Constellations are defined as a group of stars forming a recognizable pattern that is traditionally named after its apparent form or identified with a mythological figure. Modern astronomers divide the sky into eighty-eight constellations. We sometimes forget that there are things beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, and when we think of what is beyond, we sometimes find ourselves in a rabbit hole. There are very intricate groups of stars and planets floating out in space that make it difficult for us to wrap our minds around them.
Over time, astronomers and scientists have studied everything they can find in the atmosphere. Any light or weird frequency in the sky that they discover is investigated. Space is just one of the many vast places that get looked into. Another area scientists study is the ocean. Although they explore the ocean, it is only 5% explored. The depths of the oceans are currently nearly impossible to reach. We still have more information about space.
On the other side, we have made it to our moon and sent rovers to Mars. We have created extremely advanced telescopes to view planets and stars from Earth. All these advancements date back to when we first started to explore stars and create constellations that we know today. One of the oldest and most well-known stars is the North Star, but not everyone knows where it is. The North Star, otherwise known as Polaris, is the end of the handle in Ursa Minor. Right now, you are probably wondering what Ursa Minor is and why I said it is one of the most popular constellations. Well, Ursa Minor is actually what most people call The Little Dipper. The same thing goes for The Big Dipper, which is named Ursa Major. Ursa Major in Latin means big bear, and Ursa Minor in Latin means little bear. When you do happen to look up, it appears that the sky stays the same, but while the Earth revolves around the Sun, the sky stays, but our perspective moves. Therefore, in the summer, different constellations are visible.
Winter is great for stargazing because it gets darker sooner than summer. That means you do not need to stay up as late to see the stars. The winter constellations are best observed through the months of December until March, but November can still be a good time to be on the lookout for stars! The most distinguished winter constellations to see are Orion, Taurus, Gemini, Canis Major, Canis Minor, and Auriga. Crucial ways to locate constellations in the sky are the Winter Triangle and the Winter Hexagon. The Winter Triangle is formed by Sirius, Betelgeuse, and Procyon. These three stars are very bright and form an equilateral triangle that takes over the northern hemisphere during winter. The Winter Hexagon, which can also be called the Winter Circle, is made up of the stars Rigel, Taurus, Procyon, Sirius, Pollux, and Auriga. The stars Sirius and Procyon are both in the Winter Triangle and the Winter Hexagon. You can use these formations as a reference to locate other constellations in the night sky.
To go more in-depth with the constellations, Orion is one of the most well-known by most people. Since ancient Greek mythology, it has been known as the Hunter. In the sky, it looks like Orion is facing the force of the mighty bull, the constellation named Taurus. Orion comprises two of the ten brightest stars, Rigel and Betelgeuse. In Greek Mythology, Orion was the son of the sea god Poseidon. He is described as tall in Homer’s Odyssey. More details on Taurus include its name, which means bull in Latin. Taurus is the seventeenth largest constellation in the sky. Taurus is one of the twelve zodiac signs. Along with that is Gemini, which means the twins in Latin. Gemini is made up of two twins, Castor and Polydeuces; however, in most versions of mythology, Polydeuces was the son of Zeus, and Castor was the son of the mortal King Tyndareus of Sparta.
This topic has much more depth than you could ever imagine. I suggest doing more research if you want to get specific information. Having said that, go outside and look up at the stars to see if you can find any of the constellations or the Winter Triangle and Hexagon. Just make sure the weather is good, the sky is clear, and there is no light pollution, and then you will be on your way to seeing all of these wonderful creations! I have only ever seen the stars during the summertime, but I am hoping to see the stars sometime this winter, and I hope you can, too.
