Constellations

Join me, Martin Lunn MBE every Monday evening from 7.00 pm-9.00 pm on the award-winning Astronomy Show on Drystone Radio, probably the only regular astronomy show on any radio station in the country.   I will take my weekly look at the night sky and look at all the latest news in astronomy. There will be the astronomical anniversaries this week plus the latest news from the astronomical societies...

Introduced by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in the 1680s this faint constellation was orginally called Vulpecula cum Anser, the Fox and Goose. Since then however the goose is no more!!

This constellation on the bordres with Carina was introduced on the Uranometria star map by Johann Bayer in 1603.

The 2nd largest constellation in the sky. many myths are associated with this constellation, which has usually been seen as a beautiful and virtuous maiden.

Formerly a part of the ancient constellation of Argo Navis, representing the ship of Jason and the Argonauts, until that vessel was broken up by the French astronomer Lacaille in the 1750s.

Ursa Minor contains the present North Pole Star which lies within one degree of the North Celestial Pole, this star is called Polaris.

The 3rd largest constellation in the sky. Its central feature is the seven stars that make up the shape variously called the Plough or Big Dipper, this is probably the best known of all the star patterns.

A constellation near the South Pole of the sky, introduced by Johann Bayer on his uranometria star chart of 1603.

A small but readily distinguishable constellation introduced in 1603 by the German astronomer Johann Bayer as a southern equivalent of the northern triangle, Triangulum.

A small but distictive constellation lying between Andromeda and Aries, consisiting of three main stars that form a thin delta shape; the Greek referred to it as Deltoton.

A constellation invented by the Frenchman Lacaille to honour the most important of astronomical instruments. As with so many of Lacaille's constellations it is faint and contrived.

One of the most ancient constellations, Taurus has been known to peoples throughout the world since the dawn of civilization, for the bull's strength and fertility mean it has always held an honoured place in ceremony and religion.

A barren constellation south of Leo, introduced in the 1680s by the Polish astronomer Hevelius. It commemorates the instrument he used for observing star positions.

An ancient constellation, representing a serpent wound around the body of the serpent bearer, Ophiuchus. In fact Serpens is split into two halves, one either side of Ophiuchus, Serpens Caput, the Head and Serpens Cauda, the Tail.

A faint constellation between Aquila and Serpens, introduced in the 1680s by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in honour of his patron, King John Sobieski III.

One of the faint and half forgotten constellations introduced in the 1750s by Lacaille to fill in the southern hemisphere. This constellation represents a sculptor's workshop, for reasons that remain obscure.

A resplendent constellation lying ina rich area of the Milky Way, and packed with excitingobjects for people to see either with the naked eye or small telescopes.

An ancient constellation depicting a centaur, half man, half beast, with a raised bow and arrow. Sagittarius has been visualised this way since at least the times of ancient Greece.

Despite its small size, it is the 3rd smallest constellation in the sky, this distinctive arrow shaped group was known to the ancient Greeks.

A small faint constellation introduced in the 1750s by Lacaille to commemorate an instrument known as the reticule which he used for measuring the positions on his survey of the southern sky.

The smallest and least impressive of the four parts into which the constellation of Argo Navis was divided in the 1750s by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille.

This is the laregest of the four sections into which the ancient constellation of Argo Navis, the ship of the Argonauts was dismembered in the 1750s by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille.

Sometimes also called Piscis Australis, this constellation has been known since ancient times and is often represented as a fish drinking the flow of water from the urn Aquarius.

An ancient constellation representing a apir of fishes tied by the their tails, the know being marked by the star alpha Piscium.

A faint constellation overshadowed by the neighbouring brilliant star Canopus in Carine to one side, and the Large Magellanic Cloud in Dorado on the other. It was invented by Lacaille in the 1750s.