The planets
These are the planets in order
Monday, January 25, 2016
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Constellations
Constellations and Asterisms
Constellations have been an important part of human society and folklore since we humans lived in caves, and, probably, even before then. The fascinating figures that we see in the night sky are so large and so beautiful that we have felt a very strong urge to attach importance to them. People have done this throughout the ages by creating very interesting stories and legends in an attempt to explain where these large "pictures" in the sky came from. These stories, also known as mythology, behind the constellations can be as interesting as studying the constellations themselves.
There are currently eighty-eight figures in the sky that have been generally recognized as being "official" constellations by whoever it is that designates such things. We aren't going to list all of them, since that has been done in several other places on the internet. What we are going to do is pick a few of them that are easy to find no matter whether you live in the city or the country. We will tell you where to look for them and when during the year you can expect to see them. We will also give you a simple chart that you can use that should help you identify the constellation in the sky.
In addition to a few of the constellations, we will also give you guides to a few "asterisms", which aren't officially constellations, but are easily recognizable patterns of stars that are either parts of a larger official constellation, such as the Big Dipper, or just good landmarks, like the Summer Triangle.
Enjoy your trip through these fascinating residents of our night sky!
Constellations have been an important part of human society and folklore since we humans lived in caves, and, probably, even before then. The fascinating figures that we see in the night sky are so large and so beautiful that we have felt a very strong urge to attach importance to them. People have done this throughout the ages by creating very interesting stories and legends in an attempt to explain where these large "pictures" in the sky came from. These stories, also known as mythology, behind the constellations can be as interesting as studying the constellations themselves.
There are currently eighty-eight figures in the sky that have been generally recognized as being "official" constellations by whoever it is that designates such things. We aren't going to list all of them, since that has been done in several other places on the internet. What we are going to do is pick a few of them that are easy to find no matter whether you live in the city or the country. We will tell you where to look for them and when during the year you can expect to see them. We will also give you a simple chart that you can use that should help you identify the constellation in the sky.
In addition to a few of the constellations, we will also give you guides to a few "asterisms", which aren't officially constellations, but are easily recognizable patterns of stars that are either parts of a larger official constellation, such as the Big Dipper, or just good landmarks, like the Summer Triangle.
Enjoy your trip through these fascinating residents of our night sky!
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