How I Fell In Love With Astronomy

Running head: [SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 1 How I Fell In Love With Astronomy Rosalie M. Cortes Astronomy 103

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 2 Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………………… COW 2…………………………………………………………………………………. 5-6 COW 3…………………………………………………………………………………. 7-8 COW 4………………………………………………………………………………... 9-10 COW 5………………………………………………………………………………. 11-12 COW 6………………………………………………………………………………. 13-14 COW 7………………………………………………………………………………. 15-16

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 3 Introduction While taking Astronomy 103, I got to learn and research a constellation every week while even getting to create a constellation. We researched the meaning behind the names, the mythology, history, and location.

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 4 One chilly Autumn night a little girl was looking out her window when she saw the biggest brightest shooting star ever. The girl watched in awe as the star flow through the sky till it just stopped. Where it stopped shocked the girl, it was the tip of a dragon outline but the best part was that the dragon didn't have normal scales it had rose petals making up its body. The Rose dragon in all its shiny glory as the sun started to rise. The little girl ran from her post at the window still in shock to wake her mother. She ran all over the house until she wound up in the kitchen in front of her mom. Without saying anything she grabs her mother’s hand and rushes back to the window and finally says \"Rose Dragon\" while pointing to the cluster of stars. Her starred in shock because even with the sun rising higher in the sky the constellation still was shining brightly. Discovered 3017 B.C by a little girl named Janelle one morning. It can be found in the northern hemisphere, second quadrant, and just above the constellation Leo.

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 5 January Dorado in Spanish is translated to the dolphinfish or mahi-mahi. There are no myths about this constellation. Dorado was created by Petrus Planicus an Dutch astronomer with the help of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Fredrick de Houtman Dutch navigators. In 1603 Johann Bayer had the first picture of Dorado in his star atlas Uranometria. You can find Dorado in the first quadrant in the southern hemisphere with a latitude in between +20 degrees and -90 degrees. Some of Dorado neighboring constellations are Caelum, Volans, Hydrus, and Pictor The brightest star in the constellation is a binary star Alpha Doradus (169 light years away). Dorado also contains most of the galaxy Large Magellanic Cloud. https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/dorado-constellation/ February Canis Major means the greater dog in Latin. The myth behind Canis Major is that Zeus gave Europa a present a javelin and Laelaps the fastest dog who could catch anything it went after. Later Europa was killed by Cephalus her husband with the javelin while hunting. In Boeotia there was a fox causing trouble so Cephalus took Laelaps to hunt down the fox. Laelaps chased and chased the fox but the chase would never

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 6 end since the fox was destined to never be caught. So Zeus turned both animals into stone ending the chase and he placed Laelaps into the sky as the constellation Canis Major. Canis Major was discovered in 1835 by John Herschel an English astronomer. You can find Canis Major in the second quadrant of the southern hemisphere the a latitude in between +60 degrees and -90 degrees. Columba, Lepus Monoceros, and Orion are its neighboring constellations. Sirius or the dog star is the brightest star in the sky which is why Manilius call Canis Major the dog with the blazing face. Canis Major is home to a dwarf galaxy Messier 41, Thor’s Helmet a emission nebula and the colliding galaxies NGC 2207 and IC 2163 “Constellation Guide.” Constellation Guide, www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/canis-major-constellation/.

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 7 March Lynx is named after the animal or called sive Tigris by Hevelius. There aren’t any known myths connected with the constellation but some think the constellation may be linked to one. Lynceus who had the keenest of eyesight and sailed with Jason and the Argonauts. Johannes Hevelius a polish astronomer introduced the constellation Lynx among others in the 17th century. He created the constellation the fill a gap between Auriga and Ursa Major and he named it Lynx because it took the eyesight of one to see it since the constellation is so faint. Lynx is located in the second quadrant of the northern hemisphere and can be seen at the latitudes +90 degrees and -55 degrees. Its neighboring constellations are Leo Minor, Gemini, Ursa Major, Cancer, Auriga, and Camelopardalis. The brightest star in the constellation is Alpha Lyncis also known as Elvashak it’s also the only star in the constellation that has a Bayer designation and is 673 times more luminous than the sun. “Constellation Guide.” Constellation Guide, www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/lynx-constellation/.

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 8 April Leo represent the lion. The Greeks associated the constellation with Nemean lion. The beast was killed by Heracles during his first 12 hours of labor and placed among the constellations because it was the king of beast. The six bright stars in the form of a sickle is said the represent its head and the brightest star in the constellation is its heart. Ptolemy the Greek astronomer first catalogued Leo in the 2nd century along with the rest of the zodiac constellations. Leo can be found in the second quadrant of the northern hemisphere and can be seen in between the latitudes +90 degrees and -65 degrees. Leo homes galaxies Messier 65, 66, 95, 96, 105 and NGC 3628. The brightest star in the constellation Regulus is a four-star system composed of two pairs of stars. “Constellation Guide.” Constellation Guide, www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/leo-constellation/.

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 9 May Crux means “the cross” in Latin or Southern Cross or Chakana which means “the stair” or Te Punga or “the anchor.” There isn’t any myth but the constellation is famous in many cultures. Ancient Greeks considered Crux to be a part of the constellation Centaurus but it wasn’t until 1679 it became its own constellation. Augustin Royer is the one who formally separated Crux from Centaurus. Some historian’s credit Petrus Plancius for creating the constellation in 1613 but Jakob Bartsch published the constellation in 1624. Crux is located in the third quadrant of the southern hemisphere in between the latitudes +20 degrees and -90 degrees. Crux lays in between the constellations Centaurus and Musca. Acrux is the brightest star in the constellation and the 12th brightest in the sky. Beta Crucis the second brightest star in the constellation and is estimated to be 10 million years old. “Constellation Guide.” Constellation Guide, www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/crux-constellation.

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 10 June Libra means “the weighing scales” in Latin. The Romans established the region where Libra lays in the first century BC because the moon was located in Libra when Rome was founded. Romans considered Libra a favored constellation because it was associated with balanced seasons and days and nights. Libra was catalogued by Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Libra can found in the third quadrant of the southern hemisphere in between the latitudes +65 degrees and -90 degrees. Centaurus, Hydra, and Virgo are some of its neighboring constellations. Libra has three stars that have known planets and the meteor shower May Librids is associated with the constellation. Zubeneschamali which means “the northern claw” in Arabic is the brightest star in the constellation. “Constellation Guide.” Constellation Guide, www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/libra-constellation/.

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 11 July Corona Borealis means “the northern crown” in Latin. Arabs know the constellation as the poor people’s bowl or Alphecca meaning broken up. The myth it is associated with is Princess Ariadne of Crete. She helped Theseus kill the Minotaur then ran away with him only to have him leave her on an island. The god Dionysus found her and soon fell in love so they got married. At the wedding she wore a crown that she throw into the sky after where the jewels in the crown turned into stars. Corona Borealis was first catalogued by Ptolemy in the 2nd century but back then it was called Corona. You can find the constellation in the third quadrant in the northern hemisphere and is seen at the latitudes of +90 degree and -50 degrees. Its neighboring constellation are Hercules, Boötes and Serpens Caput. Alphecca which can be loosely translated to the bright one of the broken ring in Arabic is the brightest of the 7 stars that make up the crown. https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/corona-borealis-constellation/

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 12 August Sagittarius represents an archer. Greek mythology says Sagittarius represents a centaur who aiming an arrow at the heart of the Scorpio constellation. Sagittarius was the first constellation catalogued by Ptolemy in the 2nd century. You can find the constellation in the fourth quadrant in the southern hemisphere between the latitudes +55 degrees and -90 degrees. Its neighboring constellations are Scorpius, Aquila, Indus and more. Sagittarius has seven stars brighter than the magnitude 3.00. The brightest star is Kaus Australis. https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/sagittarius-constellation/

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 13 September Pavo means peacock in Latin. The myth is about the peacocks that drove Hera’s chariot around the sky and how it came to have eyes on their tail. Zeus fell in love with Lo, and to hide her from Hera. He turned her into a cow. Hera was still suspicious, so asked Argus the all-seeing to watch the heifer. Then Zeus sent Hermes to free Lo. Hermes went to earth as a shepherd and spent the day tiring him out. Once, Argus was asleep, Hermes hit him with a rock killing him. To honor Argus, Hera put eyes on the tails of peacocks. Pavo was introduced by Petrus Plancius a Dutch astronomer using the observations from Frederick de Houtman and Pieter Dirkszoon Keyse navigations in the late 16th century. Pavo was depicted in 1598 and appeared in a star atlas in 1603. You can find Pavo in the 4th quadrant of the southern hemisphere in between +30 degrees and -90 degrees. Some of its neighboring constellations are Apus, Ara, Indus. Peacock is the brightest star in Pavo it is blue-white subgiant. It was named Peacock by her Majesty’s Nautical Almanac Office in the late 1930’s. https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/pavo-constellation/

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 14 October Grus means the crane in Latin. In the 17th century it was briefly called Phoenicopterus which means the flamingo in Latin. Grus appeared in Johann Bayer’s Uranometria a celestial atlas in 1603. You can find Grus in the 4th quadrant of the southern hemisphere in between the latitudes +34 degrees and -90 degrees. It’s neighboring constellations are Indus, Phoenix, Tucana and etc. Grus contains 3 stars brighter than the magnitude 3. The brightest star is Alnair and it has a radius 3.4 times the Sun. In Arabic Alnair means the bright one. There is no myth with this constellation. https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/grus-constellation/

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 15 November Phoenix Petrus Plancius first introduced the constellation in the late 16th century but was first depicted in 1598 on his globe and in 1603 made its appearance in Uranometria. Phoenix can easily be seen for anyone in Australia and South Africa during the southern hemisphere summer but not anyone north of the 40th parallel. You can find Phoenix in the first quadrant of the southern hemisphere at latitudes between +32 and -80 degrees. Some of its neighboring constellations are Apus, Grus, Pavo, and Indus. Phoenix has a cluster of galaxies, HLX-1, a black hole candidate, and Robert’s Quartet, a compact galaxy group. Five of Phoenix’s stars have planets, and around December 5th every year, there is a meteor shower called Phoenicids. The brightest star is Ankaa, which has a magnitude of 2.4. The Phoenix is a mythical bird that is a sacred firebird in many mythologies. They say it resembles an eagle with purple, red, and gold feathers with a gold and scarlet tail. Ovid wrote in his Metamorphoses that they live for 500 years, and at the end of it life spanned, it builds a nest at the top of a palm tree using incense and cinnamon bark then ignites the nest to die in the fire. Later from the ashes, a new bird is born, and the new Phoenix carries its nest to the temple of Hyperion, who was the lord of light. https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/phoenix-constellation/

[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS] 16 December Aries means the ram in Latin. Ptolemy first cataloged Aries in the 2nd century. Aries contains NGC 772, a spiral galaxy, and NGC 1156, a dwarf irregular galaxy. It also has five stars with planets and has six meteor showers connected to it: the May Arietids, Autumn Arietids, Delta Arietids, Epsilon Arietids, Daytime-Arietids, and Aries-Triangulids. You can see Aries in the first quadrant of the northern hemisphere in between the latitudes +90 and -60 degrees. Aries's neighboring constellations are Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces. In the Greek myth, Aries is a golden ram that rescued Phrixus and took him to Colchis. Where Aries was sacrificed to the gods. The ram's skin that Phrixus placed in a temple was the Golden Fleece, which is in the story of Jason and the Argonauts. https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/aries-constellation/