In this article you will learn about what constellations are and where their names came from.
As you know, there are a great many patterns of stars in the sky, which has always been the object of people's attention in different periods of human existence. Ancient people sought to know this interesting world and everything that went beyond it. They studied the night sky, and already in the Neolithic period, the first groups of stars were formed, which received their names. Many of them have long been forgotten. And some are known only to historians of astronomy.
Clusters of stars used to be called constellations
So, approximately 5 thousand years ago, people began to distinguish the brightest night luminaries in the night sky and combine them into groups. Now humanity is using modern technologies to study, which were not there before. Constellations were called configurations that formed from bright stars. They served primarily for navigation, as well as for determining the seasons, time of day, for predictions and for astrological purposes.
What is a constellation?
In the meaning that is accepted now, this concept was formed in ancient Greece a couple of centuries ago. Then the visible sky was mentally divided into parts by groups of stars. In order to make it more convenient to navigate in space, each site was given a name based on what this or that figure looked like. Between the constellations are areas that the Greeks called "empty places." However, there are also stars, only they have not been assigned to any group. For example, they said about them: “the area between Lebed and Lyra.”
Modern concept
And if earlier any cluster of stars was called constellations, then in the modern world this designation has become a little more specific. Now this concept is defined as large areas of the celestial sphere, each of which contains several bright luminaries visible to the naked eye. These areas most often fold into a specific pattern that is easy to remember.
It is also important to know what constellations are called those territories into which the entire sky is divided without intersections and empty spaces. In this case, the regions have certain boundaries. Therefore, one should not confuse a simple cluster of stars with constellations.
Currently, the celestial sphere is divided into 88 constellations, the names and boundaries of which were approved at the first congress of the International Astronomical Union in 1922.
Where the names come from
As you know, the constellations are named after the mythological Greekheroes, animals, and even by the name of the objects whose shape they resemble. So, for example, such legendary characters as Pegasus, Cepheus, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda and others "live" in the starry sky. All of them are connected with the myths of Ancient Greece, of which there are a great many.
Eagle, Dolphin, Dove, Lion, Fox, Peacock and many other animals can also be found in the night sky.
Other constellations are named after the shape of objects: Pump, Microscope, Furnace, Grid, Arrow, Compass, Bowl, Clock, etc.
As we can see, there is a colossal list of names assigned to heavenly bodies.
Why was the constellation Ursa Major named
Each of us from childhood was interested in everything related to celestial bodies. Why does this or that star have such a name? Why was the shape of the bucket called the Big Dipper? How and who names the constellations?
Seven bright stars, which are clearly visible to the naked eye in the night sky, do not look like a bear at all. Why is this constellation named so? Maybe someone's imagination has been played out, but the meaning of this is understandable and accessible only to people with a good imagination?
Let's try to figure this out.
As we already know, clusters of stars used to be called constellations. They were called, guided by the shape of the educated figure. The graphic artists who created the ancient star atlases tried to fit the contour of the animal to the outline of the figure in the sky and often depicted a bear withlong tail. They had to do this so that people with a lesser imagination could "see" this particular animal in the sky, and not another.
The constellation received the name "Ursa Major" from the ancient Greeks. In ancient Greek, it sounded like "arktos megale". Hence the name Arktika was born.
According to one legend, Zeus was captivated by the daughter of King Lakion, who accompanied the goddess Artemis on a hunt, and seduced the girl. She became pregnant, and the goddess saw her while bathing and turned her into a bear. A girl in the form of an animal gave birth to a son, Arkad, who settled among people. But one day the hunters, led by Arkad, attacked the bear and wanted to kill her. Then Zeus, remembering his connection with the daughter of Lakion, saved her by placing her in the sky among the constellations. When in a hurry he lifted the bear into the sky by the tail, it stretched out and became long.
