

Understanding this allows us to quickly identify Ursa Major after we’ve identified the Big Dipper. The ‘cup’ is probably a piece of the bear’s chest, and his ‘front legs’ extend from the bottom right corner of the cup. However, the Big Dipper is generally the most easily identified pattern of stars in the sky in the northern hemisphere, so it offers a great starting point for our orientation.Įven the most inexperienced stargazer is undoubtedly familiar with the Big Dipper’s ‘cup’ and ‘long handle.’ Once we’ve found the Big Dipper, we can recognize the handle as the head and neck of the ‘Great Bear,’ Ursa Major.

During the summer, it may be spotted in the northernmost region of the sky. The Big Dipper is not strictly a constellation, although it is a component of the Ursa Major constellation. Given below are the most popular constellations in the world- 1)The Big Dipper Some of these stars may be seen by looking up in the sky on a night. Astronomers using contemporary telescopes could detect stars in the dark areas around the constellations – stars that were not included in the original star drawings. All-stars, however, are located inside one of the 88 constellation areas.

These stars were linked into star images by ancient observers. There have been billions of stars, but only a small percentage of them form the patterns of our constellations – these are the stars that can be seen with the naked eye. They recognized star groupings as gods, goddesses, animals, and narrative elements. The majority of the names we know are from the ancient Middle Eastern, Greek, and Roman cultures. Each constellation comprises a collection of stars scattered in three dimensions in space – the stars are all at various distances from Earth. There are a total of 88 “official” constellations. Constellations are identifiable patterns that help humans navigate the night sky. Some 17, 300 years ago, our forefathers may have documented their view of the night sky on the cave walls.Ī Constellation is a collection of stars that appear to create a pattern or image, such as Orion the Great Hunter, Leo the Lion, or Taurus the Bull. When did the first constellations appear in the sky? Archaeological research in the Lascaux cave system in southern France has discovered probable astrological marks painted on the walls. Names and mythological stories have been ascribed to star patterns in the night sky throughout human history and throughout many civilizations, giving rise to what we now know as constellations.
