear exactly which centaur it represents. It may represent Chiron who was accidentally wounded by Hercules. After his death, Hercules honored him by giving him a place in the stars. Under a dark sky, the outline of the constellation does indeed resemble a centaur. It is usually depicted as a centaur sacrificing an animal which is represented by the constellation Lupus, the wolf.Centaurus contains no Messier objects but does have a few notable deep-sky objects. Centaurus A is the fifth brightest galaxy in the sky and one of the closest radio galaxies to our solar system.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Rigel Kentaurus

Triple Star System

-0.01

Hadar

Blue Giant Star

0.61

Menkent

Orange Giant Star

2.06

Muhlifain

Double Blue Subdwarf Star

2.20

Alnair

Blue-White Subgiant Star

2.55

Ma Wei

Blue-White Subdwarf Star

2.57

Alhakim

Blue Subdwarf Star

2.73

Ke Kwan

Blue Subdwarf Star

3.14

26

CHAPTER 5 - MAY

Corvus The Crow

Pronunciation: (KOR-vus) Abbreviation: Crv Genitive: Corvi Right Ascension: 12 hours Declination: -20 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 184 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, May 10 Visible Between Latitudes: 60 and -90 degrees

1. Algorab

3. Kraz

1. Gienah 5.Alchiba

4.Minkar

The constellation Corvus, the crow, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky.It is a small constellation, covering an area of only 184 degrees. It ranks 70th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered

by Virgo to the north and east, Hydra to the south, and Crater to the west.

The four brightest stars in this constellation form a square asterism known as the Sail, or the Spica’s Spanker, because two of the stars point the way to Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo.

Corvus is one of the 48 constellations identified by the astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “crow” in Latin. It is an ancient constellation that was known since the time of the Babylonians. They saw it as a raven, and it was sacred to Adad, the god of rain and storm. To the ancient Greeks, it was a crow sent by Apollo to fetch water. The raven wasted his time eating figs. After returning late, Apollo punished him by throwing him into the heavens. He was also condemned to endure eternal thirst. This is why the crow caws instead of singing like other birds.Corvus contains no Messier objects. It does, however, contain a few interesting deep-sky objects. NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 are a pair of interacting galaxies known as the Antennae Galaxies and the Ringtail Galaxy.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Gienah

Blue Giant Star

2.59

Kraz

Yellow-White Giant Star

2.65

Algorab

Blue Subgiant Star

2.96

Minkar

Red Giant Star

3.02

Alchiba

Orange Giant Star

4.03

Ma Wei

Blue-White Subdwarf Star

2.57

27

CHAPTER 5 - MAY

Musca The Fly

Pronunciation: (MUS-kuh) Abbreviation: Mus Genitive: Muscae Right Ascension: 12 hours Declination: -70 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 138 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, May 10 Visible Between Latitudes: 10 and -90 degrees

4. Lambda Muscae

6. Epsilon Muscae

2.Beta Muscae

1. Alpha Muscae

5. Gamma Muscae 3.Delta Muscae

The constellation Musca, the fly, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is completely visible in latitudes south of 15 degrees between February and April.It is a small constellation covering an area of only 138 square degrees. This ranks it 77th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky.

It is bordered by Crux to the north, Carina to the west, Chamaeleon to the south, Apus and Circinus to the east and Centaurus to the northeast. It can be found just south of the Southern Cross.

There are no myths associated with Musca. It is one of 12 constellations created by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius based on observations from Dutch navigators. It was named for its shape, which resembles that of a housefly. Musca was first depicted in Johann Bayer’s star atlas in 1603. It was originally called De Vlieghe, which is Dutch for “the fly.” It has since had many names. Johann Bayer listed it as Apis, the Bee in his star catalog. French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille called it la Mouche. It was later changed to Musca Australis, the Southern Fly, and was eventually shortened to Musca as we know it today.Musca contains no Messier objects but does have a few notable deep-sky objects. NGC 5198, also known as the Spiral Planetary Nebula, is a planetary nebula with an unusual S-shape. The Engraved Hourglass Nebula is another planetary nebula with an unusual double circle shape. NGC 4822 is a globular star cluster containing thousands of stars.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alpha Muscae

Blue-White Subdwarf Star

2.69

Beta Muscae

Binary Star System

3.05

Delta Muscae

Orange Giant Star

3.61

Lambda Muscae

White Giant Star

3.68

Gamma Muscae

Blue-White Dwarf Star

3.84

Epsilon Muscae

Orange Giant Star

4.06

28

CHAPTER 5 - MAY

Virgo

The Maiden

Pronunciation: (VER-goh) Abbreviation: Vir Genitive: Virginis Right Ascension: 13 hours Declination: 0 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 1294 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, May 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 80 and -80 degrees

14. Vindemiatrix 19. Zaniah 16. Auva

13. Porrima

15. Heze

12. Spica 20. Syrma 18. Rijl al Awwa

The constellation Virgo, the maiden, can be seen in spring and summer in the northern hemisphere and in autumn and winter in the southern hemisphere.

It is a very large constellation covering a total area of 1,294 square degrees.

This makes it the second largest constellation in the night sky. It is one of the thirteen constellations of the zodiac. This means it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year. The September equinox is currently located in Virgo. This means that the Sun will be in the constellation Virgo on that date. Since the Sun passes through Virgo in mid-September, this makes it the constellation that announces the harvest.

Virgo is one of the 48 constellations first cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “virgin” in Latin. It is an ancient constellation. The Babylonians knew it as “The Furrow”, representing the goddess Shala’s ear of grain. In Roman times she was represented by the goddess Ceres, who was the mother of Prosperina. Her festival was in the second week of April, the same time that the constellation appears in the spring skies. She was also sometimes identified as the virgin goddess Astraea, holding the scales of justice represented by the constellation Libra. Virgo is usually depicted on charts as a maiden with angelic wings holding two ears of wheat, one of which is marked by the bright star Spica.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M104

Spiral Galaxy

8.00

Spica

Blue Giant Star

2.74

Porrima

Binary Star System

2.83

Vindemiatrix

Yellow-White Giant Star

3.38

Heze

Blue Subgiant Star

3.40

Auva

Red Giant Star

3.61

Zavijava

White Giant Star

3.88

Rijl al Awwa

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

3.89

Zaniah

Blue-White Giant Star

4.07

29

06

June

The June constellations include such popular groups as Boรถtes, the bear driver, Libra, the scales, and Ursa Minor, the little bear. Ursa Minor is home to two of the most well known objects in the night sky: the Little Dipper and Polaris, the North Star.

CHAPTER 6 - JUNE

Boötes

The Herdsman

Pronunciation: (boo-OH-teez) Abbreviation: Boo Genitive: Boötis Right Ascension: 15 hours Declination: 30 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 907 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, May 15 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -50 degrees

10. Asellus Primus

12. Lambda Boötis 6. Nekkar

4. Seginus 14. Tau Boötis

13. Alkalurops

15. Nadlat 2. Izar

17. Xi Boötis

1. Arcturus

3. Muphrid 14. Tau Boötis 9. Zeta Boötis 11. Upsilon Boötis

The constellation Boรถtes, the herdsman, is visible in the northern hemisphere from spring through the summer.It is a large constellation covering an area of 907 square degrees. This makes it the 13th largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by Virgo to the south, Coma Berenices and Canes Venatici to the west, Ursa Major to the northwest, Draco to the northeast, and Hercules, Corona Borealis and Serpens Caput to the east.

Boรถtes is one of the 48 constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name comes from a Greek word that means "ox driver, plowman, or herdsman". It is typically depicted as a herdsman. Along with his faithful hounds, Canes Venatici, he follows the two bears, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, around the pole. Boรถtes is an ancient constellation that has been known since the time of the Babylonians. They depicted it as their god Enlil, who was the leader of the Babylonian pantheon and the patron of farmers. The ancient Greeks once called this constellation Arctophylax, which means "the protector of the Bear". The Romans called it Venator Ursae, "the Bear Hunter". The name Boรถtes first appeared in The Odyssey, written by the Greek author Homer almost three thousand years ago.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Arcturus

Orange Giant Star

-0.04

Izar

Binary Star System

2.37

Muphrid

Yellow-White Subdwarf Star

2.68

Nekkar

Yellow-White Giant Star

3.03

Alkalurops

Triple Star System

3.48

Nadlat

Red Giant Star

3.49

Asellus Tertius

Orange Giant Star

4.54

Asellus Secondus

Blue-White Subgiant Star

4.75

Merga

Blue-White Subdwarf Star

5.76

30

CHAPTER 6 - JUNE

Libra

The Scales

Pronunciation: (LEE-bruh) Abbreviation: Lib Genitive: Librae Right Ascension: 15 hours Declination: -15 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 538 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, May 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 65 and -90 degrees

1. Zuben Elschemali

6. Zuben Elakrab

2. Zuben Elgenubi

3. Brachium 4. Upsilon Librae 5. Tau Librae

It is a medium-sized constellation occupying an area of 538 square degrees. It ranks 29th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by the head of Serpens to the north, Virgo to the northwest, Hydra to the southwest, the corner of Centaurus to the southwest, Lupus to the south, Scorpius to the east and Ophiuchus to the northeast. It is one of the thirteen constellations of the zodiac. This means it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year. It is the only constellation of the zodiac that represents an object instead of an animal or a person from mythology.

Libra is one of the 48 constellations first cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “the weighing scales� in Latin.

It is usually depicted as the scales held by the Greek goddess of justice Astrea, which is represented by the neighboring constellation Virgo. Virgo is an ancient constellation with its roots in many early cultures. The ancient Babylonians saw it as the Balance of Heaven. In ancient Greece, it represented the claws of the scorpion, and was considered to be part of the constellation Scorpius. In ancient Egypt the three brightest stars formed a constellation that was viewed as a boat. To the early Romans, it was the golden chariot of Pluto, god of the Underworld. It eventually came to be associated with the scales. Today it is seen as a universal symbol of balance, harmony, and justice.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Zuben Elschemali

Blue-White Dwarf Star

2.61

Zuben Elgenubi

Multiple Star System

2.75

Brachium

Red Giant Star

3.29

Upsilon Librae

Orange Giant Star

3.60

Tau Librae

Blue-White Dwarf Star

3.66

Zuben Elakrab

Orange Giant Star

3.49

Theta Librae

Orange Giant Star

3.91

Zuben Elakribi

Blue-White Dwarf Star

4.14

31

CHAPTER 6 - JUNE

Lupus The Wolf

Pronunciation: (LOO-pus) Abbreviation: Lup Genitive: Lupi Right Ascension: 15 hours Declination: -45 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 334 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, June 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 35 and -90 degrees

6. Zuben Elakrab

1. Zuben Elschemali

6. Zuben Elakrab

3. Gamma Lupi 4. Delta Lupi

1. Zuben Elschemali 5. Epsilon Lupi

1. Men

6. Zeta Lupi

The constellation Lupus, the wolf, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. Lupus is a mid-sized constellation filling 334 square degrees of the sky. It ranks 46th in size among the 88 constellations of the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Hydra, Scorpius, Norma, Circinus, Libra, and Centaurus. It is sometimes confused with the constellation Lepus, the rabbit.

Lupus is one of the 48 constellations first identified by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “the wolf” in Latin. Even though it is one of the older constellations, it is not associated with any mythology. The stars that make up this constellation were originally part of the constellation Centaurus. They represented an animal that had been killed by the centaur. The stars of Lupus was separated from Centaurus by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus in the third century BC. No particular animal was associated with it at the time. The ancient Greeks knew it as Therium, a wild animal. The Romans called it Bestia, the beast. A later Latin translation of Ptolemy’s work finally identified it as a wolf.

Lupus contains no Messier objects but it does contain a few notable deep-sky objects. NGC 5986 is a globular star cluster that contains thousands of individual stars. It is located approximately 33,900 light years from Earth. The Retina Nebula is a planetary nebula with a rainbow of colors.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Men

Blue-White Giant Star

2.30

Kekouan

Blue-White Giant Star

2.68

Gamma Lupi

Blue-White Subgiant Star

2.77

Delta Lupi

Blue-White Subgiant Star

3.22

Epsilon Lupi

Multiple Star System

3.41

Zeta Lupi

Yellow Giant Star

3.41

Eta Lupi

Blue-White Subgiant Star

3.41

Iota Lupi

Blue-White Subgiant Star

3.54

32

CHAPTER 6 - JUNE

Ursa Minor The Little Bear

1. Polaris Pronunciation: (ER-suh MY-ner) Abbreviation: UMi Genitive: Ursae Minoris Right Ascension: 15 hours Declination: 70 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 256 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, June 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 90and -10 degrees

6. Yildun

4. Epsilon Ursae Minoris

5. Akhfa al Farkadain

7. Anwar al Farkadain

2. Kocab

6. Pherkad

The constellation Ursa Minor, the little bear, is visible in the northern hemisphere all year long. It is a circumpolar constellation, which means it is visible all night as it rotates around the north celestial pole.It is a small constellation covering an area of 256 square degrees. It ranks 56th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is famous for a group of stars known as the Little Dipper and for Polaris, the North Star, which is located at the tip of the dipper's handle. Polaris is called the North Star because it is the closest star to the north celestial pole. This means that as the Earth rotates, Polaris appears to remain stationary in the sky while all of the other stars rotate around it. Because the Earth wobbles slightly as it rotates on its axis, Polaris will not always be the North Star. In about 14,000 years the north celestial pole will point away from Polaris and toward Vega. This process is known as procession. Polaris is an important star for navigation, allowing mariners to easily identify their latitude.

Its name means “lesser bear� in Latin. It is an ancient constellation with roots in many cultures. In Greek mythology, this constellation was associated with two different myths. In one, it represented Ida and her sister Adrasteia, the nymphs who took care of Zeus on the island of Crete when he was small.

Zeus rewarded them by placing them in the heavens. In another story, it represented Arcas, who was the son of Zeus and the nymph Callisto. Arcas and his mother were transformed into bears and placed in the night sky.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Polaris

Multiple Star System

1.98

Kocab

Orange Giant Star

2.08

Pherkad

Yellow-White Giant Star

3.05

Epsilon Ursae Minoris

Triple Star System

4.21

Akhfa al Farkadain

White Dwarf Star

4.32

Yildun

Blue-White Subgiant Star

4.35

Anwar al Farkadain

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

4.95

33

07

July

The July constellations contain many well-known groups such as Draco, the dragon, Hercules, the strongman, and Scorpius, the scorpion. These groups are famous for their large number of globular star clusters.

CHAPTER 7 - JULY

Ara

The Altar

Pronunciation: (AY-ruh) Abbreviation: Ara Genitive: Arae Right Ascension: 17 hours Declination: -55 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 237 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, July 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 25 and -90 degrees

6. Theta Arae

2. Alpha Arae

1. Beta Arae 4. Gamma Arae 8. Epsilon-1 Arae

3. Zeta Arae 5. Delta Arae

7. Eta Arae

The constellation Ara, the altar, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is best observed during the month of July. It is a small constellation occupying an area of 237 square degrees. It ranks 63rd in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Apus, Corona Australis, Norma, Pavo, Scorpius, Telescopium, and Triangulum Australe.

Apus is one of the 48 constellations introduced by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “The Altar� in Latin. It is usually depicted as an altar with its smoke rising to the south. It is an ancient constellation that has existed since the time of the Babylonians. In Greek mythology, it represents the altar where the gods made offerings and alliances before defeating the Titans. The altar was believed to have been built by the Cyclopes as a place of sacrifice to the Olympian gods. It may also represent the altar where Centaurus the centaur sacrificed Lupus the wolf.

Ara contains no Messier objects but does contain a few notable deep-sky objects. The Stingray Nebula is a planetary nebula approximately 18,000 light years from Earth. It is illuminated by a white dwarf star at its center. NGC 6397 is a globular star cluster that contains about 400,000 stars.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Beta Arae

Orange Giant Star

2.84

Alpha Arae

Blue-White Subgiant Star

2.93

Zeta Arae

Orange Giant Star

3.13

Gamma Arae

Blue-White Supergiant Star

3.34

Delta Arae

Blue-White Subgiant Star

3.62

Theta Arae

Blue-White Supergiant Star

3.67

Eta Arae

Orange Giant Star

3.76

34

CHAPTER 7 - JULY

Corona Borealis The Northern Crown

Pronunciation: (koh-ROH-nuh BOR-ee-AL-is) Abbreviation: CrB Genitive: Coronae Borealis Right Ascension: 16 hours Declination: 30 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 179 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, June 30 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -50 degrees

5. Theta Coronae Borealis

2. Nusakan 7. Iota Coronae Borealis

4. Epsilon Coronae Borealis

1. Alphecca

3. Gamma Coronae Borealis 6. Delta Coronae Borealis

The constellation Corona Borealis, the northern crown, is visible in the northern hemisphere in the spring and summer. It can be seen at latitudes between 90 degrees and -50 degrees. It is a small constellation covering 179 square degrees of the sky. It ranks 73rd in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Boötes to the north and west, Serpens Caput to the south, and Hercules to the east.

Corona Borealis is one of the 48 constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “northern crown” in Latin. This is an ancient constellation that has its roots in many cultures. It has been depicted as a circle of elders, an eagle’s nest, and a bear’s den. In Celtic mythology, it was known as Caer Arianrhod, the Castle of Arianrhod. It represented the home of the Lady Arianrhod. In Greek mythology, it represented the crown that Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Crete, wore at her wedding. Her ball of thread helped Theseus defeat the Minotaur and find his way out of the labyrinth. Theseus gave her the crown when they married. The crown was created by the supreme goldsmith of the gods, Hephaestus.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alphecca

Binary Star System

2.23

Nusakan

Binary Star System

3.68

Gamma Coronae Borealis

Binary Star System

3.84

Epsilon Coronae Borealis

Multiple Star System

4.13

Theta Coronae Borealis

Binary Star System

4.13

Delta Coronae Borealis

Yellow Giant Star

4.63

Iota Coronae Borealis

Binary Star System

4.98

35

CHAPTER 7 - JULY

Draco

The Dragon

6. Aldhibah

2. Etamin

12. Tyl 5. Altais

2. Nusakan 18. Upsilon Draconis

4. Rastaban

15. Phi Draconis

19. Kuma

8. Batentaban Borealis 6. Aldhibah Pronunciation: (DRAY-koh) Abbreviation: Dra Genitive: Draconis Right Ascension: 17 hours Declination: 65 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 1083 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, July 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -15 degrees

3. Aldibain 14. Theta Draconis

7. Ed Asich

9. Thuban 11. Kappa Draconis 13. Gianfar

The constellation Draco, the dragon, is a northern circumpolar constellation.

It is a large constellation covering 1,083 square degrees of the sky. This makes it the eighth largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Boötes, Camelopardalis, Cepheus, Cygnus, Hercules, Lyra, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor. Draco held special significance in the past.

About 4,000 years ago, it was the location of the northern pole star, as Ursa Minor is today. Due to the Earth's wobble, or precession, the pole has now shifted to the star Polaris. Draco is also the origin point for the annual Draconids meteor shower.

Draco is one of the 48 constellations cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “the dragon” in Latin. It was the guardian of the star that never moves, the celestial pole. In ancient times, the pole star was believed to be the doorway between the mortal world and eternity.In Greek mythology, the dragon was Laden, a monstrous beast with a hundred heads chosen by Hera to guard the golden apples of immortality.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M102

Lenticular Galaxy

9.90

Etamin

Orange Giant Star

2.23

Aldibain

Yellow-White Giant Star

2.73

Rastaban

Binary Star System

2.79

Altais

Yellow Giant Star

3.07

Aldhibah

Blue Giant Star

3.17

Ed Asich

Orange Giant Star

3.29

Batentaban Borealis

Binary Star System

3.57

Thuban

White Giant Star

3.65

Grumium

Orange Giant Star

4.63

Dsiban

Blue Giant Star

4.98

36

CHAPTER 7 - JULY

Hercules The Strongman

15. Rukbalgethi Shemali

12. Iota Herculis 18. Sigma Herculis

14. Rukbalgethi Genubi

9. Sophian 13. Atia 10. Xi Herculis 16. Epsilon Herculis

4. Zeta Herculis

20. Maasym 5. Sarin 3. Kornephoros 11. Gamma Herculis Pronunciation: (HER-ku-leez) Abbreviation: Her Genitive: Herculis Right Ascension: 17 hours Declination: 30 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 1225 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, July 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -50 degrees

21. Kajam

The constellation Hercules, the strongman, is best seen during the summer in the northern hemisphere. It is visible in the southern hemisphere from May until August.It is a large constellation filling 1,225 square degrees of the sky. It the fifth largest constellation in the sky, but can be difficult to locate because of its dim stars. It can be found by looking between Draco and Ophiuchus.The constellation is bordered by Draco to the north; BoĂśtes, Corona Borealis, and Serpens Caput to the east; Ophiuchus to the south; Aquila to the southwest; and Sagitta, Vulpecula, and Lyra to the west.

Hercules contains a famous grouping of stars known as an asterism. Four stars form a square shape known as the Keystone. The Keystone represents the hero’s torso in the constellation.

Hercules is one of the 48 constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It is a very old constellation that was celebrated by a number of ancient cultures. In Greek mythology, it was named after the famous son of Zeus, who defeated the Nemean Lion, Leo, and the many-headed beast called Hydra. While fighting Hydra, Hercules also killed the little crab, Cancer. The Greeks called him Heracles, but the Romans changed his name to Hercules.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Kornephoros

Yellow-White Giant Star

9.90

Sarin

Multiple Star System

2.23

Marfak Al Jathih Aisr

Multiple Star System

2.73

Rasalgethi

Multiple Star System

2.79

Sophian

White Subdwarf Star

3.07

Atia

Multiple Star System

3.17

Rukbalgethi Genubi

Orange Giant Star

3.29

Rukbalgethi Shemali

Blue Subgiant Star

3.57

Kajam

Blue Giant Star

3.65

37

CHAPTER 7 - JULY

Scorpius

11. Acrab

The Scorpion

8. Dschubba 21. Kajam

Pronunciation: (SKOR-pee-us) Abbreviation: Sco Genitive: Scorpii Right Ascension: 17 hours Declination: -40 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 497 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, July 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 40 and -90 degrees

5. Antares

13. Alniyat

9. Wei

17,19. Mu-1,2 Scorpii 12. Lesath

6. Shaula 18. Eta Scorpii

16. Apollyon 7. Sargas

The constellation Scorpius, the scorpion, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It can be seen in summer from the northern hemisphere, but is low in the sky and is best seen from the southern hemisphere or southern United States.It is a medium-sized constellation that occupies 497 square degrees of the sky. It ranks 33rd in size among the 88 constellations of the night sky. Scorpius is easy to find due to its distinct "J" shape, also described as a fishhook. It is one of the thirteen constellations of the zodiac. This means it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year.

Scorpius is one of the 48 constellations identified by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It is an ancient constellation that pre-dated the Greeks. The Sumerians called it GIT-TAB, which means “the scorpion.� In Greek mythology, it represented the scorpion sent by a jealous Artemis to slay Orion. It was this scorpion's sting that caused Orion's death. In another version, it was the Earth that sent the scorpion to kill Orion after he bragged about being able to kill any wild beast. The scorpion still chases Orion across the heavens, but will never catch him because it rises in the East after Orion has set in the West.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Antares

Red Supergiant Star

0.96

Shaula

Triple Star System

1.63

Dschubba

Binary Star System

2.31

Wei

Orange Giant Star

2.31

Girtab

Binary Star System

2.39

Acrab

Binary Star System

2.62

Lesath

Blue Subgiant Star

2.69

Alniyat

Blue Subgiant Star

2.82

Pi Scorpii

Blue Giant Star

2.88

Apollyon

Yellow-White Supergiant Star

2.89

38

CHAPTER 7 - JULY

Serpens The Serpent

Pronunciation: (SER-penz) Abbreviation: Ser Genitive: Serpentis Right Ascension: 17 hours Declination: 0 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 637 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, June 30 Visible Between Latitudes: 80 and -80 degrees

15. Alya

11. Kappa Serpentis 4. Eta Serpentis 10. Gamma Serpentis 16. Beta Serpentis

12. Nu Serpentis

9. Delta Serpentis

18. Eta Scorpii 18. Eta Scorpii 6. Xi Serpentis 5. Eta Scorpii

The constellation Serpens, the serpent, is best seen in the summer from the northern hemisphere. It is a mid-sized constellation with a total area of 637 square degrees. This ranks it 23rd in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. Although this is officially one constellation, it is actually split into two distinct, disjoint areas of the sky. It is divided by the constellation Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, who holds the serpent in his hands. These two areas are known as Serpens Caput (the head of the serpent) and Serpens Cauda (the tail of the serpent). This is the only constellation that is split in this fashion.

Serpens is one of the 48 constellations first listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “the serpent� in Latin. It is an ancient constellation that dates back to Babylonian times. It was one of two snake constellations at the time. In Greek mythology, Serpens represents a snake held by the healer Asclepius, which is represented by the constellation Ophiuchus. Asclepius was the son of the god Apollo and was said to be able to bring people back to life. He once killed a snake and saw it brought back to life by an herb that was placed on it by another snake.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M16

Globular Star Cluster

6.00

Unukalhai

Diffuse Nebula

2.63

Eta Serpentis

Red Giant Star

3.26

Mu Serpentis

Orange Subgiant Star

3.54

Xi Serpentis

White Dwarf Star

2.39

Beta Serpentis

Triple Star System

3.65

Epsilon Serpentis

Triple Star System

3.71

Delta Serpentis

White Dwarf Star

3.80

Gamma Serpentis

Binary Star System

3.85

Alya

Triple Star System

4.62

39

08

August

The August constellations include some of the most beautiful and well-known objects in the sky. The center of our Milky Way galaxy is located in the direction of Sagittarius. Because of this, Sagittarius contains more notable deep sky objects than any other constellation.

CHAPTER 8 - AUGUST

Lyra

The Lyre

Pronunciation: (LY-ruh) Abbreviation: Lyr Genitive: Lyrae Right Ascension: 19 hours Declination: 40 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 286 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, June 30 Visible Between Latitudes: 80 and -80 degrees

10. Epsilon Lyrae 8. Aladfar 6. Delta-2 Lyrae

3. Vega 9. Zeta Lyrae

7. Theya Lyrae

5. Eta Scorpii 4. Sulafat 5. Eta Scorpii

The constellation Lyra, the lyre, is best seen from June through October in the northern hemisphere. It ranks 52nd in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Vulpecula to the south, Hercules to the east, Draco to the north, and Cygnus to the west. Vega, the brightest star in Lyra, forms a large triangle with two other stars, Altair in Aquila and Deneb in Cygnus. This prominent formation of bright stars is known as the Summer Triangle. Lyra is also the origin point for the annual Lyrids meteor shower which occurs every year in April.

Lyra is one of the 48 constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It represents the lyre, a musical instrument with strings that resembles a harp. It is associated with the myth of the Greek musician Orpheus. The lyre was invented by Hermes as a gift to his half-brother Apollo, who gave it to Orpheus, the musician of the Argonauts.

Orpheus was so gifted with his music that even inanimate objects such as trees, streams, and rocks could be charmed. After his death, his lyre was thrown into a river. Zeus sent an eagle to retrieve it and both Orpheus and the Lyre were placed in the heavens as constellations.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M57

Planetary Nebula

8.80

Vega

Blue Subgiant Star

0.03

Sulafat

Blue Giant Star

3.24

Sheliak

Binary Star System

3.52

Delta-2 Lyrae

Red Giant Star

4.30

Theya Lyrae

Trinary Star System

4.35

Aladfar

Blue Subdwarf Star

4.39

Epsilon Lyrae

Multiple Star System

4.40

Lambda Lyrae

Multiple Star System

4.70

Alathfar

Blue-White Subdwarf Star

5.12

40

CHAPTER 8 - AUGUST

Sagittarius The Archer

Pronunciation: (SAJ-eh-TEHR-ee-us) Abbreviation: Sgr Genitive: Sagittarii Right Ascension: 19 hours Declination: -25 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 867 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, August 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 55 and -90 degrees

28. Rho-1 Sagittarii

21. Albaldah 10. Epsilon Lyrae

27. Polis 20. Kaus Borealis 19. Kaus Media

10. Omicron Sagittarii 25. Tau Sagittarii

22. Alnasl

16. Kaus Australis 18. Ascella 33. Ain al Rami

23. Sephdar

33. Theta-1 Sagittarii 30. Rukbat 29. Arkab Prior 31. Iota Sagittarii

32. Arkab Posterior

The constellation Sagittarius, the archer, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is one of the largest southern constellations and is easy to recognizable due to an asterism, or grouping of stars, that form a teacup shape. It is a large constellation covering an area of 867 square degrees of the sky. This makes it the 15th largest constellation in the night sky. It lies between Scorpius and Ophiuchus to the west and Capricornus to the east. It is also one of the thirteen constellations of the zodiac. This means it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year.

Sagittarius is one of the 48 constellations first cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It is usually depicted as a centaur pulling back on a bow. This ancient constellation is believed to have originated with the Babylonians. He was their god of War, and he stands with his bow aimed at the heart of Scorpius, the scorpion. In Greek mythology, Sagittarius represents a half horse and half man creature known as a centaur.

There are many conflicting myths to explain the origin of this centaur so his exact identity is not known. Some legends say that he was placed in the heavens to guide the Argonauts in their travels.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Kaus Australis

Binary Star System

1.85

Nunki

Blue Subgiant Star

2.05

Ascella

Binary Star System

2.59

Kaus Media

Double Star

2.70

Kaus Borealis

Orange Giant Star

2.81

Albaldah

Triple Star System

2.89

Alnasl

Orange Giant Star

2.98

Sephdar

Binary Star System

3.11

Polis

Multiple Star system

3.85

Ain al Rami

Triple Star System

5.12

41

CHAPTER 8 - AUGUST

Telescopium The Telescope

Pronunciation: (TEL-eh-SKOH-pee-um) Abbreviation: Tel Genitive: Telescopii Right Ascension: 19 hours Declination: -50 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 252 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, August 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 30 and -90 degrees

3. Epsilon Telescopii 1. Alpha Telescopii

2. Zeta Telescopii

6. Iota Telescopii

4. Lambda Telescopii

5. Xi Telescopii

The constellation Telescopium, the telescope, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is a small constellation, covering 252 square degrees of the sky. It ranks 57th in size among the 88 constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by Sagittarius and Corona Australis to the north, Ara to the west, Pavo to the south, and Indus to the east, cornering on Microscopium to the northeast.

There is no mythology associated with Telescopium. It is one of the 14 southern constellations named by AbbĂŠ Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century. It was named to honor the invention of one of the most important pieces of equipment in astronomy, the telescope. Lacaille mapped the constellation during his trip to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa in 1751-1752. It represents an aerial telescope, a type of refracting telescope that was popular at the time. This constellation was originally much larger but was later reduced in size by astronomers Francis Baily and Benjamin Gould.

Telescopium contains no Messier objects but does contain a few interesting deep-sky objects. The Telescopium Group is a galaxy group containing 12 individual galaxies located approximately 120 light years from Earth.NGC 6861 is a beautiful lenticular galaxy with dark dust lanes. NGC 6584 is a globular star cluster containing thousands of individual stars. These objects are extremely faint and can only be seen with large telescopes.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alpha Telescopii

Blue-White Subgiant Star

3.51

Zeta Telescopii

Yellow Giant Star

4.13

Epsilon Telescopii

Binary Star System

4.52

Xi Telescopii

White Dwarf Star

4.84

Iota Telescopii

Red Giant Star

4.89

Lambda Telescopii

Orange Giant Star

4.89

42

09

September The September constellations contain several notable groups such as Aquila, the eagle, Capricornus, the sea goat, and Cygnus, the swan.

There are only a few notable deep sky objects found in these constellations. The famous Dumbbell Nebula is located in Vulpecula. This planetary nebula was formed when a star shed its outer layer of gas.

CHAPTER 9 - SEPTEMBER

Aquila The Eagle

Pronunciation: (uh-KWIL-uh) Abbreviation: Aql Genitive: Aquilae Right Ascension: 20 hours Declination: 5 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 652 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, August 30 Visible Between Latitudes: 85 and -75 degrees

9. Deneb el Okab Borealis

3. Deneb el Okab Australis

2. Tarazed

10. Altair

5. Delta Aquilae 8. Bezek

7. Alshain

6. Iota Telescopii

6. Lambda Aquilae

The constellation Aquila, the eagle, is visible in the northern hemisphere from July through October. This makes it the 22nd largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Aquarius, Capricornus, Delphinus, Hercules, Ophiuchus, Sagitta, Sagittarius, Scutum, and Serpens Cauda. Aquila’s brightest star Altair forms part of the famous Summer Triangle, along with Deneb in Cygnus and Vega in Lyra.

The name Aquila means “Eagle” in Latin. It represents the eagle that carried Zeus’ thunderbolts and also brought the mortal Ganymede to the heavens to serve as Zeus' cupbearer. In another myth, Aquila represents the goddess Aphrodite. She disguised herself as an eagle and pretended to pursue Zeus in the form of a swan. She did this so that Zeus’ love interest, the goddess Nemesis, would give him shelter. Zeus later placed the eagle and the swan in the heavens as constellations. Aquila has been known since the time of the ancient Babylonians, who also saw it as an eagle. To the ancient Romans, the constellation represented a flying vulture.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Altair

Blue Subdwarf Star

3.51

Tarazed

Orange Giant Star

4.13

Deneb el Okab Australis

Triple Star System

4.52

Tseen Foo

Binary Star System

4.84

Delta Aquilae

Binary Star System

4.89

Lambda Aquilae

Blue-White Dwarf Star

4.89

Alshain

Yellow-White Subgiant Star

4.52

Bezek

Yellow-White Supergiant Star

4.84

Deneb el Okab Borealis

Triple Star System

4.89

Al Thalimain

Blue-White Giant Star

4.89

43

CHAPTER 9 - SEPTEMBER

Capricornus The Sea Goat

Pronunciation: (KAP-ri-KOR-nus) Abbreviation: Cap Genitive: Capricorni Right Ascension: 21 hours Declination: -20 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 414 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, September 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 60 and -90 degrees

4,10. Algiedi Secunda,Prima 3. Dabih

7. Dorsum

9. Psi Capricorni

11. Iota Capricorni 5. Nashira 6. Yen 2. Deneb Algedi

8. Omega Algiedi

The constellation Capricornus, the sea goat, can be seen in the northern hemisphere in early autumn. It is a medium-sized constellation, occupying 414 square degrees of the sky. This ranks it 40th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Aquila, Sagittarius, Microscopium, Piscis Austrinus, and Aquarius. It is one of the 13 constellations of the zodiac. This means that it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year.

Capricornus is one of the 48 constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “the goat” in Latin, and it is represented as a goat with the tail of a fish. This ancient constellation has been known since Babylonian and Sumerian times. The Sumerians knew it as the goat-fish. It marked the winter solstice during the early Bronze Age. The ancient Greeks associated the constellation with Amalthea, the goat that sucked the baby Zeus from his mother, Rhea, and saved him from being eaten by his father, Cronos. It was also sometimes associated with Pan, the god with a goat’s head who saved himself from the monster Typhon by growing a fish tail and jumping into a river.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Deneb Algedi

Binary Star System

2.91

Dabih

Multiple Star System

3.05

Algiedi Secunda

Yellow Giant Star

3.58

Nashira

Blue-White Giant Star

3.67

Delta Aquilae

Double Star

3.77

Yen

White Dwarf Star

4.08

Dorsum

Red Giant Star

4.12

Omega Algiedi

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

4.27

Alshat

Binary Star System

4.77

44

CHAPTER 9 - SEPTEMBER

Cygnus The Swan

Pronunciation: (SIG-nus) Abbreviation: Cyg Genitive: Cygni Right Ascension: 21 hours Declination: 40 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 804 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, August 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -40 degrees

13. Kappa Cygni

11. Iota Cygni

16 . Omicron-2 Cygni 10. Xi Cygni 15. Nu Cygni

6. Rukh

5. Nashira 4. Sadr

14. Eta Cygni 5. Gienah 7. Albireo 8. Zeta Cygni

The constellation Cygnus, the swan, can be seen in the northern hemisphere between June and October. It is a large constellation that fills 804 square degrees of the sky. This makes it the 16th largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by Cepheus, Draco, Lyra, Vulpecula, Pegasus, and Lacerta.

The stars in this constellation form a large cross that is sometimes referred to as the Northern Cross. Deneb, the brightest star in Cygnus, forms a large triangle with two other stars, Altair in Aquila and Vega in Lyra. This prominent formation of bright stars is known as the Summer Triangle.

The constellation Cygnus, the swan, can be seen in the northern hemisphere between June and October. It is a large constellation that fills 804 square degrees of the sky. This makes it the 16th largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by Cepheus, Draco, Lyra, Vulpecula, Pegasus, and Lacerta.

The stars in this constellation form a large cross that is sometimes referred to as the Northern Cross. Deneb, the brightest star in Cygnus, forms a large triangle with two other stars, Altair in Aquila and Vega in Lyra. This prominent formation of bright stars is known as the Summer Triangle.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Deneb Algedi

Binary Star System

2.91

Dabih

Multiple Star System

3.05

Algiedi Secunda

Yellow Giant Star

3.58

Nashira

Blue-White Giant Star

3.67

Delta Aquilae

Double Star

3.77

Yen

White Dwarf Star

4.08

Dorsum

Red Giant Star

4.12

Omega Algiedi

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

4.27

Alshat

Binary Star System

4.77

45

CHAPTER 9 - SEPTEMBER

Indus

The Indian

Pronunciation: (IN-dus) Abbreviation: Ind Genitive: Indi Right Ascension: 21 hours Declination: -55 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 294 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, September 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 25 and -90 degrees

1. The Persian

5. Theta Indi 5. Eta Indi 3. Delta Indi

2. Beta Indi

The constellation Indus, the Indian, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is a small constellation, filling 294 degrees of the sky. This ranks it 49th in size among the 88 constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by Grus, Microscopium, Octans, Pavo, Sagittarius, Telescopium and Tucana.

There are no myths associated with Indus. This southern constellation was one of 12 constellations created by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius based on the observations of Dutch navigators in the 16th century. It was first depicted in Johann Bayer’s star atlas which was published in 1603. It was depicted as naked male figure holding arrows in both hands. It is believed to represent the indigenous people that explorers encountered during their travels to the East Indies, Madagascar, and southern Africa.

Indus contains no Messier objects but does contain a few notable deep-sky objects. NGC 7049 is a lenticular galaxy located about 150,000 light years from Earth. It features a prominent dust ring that stands out against the glow of the galaxy’s stars. NGC 7090 is a beautiful edge-on spiral galaxy that features prominent dust lanes and nebulas. There are several other dim galaxies in this constellation, but they can only be seen in large telescopes.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

The Persian

Orange Giant Star

3.11

Beta Indi

Orange Giant Star

3.65

Delta Indi

Binary Star System

4.40

Theta Indi

Double Star

4.40

Eta Indi

White Subgiant Star

4.52

46

CHAPTER 9 - SEPTEMBER

Microscopium The Microscope

Pronunciation: (MY-kroh-SCOH-pee-um) Abbreviation: Mic Genitive: Microscopii Right Ascension: 21 hours Declination: -35 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 210 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, September 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 45 and -90 degrees

1 . Gamma Microscopii 4. Alpha Microscopii 2. Epsilon Microscopii

5. Iota Microscopii 3. Theta-1 Microscopii

The constellation Microscopium, the microscope, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky.It is a small constellation, occupying only 210 square degrees of the sky. This ranks it 66th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Capricornus to the north, Piscis Austrinus and Grus to the west, Sagittarius to the east, and Indus to the south, touching on Telescopium to the southeast.

There is no mythology associated with Microscopium. It was named by Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille to honor the invention of the microscope. It is one of several constellations named by Lacaille for scientific instruments after his trip to the Cape of Good Hope to study the southern night sky. It was named after an early type of compound microscope that was used in the 18th century. Lacaille described the constellation as “a tube above a square box.”

Microscopium contains no Messier objects and only a few deep-sky objects.

A few extremely dim and distant galaxies can be found here that can only be seen with very large telescopes. The most notable of these is a pair of colliding galaxies known as Arp-Madore 2026-424. All though the galaxies are colliding, the space between stars is so vast it is unlikely any of them will come into contact with one other. Instead, gravity will distort the shapes of both galaxies as they continue to pass through each other.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Gamma Microscopii

Yellow Giant Star

4.68

Epsilon Microscopii

White Dwarf Star

4.72

Theta-1 Microscopii

Wide Double Star

4.81

Alpha Microscopii

Yellow Giant Star

4.88

Iota Microscopii

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

5.13

47

CHAPTER 9 - SEPTEMBER

Pavo

The Peacock

Pronunciation: (PAY-voh) Abbreviation: Pav Genitive: Pavonis Right Ascension: 20 hours Declination: -65 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 378 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, August 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 15 and -90 degrees

11. Xi Pavonis 6 . Lambda Pavonis

1 . Peacock

9. Pi Pavonis

10. Kappa Pavonis

3. Delta Pavonis

7. Zeta Pavonis

2. Beta Pavonis 5. Epsilon Pavonis 8. Gamma Pavonis

The constellation Pavo, the peacock, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is a relatively small constellation, covering 378 degrees of the sky. This ranks it 44th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky.It is bordered by Telescopium to the north, Apus and Ara to the west, Octans to the south, and Indus to the east and northeast. It is one of the constellations known as the “Southern Birds”, along with Grus, Phoenix, and Tucana.

This southern constellation was one of 12 constellations created by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius based on the observations of Dutch navigators in the 16th century. It was first depicted in Johann Bayer’s star atlas which was published in 1603. The name Pavo is Latin for “peacock”. It is believed to represent the Java green peacock that was encountered by Dutch navigators on their journey to the East Indies. In Greek mythology, the peacock was Hera’s sacred bird. Her chariot was drawn through the air by peacocks. The eyes on the peacock’s feathers are associated with the mythological giant, Argus. Argus was an all-seeing primordial giant with 100 eyes. When Argus was killed by Hermes, Hera put its many eyes on the tail of her peacock.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Peacock

Blue-White Subgiant Star

4.68

Beta Pavonis

White Giant Star

4.72

Delta Pavonis

Yellow Subgiant Star

4.81

Eta Pavonis

Orange Giant Star

4.88

Epsilon Pavonis

White Dwarf Star

5.13

Lambda Pavonis

Blue-White Subgiant Star

4.68

Zeta Pavonis

White Giant Star

4.72

Gamma Pavonis

Yellow Subgiant Star

4.81

Pi Pavonis

Orange Giant Star

4.88

Kappa Pavonis

White Dwarf Star

5.13

48

CHAPTER 9 - SEPTEMBER

Vulpecula The Fox

Pronunciation: (vul-PEK-u-luh) Abbreviation: Vul Genitive: Vulpeculae Right Ascension: 20 hours Declination: 25 Degrees Area in Square Degrees: 268 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, August 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -55 degrees

3. 23 Vulpeculae

6. 15 Vulpeculae

3. Delta Pavonis

4. 13 Vulpeculae

2. Anser

The constellation Vulpecula, the fox, is located in the northern hemisphere of the sky. It is a small constellation that occupies 268 square degrees of the sky. This ranks it 55th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Cygnus, Delphinus, Hercules, Lyra, Pegasus and Sagitta. It can easily be found in the middle of the Summer Triangle, a triangular asterism formed by the bright stars Deneb in Cygnus, Vega in Lyra, and Altair in Aquila.

There are no myths associated with Vulpecula. Its name means “little fox� in Latin. It was introduced by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in the late 17th century. It was originally named Vulpecula Cum Ansere, "the little fox with the goose," and Vulpecula et Anser, "the little fox and the goose," and was illustrated with a goose in the jaws of a fox. The stars were later separated into two constellations, Anser and Vulpecula, and then later recombined under the name Vulpecula. Today, the goose is only remembered by the name of the star Anser.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M27

Planetary Nebula

7.40

Anser

Red Giant Star

4.40

23 Vulpeculae

Orange Giant Star

4.52

13 Vulpeculae

Blue Giant Star

4.57

31 Vulpeculae

Yellow Giant Star

4.59

15 Vulpeculae

White Giant Star

4.66

1 Vulpeculae

Blue Subgiant Star

4.77

49

10

October

The October constellations include such well-known formations as Aquarius, the water bearer, and Pegasus, the winged horse. The only notable deep sky objects are located in these two constellations.

CHAPTER 10 - OCTOBER

Aquarius

The Water Bearer

Pronunciation: (uh-KWER-ee-us) Abbreviation: Aqr Genitive: Aquarii Right Ascension: 23 hours Declination: -15 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 980 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, October 10 Visible Between Latitudes: 65 and -90 degrees

23. Omega-1 Aquarii 16,17,24. Psi-1-3

6. Skat 12. Tau-2 Aquarii 22. Sigma Aquarii

8. Lambda Aquarii 25. Situla

15. Iota Aquarii

11. Eta Aquarii

13. Ancha

7. Sadaltager 20. Pi Aquarii

19. Nu Aquarii

5. Sadalmelik 4. Sadalsuud 21. Mu Aquarii

9. Albali

The constellation Aquarius, the water bearer, is visible in the fall in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere. It is a large constellation, covering 980 square degrees. This makes it the 10th largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Aquila, Capricornus, Cetus, Delphinus, Equuleus, Pegasus, Pisces, Piscis Austrinus, and Sculptor. It shares an area of sky with other water constellations such as Cetus, the sea monster, Pisces, the fish, and Eridanus, the river. Aquarius is one of the 13 constellations of the zodiac. This means that it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year. It is also the origin point for the annual Delta Aquarids meteor shower.

Aquarius is one of the 48 constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It is represented as a man pouring water from a bucket into the mouth of the Southern Fish, depicted by the constellation Piscis Austrinus. This ancient constellation has its roots in a number of cultures. In Babylonian mythology, Aquarius was associated with the god Ea. The ancient Egyptians believed that it represented the god of the Nile. In Greek mythology, Aquarius was Ganymede, a Trojan youth who was carried off to Olympus by Zeus to serve as the cupbearer to the gods.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Sadalsuud

Yellow Supergiant Star

7.40

Sadalmelik

Yellow Supergiant Star

4.40

Skat

Blue Subgiant Star

4.52

Sadaltager

Binary Star System

4.57

Albali

Blue Subgiant Star

4.59

Sadachbia

Binary Star System

4.66

Ancha

Yellow-White Subdwarf Star

4.77

Situla

Orange Giant star

4.66

M2

Globular Star Cluster

4.77

50

CHAPTER 10 - OCTOBER

Cepheus The King

Pronunciation: (SEE-fee-us) Abbreviation: Cep Genitive: Cephei Right Ascension: 22 hours Declination: 70 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 588 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, October 15 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -10 degrees

3. Alrai

14. Al Kalb al Rai 2. Alfirk 10. Theta Cephei

13. Pi Cephei

1. Alderamin 11. Nu Cephei

6. Iota Cephei

8. Herschel's Garnet Star

7. Delta Cephei 9. Epsilon Cephei

The constellation Cepheus, the king, is visible all year in the northern hemisphere. It can be seen between latitudes of 90 degrees and -10 degrees.It is a medium-sized constellation with a total area of 588 square degrees. This makes is the 27th largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Draco, Lacerta, and Ursa Minor.

Cepheus is one of the 48 constellations identified by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It was named after the king of Ethiopia.

Cepheus was the husband of Cassiopeia and the father of Andromeda. All three are immortalized in the night sky as constellations. It is said that Zeus placed him among the stars after his death because he was descended from the nymph Io, who was one of Zeus’ favorites. Cepheus is usually depicted as a robed king with a crown of stars. He stands with his left foot placed over the pole and his scepter extended towards his queen, Cassiopeia.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alderamin

Yellow Supergiant Star

2.44

Alfirk

Triple Star System

3.15

Alrai

Binary Star System

3.22

Herschel's Garnet Star

Red Supergiant Star

3.35

Alkurhah

Binary Star System

3.43

Al Kalb al Rai

Blue Subgiant Star

3.50

Zeta Cephei

Orange Subgiant Star

4.07

Eta Cephei

Orange Giant Star

4.08

Iota Cephei

Orange Giant Star

4.18

Delta Cephei

Quadruple Star System

4.21

Epsilon Cephei

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

4.29

Theta Cephei

Blue Supergiant Star

4.29

51

CHAPTER 10 - OCTOBER

Grus

The Crane

Pronunciation: (GRUS) Abbreviation: Gru Genitive: Gruis Right Ascension: 22 hours Declination: -45 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 366 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, October 10 Visible Between Latitudes: 35 and -90 degrees

12. Rho Gruis

3. Aldhanab 10. Lambda Gruis

11. Mu-1 Gruis

6,8. Delta-1 Gruis 9. Theta Gruis

1. Alnair 5. Iota Gruis 2. Gruid

9. Epsilon Cephei 9. Epsilon Cephei

The constellation Grus, the crane, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is a relatively small constellation, covering an area of 366 square degrees. It ranks 45th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is one of the constellations known as the “Southern Birds”, along with Pavo, Phoenix, and Tucana. It is bordered by Piscis Austrinus to the north, Sculptor to the northeast, Phoenix to the east, Tucana to the south, Indus to the southwest, and Microscopium to the west.

There is no mythology associated with the constellation Grus. It is one of twelve constellations identified by Petrus Plancius based on observations by Dutch navigators. Its name means “the crane” in Latin. It first appeared on a celestial globe created by Plancius in 1598 and was later included in Johann Bayer’s star atlas in 1603. In the early 17th century, the constellation was briefly known as Phoenicopterus, which is Latin for “the flamingo”. The name was eventually changed back to Grus.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alnair

Blue-White Subdwarf Star

2.44

Gruid

Red Giant Star

3.15

Aldhanab

Blue Giant Star

1.74

Epsilon Gruis

Blue-White Subgiant Star

2.15

Iota Gruis

Orange Giant Star

3.00

Delta-1 Gruis

Yellow Giant Star

3.49

Zeta Gruis

Orange Giant Star

3.88

Delta-2 Gruis

Red Giant Star

3.97

Theta Gruis

Triple Star System

4.13

Lambda Gruis

Orange Giant Star

4.17

Mu-1 Gruis

Yellow Giant Star

4.33

Rho Gruis

Orange Giant Star

4.48

52

CHAPTER 10 - OCTOBER

Lacerta The Lizard

Pronunciation: (luh-SER-tuh) Abbreviation: Lac Genitive: Lacertae Right Ascension: 22 hours Declination: 45 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 201 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, October 10 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -35 degrees

2. Beta Lacertae

1. Alpha Lacertae 6. 4 Lacertae 4. 5 Lacertae

5. 2 Lacertae

3. 1 Lacertae

The constellation Lacerta, the lizard, is located in the northern hemisphere of the sky. It ranks 68th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It extends from the head of Cepheus to the foot of Perseus, between Cygnus and Andromeda. Lacerta’s brightest stars form a small W in the sky, similar to the constellation Cassiopeia. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as “Little Cassiopeia.”

The name Lacerta is Latin for "lizard". There is no mythology associated with this constellation. It is one of seven constellations created by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in the 17th century. It was first introduced in a star atlas published by Hevelius in 1690. It was originally given the name Stellio after a type of lizard known as a stellion, but the name was later changed to Lacerta.

Lacerta contains no Messier objects and only a few dim deep-sky objects that can only be seen in very large telescopes. The most notable of these objects is NGC 7243, an open cluster of stars located approximately 2,800 light-years from Earth. This young cluster consists mainly of white and blue stars and is thought to be about 100 million years old.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alpha Lacertae

Blue Subgiant Star

3.76

Beta Lacertae

Yellow Giant Star

4.40

1 Lacertae

Orange Giant Star

4.15

5 Lacertae

Binary Star System

2.15

2 Lacertae

Blue-White Dwarf Star

4.57

4 Lacertae

Blue-White Supergiant Star

3.49

53

CHAPTER 10 - OCTOBER

Pegasus

The Winged Horse

Pronunciation: (PEG-uh-sus) Abbreviation: Peg Genitive: Pegasi Right Ascension: 22 hours Declination: 20 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 1121 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, October 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -60 degrees

12. Jih 6. Matar

10. Iota Pegasi

3. Scheat 11. Sadalpheris 14. Salm 4. Markab

3. 1 Lacertae

2. Enif

9. Baham

The constellation Pegasus, the winged horse, is visible from August through December. It is a large constellation, occupying 1,121 square degrees of the sky. This makes it the seventh largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by Andromeda to the north and east, Lacerta to the north, Cygnus to the northwest, Vulpecula, Delphinus and Equuleus to the west, Aquarius to the south and Pisces to the south and east.

Pegasus is one of the 48 constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It represents the famous winged horse in Greek mythology. Curiously, the constellation Pegasus only represents the top half of the horse. In some depictions, the horse is shown rising out of the water. Pegasus was a white winged horse born from the blood of the gorgon Medusa after she was beheaded by Perseus. He served the god Zeus as the carrier of his lightning bolts. Zeus eventually placed the horse among the stars as a constellation.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M15

Globular Star Cluster

6.20

Enif

Orange Supergiant Star

2.39

Scheat

Red Giant Star

2.42

Markab

Blue Giant Star

2.49

Algenib

Blue Subdwarf Star

2.84

Matar

Binary Star System

2.95

Homam

Blue Subgiant Star

3.41

Sadalbari

Yellow Giant Star

3.51

Baham

Blue Subgiant Star

3.53

Sadalpheris

Binary Star System

3.96

54

11

November The November constellations contain such popular groups as Andromeda, the Princess of Ethiopia, Cassiopeia, Queen of Ethiopia, and Pisces, the fish.

Andromeda is the home of the Andromeda Galaxy.

CHAPTER 11 - NOVEMBER

Andromeda Princess of Ethiopia

Pronunciation: (an-DROM-ih-duh) Abbreviation: And Genitive: Andromedae Right Ascension: 1 hours Declination: 40 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 722 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, November 10 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -40 degrees

10. Lambda Andromedae 3. 1 Lacertae

3. Kappa Andromedae 16. Iota Andromedae

15. Phi Andromedae

21. Nu Andromedae 11. Mu Andromedae 17. Pi Andromedae 5. Mirach 7. Delta Andromedae

4. Alpheratz 18. Epsilon Andromedae

12. Zeta Andromedae 19. Eta Andromedae

The constellation Andromeda, Princess of Ethiopia, is visible in the northern hemisphere from August through January. It can be seen and in the southern hemisphere in November. In fact, it is the 19th largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by Perseus, Cassiopeia, Lacerta, Pegasus, Pisces, and Triangulum.

Andromeda is one of the original 48 constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It represents the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, the king and queen of Ethiopia. Andromeda was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to the sea monster Cetus. She was saved by Perseus when he turned Cetus to stone by using the dismembered head of the gorgon Medusa. Perseus and Andromeda were later married and had six children, including Perses, who was the ancestor of the Persians.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M31

Spiral Galaxy

6.20

Alpheratz

Binary Star System

2.39

Mirach

Red Giant Star

2.42

Almach

Orange Giant Star

2.49

Delta Andromedae

Double Star

2.84

Nembus

Orange Giant Star

2.95

Adhil

Red Giant Star

3.41

Omicron Andromedae

Binary Star System

3.51

Pi Andromedae

Blue-White Dwarf Star

3.53

Upsilon Andromedae

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

3.96

55

CHAPTER 11 - NOVEMBER

Cassiopeia Queen of Ethiopia

Pronunciation: (KAS-ee-oh-PEE-yuh) Abbreviation: Cas Genitive: Cassiopeiae Right Ascension: 1 hours Declination: 60 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 598 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, November 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -20 degrees

4. Caph

10. Kappa Cassiopeiae 3.Shedar 8. Achird 5. Navi

13. Castula

11. Marfak

6. Ruchbah 12. Chi Cassiopeiae

19. Eta Andromedae

The constellation Cassiopeia, Queen of Ethiopia, can be seen in the northern hemisphere all year long. It is a mid-sized constellation occupying 598 square degrees. This makes it the 25th largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by Andromeda to the south, Perseus to the southeast, and Cepheus to the north.

Cassiopeia was the wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda. She is represented as being chained to her throne in the heavens as punishment for her boast of being more beautiful than all the Nereids. As punishment, the god Poseidon placed Cassiopeia and Cepheus in the sky. Cassiopeia was condemned to circle the celestial pole forever. As the stars rotate throughout the night, Cassiopeia can sometimes be seen hanging upside down as punishment for her vanity.The Milky Way runs through Cassiopeia so it is rich in deep-sky objects. It contains two Messier objects, M52 and M103. M52 is an open star cluster containing over 190 stars. M103 is another open cluster with approximately 172 stars. The constellation also contains a number of dim objects that can only be seen with large telescopes.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M52

Open Star Cluster

5.00

M103

Open Star Cluster

7.40

Shedar

Orange Giant Star

2.24

Caph

Blue-White Giant Star

2.28

Navi

Blue Subdwarf Star

2.47

Ruchbah

Binary Star System

2.68

Segin

Blue-White Giant Star

3.37

Achird

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

3.44

Zeta Cassiopeiae

Blue-White Subgiant Star

3.66

Kappa Cassiopeiae

Blue-White Supergiant Star

4.16

56

CHAPTER 11 - NOVEMBER

Phoenix The Phoenix

Pronunciation: (FEE-niks) Abbreviation: Phe Genitive: Phoenicis Right Ascension: 1 hours Declination: -50 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 469 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, November 20 Visible Between Latitudes: 30 and -90 degrees

11. Iota Phoenicis

4. Epsilon Phoenicis 1. Ankaa

1. Nu Phoenicis 2. Beta Phoenicis 3. Gamma Phoenicis 8. Eta Phoenicis 5. Delta Phoenicis 9. Psi Phoenicis

7. Zeta Phoenicis

The constellation Phoenix, the phoenix, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky.It is a medium-sized constellation occupying an area of 469 square degrees. This makes it the 37th largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by Fornax and Sculptor to the north, Grus to the west, Tucana to the south, touching on the corner of Hydrus to the south, and Eridanus to the east and southeast. It is one of four constellations known as the “Southern Birds,” along with Grus, Pavo, and Tucana.

There are no mythological origins to the constellation Phoenix. It is the largest of twelve constellations listed by astronomer Petrus Plancius based on the observations of Dutch navigators. It first appeared on a celestial globe published by Plancius in 1597. It was later included in Johann Bayer’s star atlas published in 1603. The constellation represents the legendary bird that would be consumed by fire and then emerge from the flames reborn. The phoenix was believed to resemble an eagle with purple, gold, and red feathers. It would live for 500 years and then burst into flames and die in the fire. A new bird would then emerge from the ashes of the old.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Ankaa

Orange Giant Star

2.38

Beta Phoenicis

Binary Star System

3.32

Gamma Phoenicis

Red Giant Star

3.41

Epsilon Phoenicis

Orange Giant Star

3.87

Delta Phoenicis

Yellow Giant Star

3.93

Kappa Phoenicis

White Subgiant Star

3.94

Zeta Phoenicis

Binary Star System

4.10

Eta Phoenicis

White Subgiant Star

4.36

Psi Phoenicis

Red Giant Star

4.41

Mu Phoenicis

Yellow Giant Star

4.59

57

CHAPTER 11 - NOVEMBER

Pisces The Fishes

Pronunciation: (PY-seez) Abbreviation: Psc Genitive: Piscium Right Ascension: 1 hours Declination: 15 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 889 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, November 10 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -65 degrees

13. Tau Piscium 18. Upsilon Piscium 2. Kallat Nunu

17. Phi Piscium

7. Omicron Piscium 15. Xi Piscium 4. Alrischa

11. Nu Piscium 19. Mu Piscium 5. Omega Piscium 6. Iota Piscium

12. Lambda Piscium 20. Kappa Piscium

The constellation Pisces, the fishes, is visible in the sky between October and December in the northern hemisphere.It is a large constellation, occupying 889 square degrees. This makes it the 14th largest constellation in the night sky. It lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries to the east and is just south of Pegasus. Pisces is one of the thirteen constellations of the zodiac.

This means that it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year. The March equinox is currently located in Pisces. However, due to procession of the earth's axis, it is slowly drifting towards Aquarius.

The word Pisces is the Latin plural for “fish�. It is one of the constellations first cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. In ancient times, the two fish were shown swimming together. In Greek mythology, the two fish represent the goddess Aphrodite and her son Eros. It was believed that they transformed into fish in order to escape the monster Typhon. Typhon was sent by Gaia, the Earth mother, to defeat the gods. Pan saw the monster coming and turned himself into a goat-fish and jumped into the river Euphrates to escape. He became the constellation Capricornus.

Aphrodite and Eros then jumped into the river to escape the monster and were then transformed into the two fish.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M74

Spiral Galaxy

9.40

Kallat Nunu

Yellow Giant Star

3.62

Gamma Piscium

Yellow Giant Star

3.69

Alrischa

Binary Star System

3.82

Omega Piscium

Yellow-White Subgiant Star

4.04

Iota Piscium

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

4.13

Omicron Piscium

Yellow Giant Star

4.26

Theta Piscium

Orange Giant Star

4.27

Epsilon Piscium

Orange Giant Star

4.28

Fum al Samakah

Blue-White Subgiant Star

4.53

58

CHAPTER 11 - NOVEMBER

Tucana The Toucan

Pronunciation: (too-KAN-uh) Abbreviation: Tuc Genitive: Tucanae Right Ascension: 24 hours Declination: -65 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 295 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, November 5 Visible Between Latitudes: 15 and -90 degrees

1. Alpha Tucanae

20. Kappa Piscium

6. Delta Tucanae

8. Eta Tucanae 4. Beta Tucanae 5. Epsilon Tucanae 3. Zeta Tucanae

The constellation Tucana, the toucan, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is a small constellation, occupying an area of 295 square degrees. This ranks it 48th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Hydrus to the east, Grus and Phoenix to the north, Indus to the west and Octans to the south. It is one of four constellations known as the “Southern Birds,” along with Grus, Pavo, and Phoenix.

There is no mythology surrounding the constellation Tucana. It was one of twelve constellations introduced by Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius based on the observations of Dutch navigators. It first appeared in Johann Bayer’s star atlas in 1603, where it was depicted as a toucan. Another astronomer, Frederick de Houtman, included it in his star catalog the same year.

However, Houtman depicted it as a hornbill, a bird native to the East Indies.

Eventually, the toucan became the bird of choice.

There are no Messier objects in the constellation Tucana, although it does contain a few interesting deep-sky objects. The most notable of these is the Small Magellanic Cloud, or SMC. The SMC is an irregular dwarf galaxy located only 7,000 light years outside our own Milky Way galaxy.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alpha Tucanae

Binary Star System

9.40

Gamma Tucanae

Yellow-White Giant Star

3.62

Zeta Tucanae

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

3.69

Beta Tucanae

Multiple Star System

3.82

Epsilon Tucanae

Blue-White Subgiant Star

4.04

Delta Tucanae

Binary Star System

4.13

Nu Tucanae

Red Giant star

4.26

Eta Tucanae

White Dwarf Star

4.27

59

12

December The December constellations include such notable groups as Aries, the ram, Eridanis, the river, and Perseus, the hero. A beautiful spiral galaxy known as the Triangulum can be found in the constellation Triangulum.

CHAPTER 12 - DECEMBER

Aries The Ram

2. Sheratan Pronunciation: (EH-reez) 7. Lambda Arietis Abbreviation: Ari Genitive: Arietis Right Ascension: 3 hours Declination: 20 degrees 1. Hamal Area in Square Degrees: 441 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, December 10 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -60 degrees

3. 41 Arietis

6. Epsilon Arietis

5. Botein 8. Zeta Arietis

The constellation Aries, the ram, can be seen in the northern hemisphere during the late winter and early spring. It is a medium-sized constellation bounded by Taurus, Pisces, and Cetus. It is one of the 48 constellations described by Ptolemy in the second century. Aries is the 39th largest constellation in the night sky, covering an area of 441 square degrees. It is also one of the thirteen constellations of the zodiac. This means it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year.

The name Aries is Latin for “ram”. It is an ancient constellation which has been known by many forms throughout history. To the early Babylonians, these stars represented a farmhand. The early Chinese saw it as twin inspectors. To the inhabitants of the Marshall Islands, it was a porpoise. In Greek mythology, it represented the ram from which the golden fleece was obtained in the story of Jason and the Argonauts. The constellation was officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union in 1922, and its boundaries were defined in 1920 by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Hamal

Orange Giant Star

2.00

Sheratan

Blue-White Subgiant Star

2.64

41 Arietis

Blue-White Dwarf Star

3.63

Mesarthim

Binary Star System

3.86

Botein

Orange Giant Star

4.35

Epsilon Arietis

Binary Star System

4.63

Lambda Arietis

Double Star System

4.79

Zeta Arietis

White Dwarf Star

4.89

60

CHAPTER 12 - DECEMBER

Cetus

The Sea Monster 8. Deneb Kaitos Shemali

Pronunciation: (SEE-tus) Abbreviation: Cet Genitive: Ceti Right Ascension: 2 hours Declination: -10 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 1231 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, November 30 Visible Between Latitudes: 70 and -90 degrees

4. Dheneb Algenubi 9. Theya Ceti

7. Tau Ceti

11. Upsilon Ceti

13. Mu Ceti

6. Mira 12. Delta Ceti

5. Kaffaljidhma 3. 41 Arietis

The constellation Cetus, the sea monster, can be seen in the northern hemisphere in the late fall and early winter. It is visible at latitudes between 70 degrees and -90 degrees. It is a very large constellation, occupying a total area of 1,231 square degrees. It is actually the 4th largest constellation in the night sky. It lies in a region of the sky called the Water. Other water-related constellations in this area include Eridanus (the river), Aquarius (the water bearer), and Pisces (the fish).

Cetus is one of the constellations cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It was named after the sea monster sent by the god Neptune to devour Andromeda in Greek mythology. Andromeda was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to the monster. Cetus was turned to stone when Perseus showed the monster the head of the gorgon Medusa.

Today, this constellation is also sometimes identified as a whale. To some, it represents the whale that swallowed Jonah in the famous Bible story.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Diphda

Orange Giant Star

2.02

Menkar

Red Giant Star

2.53

Dheneb Algenubi

Orange Giant Star

3.45

M77

Spiral Galaxy

8.90

Theya Ceti

Orange Giant Star

3.60

Kaffaljidhma

Triple Star System

3.47

Mira

Binary Star System

3.50

Tau Ceti

Yellow Dwarf Star

3.50

Deneb Kaitos Shemali

Orange Giant Star

4.79

Baten Kaitos

Orange Giant Star

3.74

Lambda Ceti

Blue-White Giant Star

4.67

61

CHAPTER 12 - DECEMBER

Eridanus The River

2. Cursa 13. Mu Eridani

Pronunciation: (eh-RID-uh-nu) Abbreviation: Eri Genitive: Eridani Right Ascension: 3 hours Declination: -20 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 1138 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, January 5 Visible Between Latitudes: 60 and -90 degrees

12. Nu Eridani 14. Beid 27. Zeta Eridani

3. Zaurak

10. Azha 14. Beid

7,23. Chi Eridani

22. Tau-1 Eridani 26. Angetenar

6. Tau-4 Eridani 15. Tau-3 Eridani 6. Tau-4 Eridani

4. Acamar 16. Iota Eridani 18. Kappa Eridani 7. Chi Eridani 1. Achernar

The constellation Eridanus, the river, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky.It is represented as a long, winding river that starts at the left foot of Orion in the north, sweeps south of Taurus, west to the edge of Cetus, and back east to Caelum. It eventually ends to the south, at the border with Hydrus. It is one of the 48 constellations described by Ptolemy in the second century. Eridanus is the sixth largest constellation, covering an area of 1,138 square degrees. It is also the second longest constellation in the night sky.

Eridanus is one of the 48 constellations first identified by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It is associated with the story of Phaethon in Greek mythology. Phaethon was the son of the Sun god Helios and the Oceanid Clymene. Phaethon wanted to drive his father’s sky chariot, but was unable to control it. The chariot veered off course and scorched the heavens and the Earth. Zeus intervened and killed Phaethon with a thunderbolt. Eridanus was supposed to represent the wild path where Phaethon drove his father’s chariot. This constellation has also been associated with the Nile River in Egypt and the Po River in Italy.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Achernar

Blue-White Subgiant Star

0.46

Cursa

Blue Giant Star

2.79

Zaurak

Red Giant Star

2.91

Acamar

Binary Star System

3.24

Rana

Orange Subdwarf Star

3.60

Sadira

Orange Subgiant Star

3.47

Azha

Orange Giant Star

3.87

Sceptrum

Orange Giant Star

3.87

Beid

Yellow-White Giant Star

4.79

Keid

Triple Star System

4.43

Angetenar

Orange Giant Star

4.78

62

CHAPTER 12 - DECEMBER

Horologium The Clock

3. Beta Horologii

4. Mu Horologii

5. Zeta Horologii Pronunciation: (HOR-oh-LOH-jee-um) Abbreviation: Hor Genitive: Horologii Right Ascension: 3 hours Declination: -60 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 249 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, December 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 20 and -90 degrees

1. Alpha Horologii

6. Eta Horologii

7. Iota Horologii 2. R Horologii

The constellation Horologium, the clock, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It is visible from latitudes south of 23 degrees from October through December. It is a small constellation with a total area of only 249 square degrees. It ranks 58th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by the constellations Eridanus, Hydrus, Reticulum, Dorado and Caelum.

Horologium is not associated with any ancient mythology. It was named by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1752 after his trip to the Cape of Good Hope to study the southern night sky. Lacaille named this constellation to honor Christian Huygens, the inventor of the pendulum clock in 1656-57. It was originally called Horologium Oscillitorium, “the pendulum clock” but was later shortened to Horologium, “the clock.”

There are no Messier objects in this constellation but it does contain a number of deep sky objects, mostly star clusters and galaxies. It is also the home of the Horologium supercluster, which contains over 5,000 galaxy groups with over 300,000 individual galaxies.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

Alpha Horologii

Orange Giant Star

0.46

R Horologii

Red Giant Star

2.79

Beta Horologii

Red Giant Star

2.91

Mu Horologii

Blue Giant Star

3.24

Zeta Horologii

Yellow-White Subdwarf Star

3.60

Eta Horologii

Yellow-White Dwarf Star

3.47

Iota Horologii

White Dwarf Star

3.87

63

CHAPTER 12 - DECMBER

Perseus The Hero

Pronunciation: (PER-see-us) Abbreviation: Per Genitive: Persei Right Ascension: 3 hours Declination: 45 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 615 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, December 25 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -35 degrees

7. Gamma Persei 11. Miram

19.Lambda Persei 17. Mu Persei

14. Tau Persei 16. Iota Persei 4. Mu Horologii

10. Nu Persei

18. Theta Persei

12. Misam

6. Epsilon Persei 4. Algol 15. Menkib

20. Gorgonea Quata

21. Gorgonea Secunda 9. Gorgonea Tertia

13. Atik

The constellation Perseus, the hero, can be seen in late summer and autumn in the northern hemisphere.The constellation Perseus, the hero, can be seen in late summer and autumn in the northern hemisphere. Perseus is a mid-sized constellation with a total area of 615 square degrees. This makes it the 24th largest constellation in the night sky. It is bordered by Aries and Taurus to the south, Auriga to the east, Camelopardalis and Cassiopeia to the north, and Andromeda and Triangulum to the west. It is also the origin point for the annual Perseid meteor shower.

Perseus was first cataloged in the second century by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy. It is named after the legendary hero who rescued Andromeda from the sea monster, Cetus. Perseus was the son of DanaĂŤ, who was the daughter of King Acrisius. His father was the god Zeus. Perseus was sent by King Polydectes to slay the evil gorgon sister Medusa, whose gaze could turn anyone who looked at her into stone. Perseus slew Medusa in her sleep and collected her head in a bag. On his way back home, he spotted the princess Andromeda chained to a rock. She was to be sacrificed to the sea monster Cetus. Perseus used the head of Medusa to turn the monster into stone.

Perseus and Andromeda fell in love and were both placed among the stars.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M76

Planetary Nebula

10.10

Mirphak

Blue-White Supergiant Star

1.79

Algol

Triple Star System

2.12

Gorgonea Tertia

Red Giant Star

3.39

Miram

Orange Giant Star

3.79

Atik

Blue-White Supergiant Star

3.83

Menkib

Blue Giant Star

4.04

Gorgonea Quata

Orange Giant Star

4.63

64

CHAPTER 12 - DECEMBER

Triangulum Triangulum

Pronunciation: (try-ANG-gu-lum) Abbreviation: Tri Genitive: Trianguli Right Ascension: 2 hours Declination: 30 degrees Area in Square Degrees: 132 Crosses Meridian: 9 PM, December 5 Visible Between Latitudes: 90 and -50 degrees

5. Zeta Horologii

6. Eta Horologii

5. Delta Trianguli

2. Beta Trianguli

3. Mothalla

The constellation Triangulum, the triangle, is completely visible at latitudes north of -53 degrees from March through May. It is a small constellation, occupying only 132 square degrees. This constellation ranks 78th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Andromeda to the north and west, Pisces to the west and south, Aries to the south, and Perseus to the east.

Traingulum is one of the original 48 constellations first drawn by second century Greek astronomer Ptolemy. The name Triangulum is Latin for “triangle.� There is no mythology associated with this constellation. All of its historic names have been derived from its shape. In ancient times, its distinctive shape of three stars was called Deltoton because it resembled the Greek letter delta. To the ancient Egyptians, it represented the delta of the river Nile. The ancient Romans called it Sicilia because it reminded them of the island of Sicily.

Triangulum contains one Messier object called M33, also known also as the Traingulum Galaxy and the Pinwheel Galaxy. It is a nearly face-on spiral galaxy located about three million light years from Earth. It is one of the most famous galaxies in the sky and is the largest member of the local group of galaxies which includes the Andromeda Galaxy and our own Milky Way. There are many other faint objects in Triangulum, but they can only be seen with a large telescope. These include an emission nebula known as NGC 604 and a spiral galaxy called NGC 634.

MOST NOTABLE STARS Designation

Object/Type

V Mag

M33

Spiral Galaxy

10.10

Beta Trianguli

Binary Star System

1.79

Mothalla

Binary Star System

2.12

Gamma Trianguli

Blue-White Subgiant Star

3.39

Delta Trianguli

Binary Star System

3.79

65

00

Miscellanous This section of the book includes extra content related to the constellations inorder to accompany the information previously mentioned more clear

L AR SO

SYSTEM TO SCA LE NEPTUNE

URANUS

SATURN

JUPITER

PALLAS

ASTREA GERES JUND MARS

EARTH

MOON VENUS MERCURY

ASTEROIDS

ASTEROIDS

COMPARITIVE MAGNITUDES MERCURY

JUPITER SATURN

NEPTUNE

VENUS EARTH MARS

URANUS

ASTEROIDS

JUPITER ED

IPS

ECL IPS ED

L EC

EQUATOR

1280 times larger than Earth

TELESCOPIC VIEW OF JUPITER

TELESCOPIC VIEW OF MARS

JUPITER MARS

LUNA E TH

FULL M

LAST QUARTER

FIRST QUARTER

FULL MOON OR OPPOSITION

NEW M

NEW MOON OR CONJUNCTION

LAST QUARTER

NEW M

FIRST QUARTER

FULL M

AR CYC LE

MOON

FIRST QUARTER

LAST QUARTER

MOON

MOON

MOON

NEW MOON OR CONJUNCTION

FULL MOON OR OPPOSITION

FIRST QUARTER

LAST QUARTER