TOP 15 CONSTELLATIONS WE SHOULD KNOW

A constellation is a group of stars that forms an imaginary outline or pattern on the celestial sphere, typically representing an animal, mythological person or creature, a god, or an inanimate object. The origins of the earliest constellations likely go back to prehistory.There are 88 official constellations. But astronomers haven't made up new constellations for hundreds of years! When new stars are discovered, they are considered to be a part of whatever constellation they are closest to.

Aquarius

Aquarius constellation is located in the southern hemisphere. It is one of the 12 zodiac constellations. The constellation’s name means “the water-bearer” (or “cup-bearer”) in Latin and its symbol is ♒, which represents water. Aquarius lies in the region of the sky which is sometimes referred to as the Sea, because it contains a number of other constellations with names associated with water; Pisces (the fish), Eridanus (the river), and Cetus (the whale), among others. Like other zodiac constellations, Aquarius was catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Aquarius contains the famous supergiant star Sadalsuud (Beta Aquarii) and a number of notable deep sky objects: the globular clusters Messier 2 and Messier 72, the asterism Messier 73, the Aquarius Dwarf Galaxy, Atoms for Peace Galaxy (NGC 7252) and two well-known nebulae: the Saturn Nebula and the Helix Nebula.

Latin for “water carrier” or “cup carrier”
Best viewed in: October

While one of the biggest, most famous, and oldest named constellations, Aquarius is faint and often hard to find/see. In Greek mythology, Aquarius represented Ganymede, a very handsome young man. Zeus recognized the lad’s good looks, and invited Ganymede to Mt. Olympus to be the cupbearer of the gods. For his service he was granted eternal youth, as well as a place in the night sky.

Despite its prominent position and large size, you can see that Aquarius doesn’t really have defining features, nor does it contain any bright stars. The protruding line to the right is Aquarius’s right arm, with the large downward shape being a combination of the water flowing down out of the vase and his right leg. While not the entire constellation, what’s drawn above is what you’re most likely to see in the night sky. You won’t see this one in the city; you’ll need a dark sky to find the cupbearer.

This constellation lies in the Milky Way band, and its most prominent star is Altair, which is actually one of the closest naked eye stars to the earth. The top portion of Aquila forms a shallow inverted “V,” with Altair nearly the point. This represents the head and wings of the eagle. A line then descends from Altair, which forms the body of the eagle.

Aquila

Aquila constellation is located in the northern sky, near the celestial equator. The constellation’s name means “the eagle” in Latin. The constellation represents the eagle of the Roman god Jupiter in mythology. It was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Aquila is home to two very famous stars, Altair and Tarazed, as well as to several interesting deep sky objects: the planetary nebulae NGC 6803, NGC 6804, NGC 6781 and the Phantom Streak Nebula (NGC 6741), the open clusters NGC 6709 and NGC 6755, and the dark nebula B143-4.

Latin for “eagle”
Best viewed in: late summer, September

Aquila was the eagle that in Greek mythology actually bore Ganymede (Aquarius) up to Mt. Olympus. The eagle was also the thunderbolt carrier for Zeus.

This constellation lies in the Milky Way band, and its most prominent star is Altair, which is actually one of the closest naked eye stars to the earth. The top portion of Aquila forms a shallow inverted “V,” with Altair nearly the point. This represents the head and wings of the eagle. A line then descends from Altair, which forms the body of the eagle. Look towards the southern sky in the late summer, near the Milky Way band, for Aquila.

Aries

Aries constellation is located in the northern hemisphere. Its name means “the ram” in Latin. The symbol for the constellation is ♈ and it represents a ram’s horns. The constellation is usually associated with the story of the Golden Fleece in Greek mythology. Like other zodiac constellations, Aries was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Aries contains several notable deep sky objects, among them the unbarred spiral galaxy NGC 772 and the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1156.

Latin for “ram”
Best viewed in: December

While many constellations have gone through various iterations of mythological stories, Aries has always been the ram. This constellation is one of 12 constellations that form the zodiac — the constellations that straddle the sun’s path across the sky (known in scienctific terms as the ecliptic). In ancient times, that gave the constellations of the zodiac special significance. In Greek mythology, Aries is the ram whose fleece became the Golden Fleece. The Golden Fleece is a symbol of kingship and authority, and plays a significant role in the tale of Jason and the Argonauts. Jason is sent to find the fleece in order to rightfully claim his throne as king, and with some help from Medea (his future wife), finds his prize. It’s one of the oldest stories in antiquity, and was current in Homer’s time.

Aries is formed by just 4 (sometimes 5) visible stars, which create a line from the ram’s head (the lowest point in the image above) and down its back. Hamal is the largest and most visible star, and is classified as an orange giant.

Canis Major

Canis Major is a constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere. In the second century, it was included in Ptolemy's 48 constellations, and is counted among the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for "greater dog" in contrast to Canis Minor, the "lesser dog"; both figures are commonly represented as following the constellation of Orion the hunter through the sky. The Milky Way passes through Canis Major and several open clusters lie within its borders, most notably M41.

Latin for “greater dog”
Best viewed in: February

Canis Major represents the famed Greek dog Laelaps. There are a few origin stories, but the common theme is that he was so fast he was elevated to the skies by Zeus. Laelaps is also considered to be one of Orion’s hunting dogs, trailing behind him in the night sky in pursuit of Taurus the bull.

Canis Major represents the famed Greek dog Laelaps. There are a few origin stories, but the common theme is that he was so fast he was elevated to the skies by Zeus. Laelaps is also considered to be one of Orion’s hunting dogs, trailing behind him in the night sky in pursuit of Taurus the bull.

Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the vain queen Cassiopeia in Greek mythology, who boasted about her unrivaled beauty. Cassiopeia was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century Greek astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. It is easily recognizable due to its distinctive 'W' shape, formed by five bright stars. It is opposite Ursa Major. In northern locations above latitude 34ºN it is visible year-round and in the (sub)tropics it can be seen at its clearest from September to early November. Even in low southern latitudes below 25ºS it can be seen low in the North. At magnitude 2.2, Alpha Cassiopeiae, or Schedar, is generally the brightest star in Cassiopeia, though is often shaded by Gamma Cassiopeiae, which has brightened to magnitude 1.6 on occasion. The constellation hosts some of the most luminous stars known, including the yellow hypergiants Rho Cassiopeiae and V509 Cassiopeiae and white hypergiant 6 Cassiopeiae. The semiregular variable PZ Cassiopeiae is one of the largest known stars. In 1572, Tycho Brahe's supernova flared brightly in Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia A is a supernova remnant and the brightest extrasolar radio source in the sky at frequencies above 1 GHz. Fourteen star systems have been found to have exoplanets, one of which—HR 8832—is thought to host seven planets. A rich section of the Milky Way runs through Cassiopeia, containing a number of open clusters, young luminous galactic disc stars, and nebulae. IC 10 is an irregular galaxy that is the closest known starburst galaxy and the only one in the Local Group of galaxies.

No Latin meaning, it’s the name of a queen in Greek mythology
Best viewed in: November

Cassiopeia, in Greek mythology, was a vain queen who often boasted about her beauty. She was the mother of Princess Andromeda, and in contrast to other figures being placed in the sky in honor, Cassiopeia was forced to the heavenly realms as punishment. As the story goes, she boasted that her beauty (or her daughter’s, depending on the story) was greater than that of the sea nymphs. This was quite an offense, and she was banned to the sky for all to gawk at.

With its distinctive “W” shape formed by five bright stars, Cassiopeia is one of the most easily recognizable constellations in the night sky come fall and early winter. And because of that, the vain queen is one of the most oft-mentioned in pop culture and one of the earliest constellations that young children come to recognize in the sky.

Cygnus (also known as the Northern Cross)

Cygnus is a prominent constellation in the northern sky. Its name means “the swan” in Latin, and it is also known as the Swan constellation. Cygnus is associated with the myth of Zeus and Leda in Greek mythology. The constellation is easy to find in the sky as it features a well-known asterism known as the Northern Cross. Cygnus was first catalogued the by Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Notable objects in the constellation include Cygnus X-1, a famous x-ray source, the bright stars Deneb and Albireo, the Fireworks Galaxy (NGC 6946), and several well-known nebulae: the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070), the North America Nebula (NGC 7000), the Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888), and the Veil Nebula (NGC 6960, 6962, 6979, 6992, and 6995).

Latinized Greek for “swan”
Best viewed in: September

Multiple personas take on the form of the swan in Greek mythology. At one point Zeus morphed into a swan to seduce Leda, mother of both Gemini and Helen of Troy. Another tale says that Orpheus was murdered and then placed into the sky as a swan next to his lyre (the constellation Lyra, also in the drawing above). The constellation may also have gotten its name from the tale of Phaethon and Cycnus. Phaethon was the son of Helios (the sun god), and took his father’s sun chariot for a ride one day. Phaethon couldn’t control the reins, however, and Zeus had to shoot down the chariot with Phaethon in it, killing him. Phaethon’s brother, Cycnus (now spelled Cygnus), spent many days grieving and collecting the bones, which so touched the gods that they turned him into a swan and gave him a place in the sky.

The Northern Cross is really just an asterism (recognizable pattern of stars) within Cygnus the swan. Deneb, the swan’s tail (or top point of the cross), is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. You’ll find Cygnus within the Milky Way, which is why you’ll sometimes see the constellation referred to as the backbone of the galaxy. In the night sky, the goose is looking down with its wings spread out parallel to the horizon.

Gemini

Gemini constellation is located in the northern hemisphere of the sky. Its name means “the twins” in Latin. Gemini is one of the zodiac constellations, first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The constellation represents the twins Castor and Pollux (Polydeuces), also known as the Dioscuri in ancient times, in Greek mythology. The constellation’s symbol is ♊. Gemini is known mainly for its two bright stars, Castor and Pollux, the neutron star Geminga, and several notable deep sky objects, among them the open cluster Messier 35, the Eskimo Nebula, the Jellyfish Nebula, and the Medusa Nebula.

Best viewed in: February
Best viewed in: February

Gemini represents the twins Castor and Pollux. While the twins’ mother was Leda, Castor’s father was the mortal king of Sparta, while Pollux’s father was King Zeus (He seduced Leda in the form of a swan, remember? These stories tend to all tie together!). When Castor was killed, the immortal Pollux begged Zeus to give Castor immortality, which he did by placing the brothers in the night sky for all time.

Castor and Pollux also happen to be the names of the brightest stars in the constellation, and represent the heads of the twins. Each star then has a line forming their bodies, giving the constellation a rough “U” shape. The twins sit next to Orion, making them fairly easy to find in winter.

Leo

Leo constellation lies in the northern sky. It is one of the zodiac constellations and one of the largest constellations in the sky. Leo represents the lion and is usually associated with the Nemean lion in Greek mythology. Its symbol is ♌. The constellation was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century, along with all the other constellations of the zodiac. Leo constellation is home to the bright stars Regulus and Denebola, the nearby star Wolf 359, and to a number of famous deep sky objects, among them galaxies Messier 65, Messier 66, Messier 95, Messier 96, Messier 105, and NGC 3628.

Latin for “lion”
Best viewed in: April

Leo has been a great lion in the night sky across almost all mythological traditions. In Greek lore, Leo is the monstrous lion that was killed by Hercules as part of his twelve labors. The lion could not be killed by mortal weapons, as its fur was impervious to attack, and its claws sharper than any human sword. Eventually Hercules tracked him down and strangled the great beast, albeit losing a finger in the process.

Because Leo actually looks somewhat like its namesake, it is the easiest constellation in the zodiac to find. A distinctive backwards question mark forms the head and chest, then moves to the left to form a triangle and the lion’s rear end. Regulus is Leo’s brightest star, and sits in the bottom right of the constellation, representing the lion’s front right leg.

Lyra

Lyra constellation lies in the northern sky. It represents the lyre, a musical instrument with strings used in antiquity and later times. The constellation is associated with the myth of the Greek musician and poet Orpheus. It was first catalogued by the astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Lyra contains Vega, the fifth brightest star in the sky and second brightest star in the northern hemisphere, and the famous variable star RR Lyrae. It is also home to several notable deep sky objects, including the globular cluster Messier 56, the planetary nebula Messier 57 (the Ring Nebula), the merging triplet of galaxies NGC 6745, and the open cluster NGC 6791.

Latin for “lyre”
Best viewed in: August

Lyra is associated with the myth of Orpheus the great musician (remember him from earlier?). Orpheus was given the harp by Apollo, and it’s said that his music was more beautiful than that of any mortal man. His music could soothe anger and bring joy to weary hearts. Wandering the land in depression after his wife died, he was killed and his lyre (harp) was thrown into a river. Zeus sent an eagle to retrieve the lyre, and it was then placed in the night sky.

Lyra sort of forms a lopsided square with a tail to its brightest star, Vega, which is one of the brightest stars in the sky. It is small, and almost directly overhead in the summer months, but the bright Vega makes it fairly easy to find.

Orion’s belt of three stars is the easiest asterism to find, with Rigel (bottom right) and Betelgeuse (top left) being the brightest two individual stars. The two other corners form a rough quadrangle, with his head and bow also sometimes visible. Orion is also unique in that you can use him to find a variety of other constellations in the winter sky.

Orion constellation is one of the brightest and best known constellations in the night sky. It lies on the celestial equator.

Orion

Orion has been known since ancient times. The constellation is also known as the Hunter, as it is associated with one in Greek mythology. It represents the mythical hunter Orion, who is often depicted in star maps as either facing the charge of Taurus, the bull, pursuing the Pleiades sisters, represented by the famous open cluster, or chasing after the hare (constellation Lepus) with his two hunting dogs, represented by the nearby constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor.

Named for Orion, the mythological Greek hunter
Best viewed in: January

Orion is one of the largest and most recognizable of the constellations. It is viewable around the world, and has been mentioned by Homer, Virgil, and even the Bible, making it perhaps the most famous constellation. Orion was a massive, supernaturally gifted hunter who was the son of Poseidon. It was said he regularly hunted with Artemis (Goddess of the Hunt) on the island of Crete, and that he was killed either by her bow, or by the sting of the great scorpion who later became the constellation Scorpius.

Orion’s belt of three stars is the easiest asterism to find, with Rigel (bottom right) and Betelgeuse (top left) being the brightest two individual stars. The two other corners form a rough quadrangle, with his head and bow also sometimes visible. Orion is also unique in that you can use him to find a variety of other constellations in the winter sky.

Pisces

Pisces constellation lies in the northern sky. Its name means “the fish” (plural) in Latin. Pisces is one of the largest constellations in the sky. It is one of the zodiac constellations, first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Its symbol is ♓. Pisces lies between Aries constellation to the east and Aquarius to the west. The two celestial fish represent Venus and Cupid in Roman mythology, who transformed themselves into fish in order to escape the monster Typhon. The Vernal equinox, the point at which the Sun moves to the northern hemisphere across the equator every year, is currently located in Pisces.

Latin for “fish” (plural)
Best viewed in: November

The two fish of the sky represent Aphrodite and her son Eros, who turned themselves into fish and tied themselves together with rope in order to escape Typhon, the largest and most vile monster in all of Greek mythology.

It’s not likely you’ll find Pisces in the middle of a city, as none of its individual stars are really worth noting or particularly bright. It forms a large “V” with the right fish forming a small “O” on the end, and the left fish forming a small triangle on the end (the image above doesn’t connect the dots in the upper left to make it a triangle).

Scorpius

Scorpius constellation lies in the southern sky. It represents the scorpion and is associated with the story of Orion in Greek mythology. Scorpius is one of the zodiac constellations, first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Its symbol is ♏. Scorpius pre-dates the Greeks, and is one of the oldest constellations known. The Sumerians called it GIR-TAB, or “the scorpion,” about 5,000 years ago. The constellation is easy to find in the sky because it is located near the centre of the Milky Way. It contains a number of notable stars and deep sky objects, including the bright stars Antares and Shaula, the Butterfly Cluster (Messier 6), the Ptolemy Cluster (Messier 7), Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334), the Butterfly Nebula (NGC 6302), and the War and Peace Nebula (NGC 6357)

Latin for “scorpion”
Best viewed in: July

There are a variety of myths associated with the scorpion, almost all of them involving Orion the hunter. Orion once boasted that he could kill all the animals on the earth. He encountered the scorpion, and after a long, fierce fight, Orion was defeated. It was such a hard-fought battle that it caught the eye of Zeus, and the scorpion was raised to the night sky for all eternity.

With many bright stars, Scorpius is fairly easy to find in the night sky. Antares, the brightest star in the constellation, is said to be the heart of the scorpion. That will be the easiest star to locate, but is sometimes confused with Mars because of its red-orange coloring. To the right of the heart are 3-5 stars that form the head. To the left are a long line of stars that curve into a sideways or upside-down question mark.

Taurus

Taurus (Latin for "the Bull") is one of the constellations of the zodiac, which means it is crossed by the plane of the ecliptic. Taurus is a large and prominent constellation in the northern hemisphere's winter sky. It is one of the oldest constellations, dating back to at least the Early Bronze Age when it marked the location of the Sun during the spring equinox. Its importance to the agricultural calendar influenced various bull figures in the mythologies of Ancient Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Latin for “bull”
Best viewed in: January

Taurus is a large and prominent fixture in the winter sky. As one of the oldest recognized constellations, it has mythologies dating back to the early Bronze Age. There are several Greek myths involving Taurus. Two of them include Zeus, who either disguised himself as a bull or disguised his mistress as a bull in multiple escapades of infidelity. Another myth has the bull being the 7th labor of Hercules after the beast wreaked havoc in the countryside.

The constellation is fairly easy to find as its most recognizable asterism forms a very prominent “V,” which represent the head and horns of the bull. The brightest star in the constellation is Aldebaran, which forms the bull’s right eye. Five stars, fairly close together to the naked eye, form an almost perfect small “V,” with the “V” extending up quite a ways to two more final stars that are the points of the horns.

Ursa Major

Ursa Major constellation lies in the northern sky. Its name means “the great bear,” or “the larger bear,” in Latin. The smaller bear is represented by Ursa Minor. Ursa Major is the largest northern constellation and third largest constellation in the sky. Its brightest stars form the Big Dipper asterism, one of the most recognizable shapes in the sky, also known as the Plough. Ursa Major is well-known in most world cultures and associated with a number of myths. It was one of the constellations catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. In Greek mythology, it is associated with Callisto, a nymph who was turned into a bear by Zeus’ jealous wife Hera.

Latin for “larger bear”
Best viewed in: April

The Big Dipper is popularly thought of as a constellation itself, but is in fact an asterism within the constellation of Ursa Major. It is said to be the most universally recognized star pattern, partially because it’s always visible in the northern hemisphere. It has great significance in the mythologies of multiple cultures around the world. The Greek myth of Ursa Major also tells the story of Ursa Minor (below). Zeus was smitten for a young nymph named Callisto. Hera, Zeus’s wife, was jealous, and transformed Callisto into a bear. While in animal form, Callisto encountered her son Arcas. Being the man that he was, he was inclined to shoot the bear, but Zeus wouldn’t let that happen, and so turned Arcas into a bear as well, and placed mother (Ursa Major) and son (Ursa Minor) permanently in the night sky.

The seven stars of the Big Dipper are easily recognized and almost always visible. They form part of the backside and tail of the large bear. While the rest of the bear definitely takes the shape of its namesake, it’s not often visible in light polluted areas. The Big Dipper is more than just a pretty shape; the outer edge of its “bowl” will always lead you to the North Star, aiding in navigation for centuries past. Simply make a line with the two stars of the Big Dipper’s outer edge, extend that line up into the sky, and at about five times the distance between the two stars you started with, you’ll find the North Star.

Ursa Minor

Ursa Minor constellation lies in the northern sky. The constellation’s name means “the smaller bear,” or “the lesser bear,” in Latin. The Great Bear constellation is represented by its larger neighbor Ursa Major. Ursa Minor was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. It is easy to recognize because it contains the famous Little Dipper asterism. Ursa Minor is also notable for marking the location of the north celestial pole, as it is home to Polaris, the North Star, which is located at the end of the dipper’s handle. The constellation is believed to have been created by Thales of Miletus, a philosopher and astronomer who lived between 625 and 545 BC and was known as one of the Seven Sages of Greece (early 6th century philosophers known for their wisdom).

Latin for “smaller bear”
Best viewed in: June

Ursa Minor is famous for containing Polaris, the North Star. Many people erroneously think that the North Star is directly over their heads, but that’s only true at the North Pole. For most people in the Northern Hemisphere, it will be dipped into the night sky.

Ursa Minor is better known as the Little Dipper. It’s visualized as a baby bear, with an unusually long tail. It can be distinguished from the Big Dipper not only by size, but by the emphasized curvature of the tail. When you’ve found the North Star at the end of the bear’s tail using the Big Dipper, it’s then easy to identify the rest of the constellation.

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