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Johann Bayer's Uranometria showing the constellation Orion. Orion the Hunter is star lore created by the ancient Greeks. Orion the Hunter is star lore created by the ancient Greeks. Star lore or starlore is the creating and cherishing of mythical stories about the stars and star patterns ( constellations and asterisms ); that is, folklore based ...
Ophiuchus (/ ˌ ɒ f i ˈ juː k ə s /) is a large constellation straddling the celestial equator. Its name comes from the Ancient Greek ὀφιοῦχος (ophioûkhos), meaning "serpent-bearer", and it is commonly represented as a man grasping a snake. The serpent is represented by the constellation Serpens.
The Andromeda tradition, from classical antiquity onwards, has incorporated elements of other stories, including Saint George and the Dragon, introducing a horse for the hero, and the tale of Pegasus, Bellerophon's winged horse. [1] Ludovico Ariosto's epic poem Orlando Furioso, which tells a similar story, has introduced further confusion. [2]
Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory.Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear", referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa Minor, the lesser bear. [1]
The constellation Cassiopeia as it can be seen by the naked eye from a northern location. The German cartographer Johann Bayer used the Greek letters Alpha through Omega, and then A and B, to label the most prominent 26 stars in the constellation. Upsilon was later found to be two stars and labelled Upsilon 1 and Upsilon 2 by John Flamsteed.
The Greek name for the Milky Way (Γαλαξίας Galaxias) is derived from the Greek word for milk (γάλα, gala). One legend explains how the Milky Way was created by Heracles (Roman Hercules) when he was a baby. [16] His father, Zeus, was fond of his son, who was born of the mortal woman Alcmene.
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One of the most memorable myths involving the Pleiades is the story of how these sisters literally became stars, their catasterism. According to some versions of the tale, all seven sisters killed themselves because they were so saddened by either the fate of their father, Atlas, or the loss of their siblings, the Hyades.