DK - WOW! The Visual Encyclopedia of Everything

Stargazers have always looked for patterns in the

night sky, using imaginary lines to link stars and

form the shape of a creature or object. Known as constellations, these patterns help us navigate the

sky. The first of them were used about 4,000 years

CONSTELLATIONSago. Today, Earth’s sky is divided into 88 constellations. Just over half are characters from Ancient Greek mythology, such as Orion and Taurus.

1

GEMINI

The two brightest stars in Gemini mark the heads of the mythological twins Castor (right) and Pollux (left). Castor’s head is in fact six stars, and Pollux’s is an orange-coloured giant star.^2

TAURUS

The head of Taurus the bull is drawn around the Hyades, a V-shaped star cluster. Aldebaran, a red giant star, is the brightest of his eyes. The Pleiades star cluster marks his back.

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3

CANIS MINOR AND MAJOR

Orion’s dogs are known as Canis Major and Canis Minor. Canis Major, the larger dog, contains Sirius, sometimes called the Dog Star, the brightest star in the night sky.

4

MONOCEROS

The unicorn Monoceros was introduced in 1613. It lies in the path of the Milky Way – the glowing band of stars that stretches across the sky (here from bottom left to top centre).^5

ORION

The hunter Orion is visible from nearly everywhere on Earth. His raised arms hold a club and a lion’s head. The red star in one of his shoulders is the red supergiant Betelgeuse.^6

ERIDANUS

This constellation is the sixth largest in the sky and represents the river into which Phaethon, the son of the Greek sun god Helios, plunged when he lost control of his father’s golden chariot.

7

PUPPIS

According to Greek myth, Puppis is the stern of the ship sailed by legendary hero Jason. Other parts of the ship are represented by the constellations Carina (the keel) and Vela (the sails).^8

LEPUS

Orion’s larger dog chases Lepus the hare across the sky. It is one of more than 40 creatures in the night sky. There are also 13 human figures and two centaurs (half-man, half-horse).^9

COLUMBA

It is thought that Columba, the dove, is the bird that was sent from Noah’s ark to find dry land, as told in the Bible. It may also represent a dove sent out to guide Jason in Ancient Greek myth.

NIGHT SKYThe region of sky above is centred on the constellation of Orion. Orange lines mark a constellation’s boundary, white lines link its bright stars, and the imaginary pattern is shown in light blue.

PUPPIS

COLUMBA

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