Big dog
In the Southern Hemisphere, the appearance of the starry sky changes to opposite, when compared with the North. The movement of the stars here occurs from right to left, and although the Sun rises in the east, the point of the east itself is located on the right, in the place of the west.
Canis Major is one of the brightest, albeit small, constellations located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. The constellation contains the brightest star (after the Sun) - blue-white Sirius, whose magnitude is -1.43.
Translated from Greek, seirios means “brightly burning.” The brightness of the star can be explained by two factors: firstly, the small distance to the star (only 8.6 light years) and its luminosity, which is 23 times greater than that of the Sun.
Wolf
Wolf is a constellation of the Southern Hemisphere, lying on the edge of the Milky Way. On a clear and moonless night, about 70 stars can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation, but only ten of them are brighter than fourth magnitude. Two of them are visible from Russian territory.
Crow
Raven is a small and very beautiful constellation in the southern hemisphere of the sky. Its stars form an irregular quadrangle southwest of Virgo. However, in this figure it is quite difficult to see the bird, which was depicted in ancient atlases at the site of this constellation. In total, on a clear moonless night, about 30 stars can be seen with the naked eye in Raven.
Hydra
Hydra is one of the longest constellations located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. The brightest star is Alphard (alpha Hydrae), has a magnitude of 2.0. This red variable star is 30 parsecs away from Earth. Another variable is the long-period star R Hydrae; located next to the star near Hydra. It resembles the star Mira Ceti: its maximum brightness reaches 3.0", the minimum is 10.9", which makes this star invisible to the naked eye. The period of change in its brightness is more than a year - almost 390 days.
Pigeon
The Dove is a small constellation in the southern hemisphere of the sky. At good conditions visibility on a clear and moonless night, about 40 stars can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation. Of these, the two brightest stars have a magnitude of 3 and two have a magnitude of 4. The rest are at the limit of visibility with the naked eye. The stars of the Dove do not form any characteristic geometric figure.
Unicorn
Monoceros is the equatorial constellation of the southern hemisphere. On a clear and moonless night, up to 85 stars can be seen in the constellation with the naked eye, but these are mostly faint stars. Only the five brightest have magnitudes 4 and 5. The Unicorn stars do not form any characteristic geometric figure and do not have their own names. A very interesting star is T Monoceros, which is a long-period Cepheid. Its gloss changes from 5.6 to 6.6 in 27 days.
The International Astronomical Union in 1922 determined the names of all visible star clusters in the celestial sphere. At the same time, scientists-astronomers systematized all the scatterings of stars and created a catalog of the starry sky, dividing the constellations of the Southern and Northern hemispheres. To date, 88 star systems are known, 47 of which are ancient (their age is estimated at several millennia). The 12 zodiac constellations through which the Sun passes throughout the year are considered separately.
Globe with constellations,
The names of almost all star clusters in the Southern Hemisphere originate from Greek mythology. For example, there is a well-known myth about the goddess of hunting Artemis, who killed Orion. Then she repented and placed him in the sky among the stars. This is how the equatorial constellation Orion got its name. At the feet of Orion is the constellation Canis Major. Mythology says that this is the dog that followed its owner into the sky. Thus, each star system forms the outline of one or another being or object after which it is named. For example, the constellation Taurus, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, etc.
Nautical navigation
The southern hemisphere is replete with constellations, including many useful asterisms that help ship captains navigate a certain course. Thus, the analogue of the Ursa Major of the Northern Hemisphere is the Southern Cross. He points to the South Pole.
Worship of the people
All stars emit an intense or subdued glow. The brightest glow comes from the star Sirius, which is included in the scattering of stars Canis Major. This is a very old (235 million years) and heavy star (its mass is 2 times the mass of the Sun). Since ancient times, Sirius has been the idol of many people; they worshiped him, made various sacrifices and waited for help. Some luminaries are even described in church publications.
The most striking cosmic shock
The constellation Taurus is very interesting in this regard. It contains very bright star Aldebaran and two clusters - the Pleiades (consists of 500 luminaries) and the Hyades (130 luminaries). Vivid astrophysical processes often occur in Taurus. So, in the 11th century. n. e. A supernova explosion occurred and the Crab Nebula was formed with a pulsar emitting powerful X-rays and radiomagnetic pulses. However, this event happened in the Northern Hemisphere, and in the Southern Hemisphere there were not many significant comic events, which mainly happened during the era of rapid development of instrumental astronomy.
The Southern Cross is one of the most remarkable constellations in the Southern Hemisphere
In 1922, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined all visible constellations located in the celestial sphere. Everything was systematized and a catalog of the Northern and Southern hemispheres of the starry sky was created. In total, there are currently 88 constellations, and only 47 of them are the most ancient, the existence of which is determined by time periods of several thousand years. A separate list marks the 12 zodiac constellations through which the Sun passes during the year.
Almost all constellations of the Southern Hemisphere, as well as asterisms, have their own names, the source of which is mythology Ancient Greece. For example, the myth of how the goddess of the hunt Artemis killed young Orion and, in a fit of repentance, placed him among the stars. This is how the constellation Orion appeared. And the constellation Canis Major, located at the feet of Orion, is nothing more than a hunting dog that followed its owner into the sky. in each constellation it forms an approximately conventional outline of a mythological creature, Taurus or Scorpio, Virgo or Centaur.
The Southern Hemisphere star map contains many of the famous constellations. Among them there are so-called useful asterisms. Similar to the Ursa Major, located in and pointing to the North Star, in the South there is the constellation Southern Cross, with which you can trace the direction to the south pole. Both constellations of the Southern Hemisphere have great value for sea navigation, when the captain of a ship must plot a course at night. The stars provide significant assistance in navigation and lead ocean ships on the right path.
Stars can be bright or faint. The degree of glow depends on several factors. The constellations of the Southern Hemisphere include stars of both intense and subdued luminosity. The brightest star in the night sky is Sirius, which is part of the constellation Canis Major. Its age is about 235 million years, and Sirius is twice as massive as the Sun. The star has always been an idol in the night sky for people; they worshiped it, made sacrifices and expected auspiciousness, a good harvest and help in worldly affairs from Sirius. Many other stars of the Southern Hemisphere were marked with the deity’s halo; people believed in the miraculous abilities of the night luminaries. And some constellations are even described in church books.
The zodiacal constellation of the southern hemisphere of the sky is located between Aries and Gemini. Taurus includes a bright star - Aldebaran, but the location of two star clusters - the Pleiades and Hyades - is especially noteworthy. The Pleiades consists of more than 500 stars, and the Hyades has 130. Taurus is one of the constellations rich in astrophysical processes throughout its history. In the 11th century AD. The constellation Taurus was rocked by a supernova explosion, resulting in the formation of the so-called Crab Nebula with a pulsar, which is a source of powerful X-ray radiation and sends radiomagnetic pulses. Many Southern Hemisphere constellations have the potential for stellar transformations. As a result, cosmic upheavals are inevitable.
Another constellation of the Southern Hemisphere is Pisces, located between Aries and Aquarius. Pisces is notable for the fact that the point passes through it. The constellation includes two large asterisms, Northern Pisces, consisting of three stars, and the Crown of seven stars. also contains a story from ancient Greek mythology. When the mythical monster Typhon drove the frightened gods from Olympus to Egypt, Aphrodite, fleeing horror, turned into a fish, and then her son, Eros, also turned into a fish.
Beyond the Equator: Southern Hemisphere Star Map
If, after living your entire life in the Northern Hemisphere, you suddenly find yourself on the other side of the equator - for example, in Australia, South Africa or New Zealand, starry sky overhead on a clear night will seem unusual and even strange to you. After careful study, you will understand that the whole point lies in a completely different arrangement of the night luminaries in the sky. However, they are also grouped into easily recognizable constellations - constant guiding signs for travelers and sailors.
The constellations of the Southern Hemisphere received their modern names much later than, say, Ursa Major or Orion: the ancient Greeks, who systematized most of the groups of stars familiar to us, did not cross the equator, so in this case this role fell to the lot of European sailors who headed for India and South America in the 17th-18th centuries.
Name of constellations
In total, there are 88 constellations on the stellar sphere visible from Earth (all of them were finally approved by the International Astronomical Union in 1930); 40 of them shine over the Southern Hemisphere. Some of the constellations received names rooted in ancient Greek mythology: Centaur, Phoenix, Scorpion. Other names were taken from scientific and maritime terminology or simply from everyday life - for example, Microscope, Bake, Net, Octant.
Among the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere, there are no medium-sized ones: they are either small, compact groups of stars, or large ones, stretching across an impressive area of the celestial sphere. Yes, famous South Cross- a very small constellation, consisting of only four stars, which, nevertheless, are among the brightest in the night sky. Hydra, on the contrary, consists of 19 stars and dominates one of the relatively empty sectors of stars, stretching along the southern horizon from the constellation Libra to the constellation Cancer. Now it is the largest of the groups of stars, although until 1930 the constellation was still distinguished in the sky of the Southern Hemisphere Argo. However, astronomers came to the conclusion that Argo was too bulky and difficult to distinguish, so four new constellations arose in its place: Keel, Sail, Compass And Stern.
Southern circumpolar zone
Just as in the Northern Hemisphere, the southern stars move slowly across the sky during the night due to the rotation of the Earth around its axis. However, there is no such convenient “pointer” as the familiar Polar Star, and the imaginary point of the South Pole of the world is located in the sky in the constellation Octantus.
Southern circumpolar zone- this is the region of the celestial sphere located within 40º from the South Pole of the world; the stars related to it do not hide behind the horizon at any time of the night or year. (In fact, they do not leave the sky during the day, only their shine is naturally eclipsed by the radiance of the Sun; in near-equatorial regions they rise from the horizon in the east and slowly move westward during the night.)
Groups of stars that are entirely included in the southern circumpolar zone include the constellations of the Southern Cross, Chameleon, flies, Southern Triangle, Pavlina, Hours, Flying Fish and others.
Low on the horizon
Many constellations in the Southern Hemisphere appear in the sky only at certain times of the year - just as it happens in the Northern Hemisphere. This phenomenon is caused by a combination of the tilt of the earth's axis with the movement of our planet in its orbit around the sun. For example, Keel And cup It is best to observe in the spring, when they rise high enough above the horizon. Libra and the Southern Cross - in summer, the constellation Phoenix and Capricorn- in the fall, and Eridani And Kita- in winter.
Such a cycle not only gives us the opportunity to determine what time of year or hour of the morning it is, but also greatly helps astronomers: by moving in the sky, the stars can take a more favorable position for observations - or, conversely, by leaving the field of view of telescopes, freeing up the desired area of the sky spheres.
Galaxy and nebulae
One of the most spectacular sights in a clear night sky is the jagged streak transparent light, stretching obliquely across the celestial sphere. This Milky Way - our galaxy, the light of an uncountable number of stars, which travels to us for tens of thousands, or even millions of years. And although this huge formation has the shape of a spiral disk (at the end of one of the branches of which there is solar system), for us it remains a stripe, since we look at it from the side. The Milky Way is equally visible in both hemispheres, but its brightest part is in southern constellation Sagittarius.
Located so many light years away from us (63,240 AU or 9.463 x 10 12 km), all these luminaries, naturally, cannot be distinguished with the naked eye - just like the stars of other galaxies located even further away. However, these galaxies themselves can sometimes be seen without special optics: these are, in particular, Carina Nebula And Orion Nebula, located in the constellations of the same name. Besides, powerful telescopes at least a little, but they bring our neighbors in the Universe closer to us - it is known, for example, that the galaxy NGC 2997, located in the constellation Pump, like ours, is a gas-dust formation penetrated by myriads of stars.
Constellation map
southern hemisphere
Constellations are arbitrarily taken star groups, as they are visible from the earth and completely independent of the actual distances and possible mutual connections of the stars. The division of stars into constellations dates back to ancient times. Most of the constellations handed down to us by the Arabs from the Greeks undoubtedly originated in the primitive pre-Semitic cultures of Mesopotamia. The main place among them is occupied by the zodiac constellations. The themes for the zodiacal constellations were the hoary legends of primitive humanity, ideas about its destinies, and, less often, the personification of astronomical and meteorological phenomena. The most ancient names of constellations were abbreviations for myths.
Astronomer Jan Hevelius
Ptolemy in his work "Almagest" canonized the following 48 ancient constellations, which still bear the name Ptolemy. Zodiac constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces. Northern constellations: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Perseus, Bootes, Northern Crown, Hercules, Lyra, Swan, Charioteer, Ophiuchus, Serpent, Arrow, Eagle, Dolphin, Foal, Pegasus, Triangle. Southern constellations: Whale, Orion, River, Hare, Canis major, minor, Ship, Hydra, Chalice, Raven, Centaurus, Wolf, Altar, Southern Crown, Southern Fish. Ptolemy did not consider Coma Berenices a separate constellation.
Arab astrologers, in addition to lunar houses, gave various names for individual bright stars. Having become acquainted with the astronomy of the Greeks and translating Ptolemy's Almagest, they changed some of the names according to the positions of the stars in the drawings of the Ptolemaic constellations. In the 12th century, a Latin translation of the Almagest was made from Arabic, and in the 16th century, directly from Greek, based on found manuscripts. The stars of the southern hemisphere, unknown to Greek astronomers, were divided into constellations much later. Some of them were planned by the Arabs.
There is no doubt that the navigators of the 15th and 16th centuries (Vespucci, Corsali, Pigafetta, Peter of Medinsky, Gutman) during their travels to southern seas New constellations were gradually assembled. They were put in order by Peter Dirk Keyser. During his stay on the island of Java (1595), he identified 120 places southern stars and placed the figures of the constellations on them. The following 13 constellations were included, based on Keyser's inventory, in the atlases of Bayer (1603) and Bartsch (1624): Phoenix, gold fish, Chameleon, Flying Fish, Southern Cross, Water Snake, Fly, Bird of Paradise, Southern Triangle, Peacock, Indian, Crane, Toucan. Of these, the Southern Cross was known to Ptolemy and formed part of the Centaurus.
The current names of constellations and stars represent an amalgam of these lists and translations. Ancient drawings of constellations are completely lost. Only distorted figures on Arab globes of the 13th century have reached us; for example, on a globe in the Borghese Museum in Veletri (1225), in the mathematical society in Dresden (1279), in the London astronomical society, etc. At the beginning of the 16th century, the famous Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer drew constellations according to their description by Ptolemy.
Unfortunately, not a single authentic copy of Dürer's drawings has survived. Dürer's drawings, modified by other artists, were reprinted in the star atlases of Bayer (1603), Flamsteed (1729). Then the figures of the constellations of the latest layout appeared. Currently, constellation drawings are no longer printed. The credit for banishing the “menagerie” from astronomical atlases belongs to Harding. He published a celestial atlas in 1823, where only the boundaries of the constellations were plotted.
Loading...