Stories Behind the Constellations

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Andromeda

Andromeda was the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, King and Queen of Ethiopia. When Cassiopeia boasted that Andromeda was more beautiful than that of the Nerieds, sea nymphs, they asked Neptune to send the monster Cetus to ravage Ethiopia. Consulting an oracle, Cepheus found that the only way to appease Cetus was to sacrifice his daughter to the monster. Andromeda was chained to a rock by the sea to be sacrificed, but Perseus arrived from killing the Medusa, and turned turned Cetus into stone with the head of Medusa.

Antlia, the Pump

La Caille called this constellation the Machine Pneumatique, and in Germany, it is known as the Luft Pumpe, or air pump.

Apus, the Bird of Paradise

The bird for which this constellation was named was originally found in Papua New Guinea.

Aquarius, the Water Carrier

This constellation is depicted as a man or boy pouring water from a bucket. It may represent the rainy seasons.

Aquila, the Eagle

This is the bird that Jupiter sent to carry off Ganymede to serve as cupbearer to the gods.

Ara, the Altar

The Olympian gods raised this altar to commemorate their victory over the Titans.

Aries, the Ram

The golden fleece of this ram was the prize ultimately carried off by Jason, leader of the Argonauts.

Argo Navis, the Ship Argo

This ship carried the Argonauts, led by the hero Jason, from Thessaly to Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece. No longer considered a separate constellation, this grouping has been subdivided into four constellations: Carina, Puppis, Pyxis, and Vela.

Auriga, the Charioteer

No story really explains the figure that this constellation is suppose to define -- a charioteer without the chariot and horse, holding reins in his right hand, a goat on his left shoulder, and two small kids in his left arm. One myth associates Auriga with Erecthonius, the lame son of Vulcan and Minerva. Erecthonius invented the chariot, which allowed him to get around and also earned him a place in the stars.

Boötes, the Herdsman

According to one myth, Boötes was placed in the heavens as a reward for inventing the plow.

Caelum, the Chisel

La Caille formed this constellation from stars between Columba and Eridanus.

Camelopardalis, the Giraffe

Bartsch first outlined this constellation, claiming that it represented the camel that brought Rebecca to Isaac. The constellation likes in the large space between Perseus, Auriga, and the Bears.

Cancer, the Crab

Juno sent this crab to distract Hercules during his battle with the Hydra. The crab didn't succeed in its mission, but Juno placed it in the sky to reward it for its efforts.

Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs

Hevelius formed this constellation out of stars between Ursa Major and Boötes, to represent the two grayhounds held in leash by Boötes.

Canis Major, the Greater Dog

This constellation is offened recognized as the dog of Orion, the hunter. Orion loved to hunt wild animals, and his dog can be seen ready to pounce on Lepus, the hare situated at Orion's feet.

Canis Minor, the Lesser Dog

Often associated as another of Orion's dogs, Canis Minor is sometimes associated with one of Helen's favorite dogs, who allowed Paris to abduct his mistress.

Capricornus, the Sea Goat

From early antiquity, this constellation has been depicted as having the body of a goat with the tail of a fish. According to one interpretation, the goat, and expert climber, represents the sun's climb from its lowest position in the sky, which is this this constellation. The fish's tail may represent the seasonal rains.

Carina, the Keel

This is the keel of the boat, the Argo. (see Argo Navis)

Cassiopeia

The wife of Cepheus and the mother of Andromeda, When she rejected to the marriage of Perseus to her daughter, Perseus displayed the head of Medusa and turned his enemies, including Cassiopeia, to stone. Neptune placed her in the sky, but in order to humiliate her, arranged it so that at certain times of the year, she would appear upside-down.

Centaurus, the Centaur

This constellation is often associated with Chiron, an immortal centaur. When Hercules wounded him with one of his poisoned arrows, Chiron suffered greatly and offered his immortality as a substitute for Prometheus. Prometheus had been chained to a rock and a vulture sent to eat his liver each day as punishment for bring fire to humans. At the request of Hercules, Zeus exchanged Prometheus for Chiron's immortality and placed Chiron in the stars.

Cepheus

King of Ethiopia and father to Andromeda.

Cetus, the Whale

This sea monster was sent by Neptune to punish Ethiopia for the boasts of their queen, Cassiopeia. The whale was killed by Perseus on his way back from killing Medusa.

Chamaeleon, the Chameleon

This small constellation lies below Carina, separated from the south pole by Octans.

Circinus, the Drawing Compass

This constellation, south of Lupus, was added by La Caille.

Columba, the Dove

Petrus Plancius, a 16th-century Dutch theologian and mapmaker, formed this constellation south of Lepus, to represent the dove that Noah sent out from the ark.

Coma Berenices, Berenice's Hair

Coma Berenices was first listed as a separate constellation in 1602 by Tycho Brahe. Berenice was the wife of Ptolemy Euergetes of Egypt in the middle of the 3rd century. She vowed to sacrifice her hair to Venus if her husband returned safely from war. After his safe return she honored her vow, but her hair disappeared overnight. A Greek astronomer pointed to the constellation, claiming it to be the missing hair, which Venus must have placed in the sky. Coma Berenices contains the north galactic pole (the north pole with respect to the orientation of the Milky Way galaxy).

Corona Australis, the Southern Crown

The Southern Crown is said to represent a crown of laurel, placed on victors in games and on those who perform great service to their peers. In one story, this constellation represents a crown of laurel to be placed on the brow of Chiron in acknowledgment of his service to Prometheus. (see Centaurus)

Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown

This constellation is often associated with Ariadne, daughter of Minos. Ariadne fell in love with the hero Theseus, and helped him to kill the Minotaur. Dionysus looked down on her and fell in love with her, and had Theseus abandon her on an island. Dionysus married Ariadne and gave her a gem-encrusted crown as a wedding gift. When Ariadne died, Dionysus placed this crown among the stars.

Corvus, the Raven

According to one myth, this is the raven that Apollo sent to guard over his beloved, Coronis. During one of his absences, Coronis fell in love with another and was unfaithful to Apollo. When the raven reported what had happened, Apollo rewarded the bird by placing him in the heavens.

Crater, the Cup

This constellation has been associated with various gods and heroes, including Apollo, Dionysus, and Achilles.

Crux, the Cross

The ancient Greeks considered the four chief stars of Crux as part of Centaurus, which surrounds Crux on three sides. There is no central star to the cross, so it looks more like a kite to the eye. This constellation is sometimes referred to as the "Southern Cross", the "Northern Cross" being a nickname for Cygnus.

Cygnus, the Swan

In one myth, this constellation is related to the story of Phaethon, a mortal son of Helios, the sun god. Phaethon got his father to agree to let him drive his sun chariot, and his reckless driving threated to destroy the earth. Zeus intervened and hurled a thunderbolt at Phaethon, who fell into the Eridanus River. Phaethon's devoted friend, Cygnus, dived into the water in search of the body. Apollo took pity on Cygnus and changed him into a swan, placing him in the heavens.

Delphinus, the Dolphin

A dolphin convinced Amphritrite to marry Poseidon, and as a reward, Poseidon placed Delphinus among the stars.

Dorado, the Swordfish

The Large Magellanic Cloud lies within this constellation.

Draco, the Dragon

Some myths name Draco as Pythos, the dragon Apollo slew in order to win Delphi. In honor of his victory, he placed his trophy among the stars. Other myths name Draco as the dragon slain by Cadmus, brother of Europa, who had been carried off by Zeus. Athena instructed Cadmus to build a great city by planting the teeth of the dragon. An army grew and immediately started to attack each other. All but five died, and the survivors helped Cadmus to build the city of Thebes.

Equuleus, the Little Horse

This group of stars is associated with Celeris, the brother of Pegasus. Mercury gave Celeris to the hero Castor.

Eridanus, the River

The waters of the River Eridanus are said to steam perpetually as the result of Phaethon's fiery fall (see Cygnus).

Fornax, the Furnace

La Caille formed this group from stars within the southern bend of the River Eridanus.

Gemini, the Twins

Castor and Pollux (Polydeuces in Greek), the famous twins of Leda. Castor was the son of Tyndarus, King of Sparta, but Pollux was the son of Zeus, who won over Leda in the form of a swan. After Castor's death, Pollux (immortal because of his father) was so overcome with grief that Zeus reunited them by placing them together in the heavens.

Grus, the Crane

A southern constellation. Grus americana is the scientific name for the whooping crane.

Hercules

The most famous of all the Greek heroes. He is best known for having completed his Twelve Labors, which included fighting the Hydra and the Nemean Lion (see Leo). Hercules had killed Nessus, a centaur, with his poisoned arrows after Nessus had tried to carry off his wife Deianira. Before he died, Nessus told Deianira to save some of his blood, and to to use it as a love charm should Hercules ever lose interest in her. Some time later, fearing that Hercules had fallen for another woman, Deianira rubbed the blood of Nessus on Hercules' robe. Putting the robe on, Hercules' body immediately began to burn; when he tried to remove the robe, his skin came off. He built a funeral pyre and mounted it himself. As it was lit, a flash of lightning was seen, the pyre burnt out, and Hercules' body could not be found. It was assumed that his father Zeus carried him up to Olympus.

Horologium, the Clock

One of La Caille's constellations.

Hydra, the Water Snake

Killing this monster was the second Labor for Hercules, a difficult task since the Hydra would grow two new heads for each one that had been cut off. With the help of his friend, Iolaus, Hercules defeated the Hydra by having Iolaus burn the stump of each head as Hercules cut it off, preventing new ones from growing.

Hydrus, the Water Snake

Not to be confused with Hydra, which is a more northern constellation. Hydrus lies between the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.

Indus, the Indian

This constellation is supposed to represent a native American, with arrows in both hands.

Lacerta, the Lizard

Hevelius formed this constellation from stars lying between Cygnus and Andromeda. The shape supposidly was determined by the available space between the older constellations.

Leo, the Lion

This is the Nemean Lion that Hercules battled as the first of his Labors. No weapon could pierce its skin, but Hercules killed the lion by strangling it. After killing the lion, Hercules used its own claws to skin it. Hercules wore the skin as a cloak, and it became his trademark.

Leo Minor, the Lesser Lion

Hevelius fromed this contellation from stars lying between Leo and Ursa Major. The name reflects his belief that his star grouping was similar in nature to the two other groups.

Lepus, the Hare

This hare was placed in the heavens to provide sport for its hunter, Orion.

Lupus, the Wolf

One myth associates this constellation with Lycaon, who doubted Zeus' claim to divinity. In order to test Zeus, Lycaon served him the flesh of a child. To punish Lycaon for this impious act, Zeus transformed him into a wolf.

Libra, the Scales

The only non-animal member of the Zodiac, the two brightest stars of Libra were identified by Arabic astrologers as part of Scorpius. The constellation was later identified with the scales held by Astraea, goddess of justice.

Lynx

Hevelius chose this name, explaining that only those with the eyes of a lynx could discern this group.

Lyra, the Lyre

This is the instrument given to Orpheus by Apollo. It was said Orpheus could play to make the stones weep. When his wife Eurydice died, Orpheus went to the underworld and moving Hades' queen Persephone to tears with his music, recieved the following agreement from Hades: Orpheus could bring back his wife from the underworld provided that he not look back at her until she was in the light of the sun. Orpheus led her out, and feeling sunlight on his face, looked back before Eurydice had reached the sunlight. She was lost forever. For the rest of his life, he refused the advances of all the women who tried to win his love. One day a group of women whom he had scorned attacked him, tore him apart, and threw his head and lyre into the river. Apollo intervened and buried Orpheus' head at the foot of Mount Parnassus, home of the Muses, and placed the lyre in the the sky.

Mensa, the Table

La Caille named this constellation Mons Mesae, after Table Mountain, south of Cape Town, South Africa, where he did much of his work.

Microscopium, the Microscope

La Caille formed this constellation from the stars south of Capricornus and west of Piscis Austrinus.

Monoceros, the Unicorn

The Unicorn is generally attributed to Bartsch, but some claim that it is older.

Musca, the Fly

In early catalogues, this group, south of the Southern Cross (see Crux) and northeast of Chamaeleon, was sometimes called the Bee.

Norma, the Square

One of La Caille's constellations, Norma lies immediately to the north of the Southern Triangle (see Triangulum Australe).

Octans, the Octant

La Caille named this constellation to recognize John Hadley's invention of the octant in 1730. It includes the south celestial pole.

Ophiuchus, the Serpent-bearer

This constellation is generally identified with Asclepius, the first physician and surgeon, who accompanied the Argonauts. Some myths claimed that he learned the secret of bring the dead back to life by having snakes wisper in his ears. He was so successful in curing the ill and wounded that Hades began to worry about the declining immigration into the underworld. Hades convinced Zeus to strike Asclepius with a thunderbolt, and place him among the stars. The snake twined around a staff remains the symbol of medicine today.

Orion, the Hunter

When this giant met Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, her brother Apollo feared for her virginity. Apollo sent Scorpius, the Scorpion, to attack Orion, who lept into the sea to escape. Apollo then tricked his sister into shooting at a dark spot on the waves, which was actually Orion. The goddess tried to have Asclepius (see Ophiuchus revivie Orion, but he had already been killed by Zeus' thunderbolt. Artemis then placed Orion in the heavens, where he continues to be hunted by the scorpion.

Pavo, the Peacock

According to myth, Argos, the builder of the ship Argo (see ArgoNavis), was changed into a peacock be Hera after she brought his ship to the heavens. Another constellation claimed that Argos was a guard with 100 eyes that Hera had watch of Io, when Zeus had changed her into a cow. Zeus persuaded Hermes to lull Argos to sleep with his pipes, and Io escaped. Hera, angered that Argos failed her, changed him into a peacock, and let him keep his 100 eyes on his tail.

Pegasus

This winged horse sprung up from the blood of Medusa after Perseus killed her. Pegasus was tamed by Bellerophon, who used Pegasus in defeating the fire-breathing monster, Chimera. Bellerophon died while trying to fly up to Mount Olympus to see the gods. Zeus sent a gadfly which stung Pegasus, when bucked and threw Bellerophon to his death. Pegasus continued to fly up the mountain, and earned a place among the stars.

Perseus

Armed with a polished shield from Artemis, winged sandals from Hermes, and a cap of invisibility from Hades, Perseus killed Medusa, the only one of the Gorgons who was mortal. The three Gorgons were monsters that turned any that looked upon them to stone. Using his shield as a mirror, Perseus was able to kill Medusa without looking on her directly. With the head of Medusa, Perseus was able to kill the monster Cetus, and save the princess Andromeda, whom he married. Athena took the head of Medusa from Perseus and placed it on her shield, Aegis.

Phoenix

One of 12 new constellations found in the southern hemisphere, this constellation was named after the mythical bird of the same name. The phoenix was said to live for 500 years, burn itself on a funeral pyre, and rise from its own ashes to live again.

Pictor, the Painter

La Caille named this grouping Equuleus Pictoris, or Painter's Easel. The name has been shortened to Pictor. The constellation lies south of Columba.

Pisces, the Fish

Venus and Cupid escaped from the monster Typhon (see under Pisces Austrinus) by disguising themselves as these fish and jumping into the Euphrates River.

Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish

This constellation is linked to the story of the monster, Typhon. After Zeus and the Olympians had defeated the Titans, sons of Gaea, Gaea gave birth to another son, Typhon. She incited Typhon to attack the Olympians, who assumed various animal shapes to evade him. Venus, for example, assumed the form of a fish.

Puppis, the Stern

This is the stern of the ship, Argo. (see Argo Navis)

Pyxis, the Compass

This is the compass of the ship, Argo. (see Argo Navis)

Reticulum, the Reticle

This constellation was named by La Caille in honor of his reticle, the network of fine lines he placed in the focus of his telescope in order to make his observations in the southern hemisphere. The constellation, however, had been drawn earlier by Isaak Habrecht of Strasbourg.

Sagitta, the Arrow

This constellation has been associated with several different arrows, usually those of Apollo, the god of archery.

Sagittarius, the Archer

Some scholars associate this constellation with the centaur Chiron, who was known for his marksmanship as well as for his expertise in medicine and music. Others maintain that Chiron was too civilized a model for Sagittarius and associate Chiron with the constellation Centaurus.

Scorpius, the Scorpion

According to a popular myth, Apollo, concerned about his sister Artemis' virginity, sent the scorpion to kill Orion the hunter, who had been spending a great deal of time with Artemis. Both Orion and Scorpius were placed as far from one another as possible to avoid further troubles between them, but Scorpius continues to pursue Orion across the celestial sphere.

Sculptor

La Caille named this grouping l'Atelier du Sculpteur, the Sculptor's Studio, but the name has been shortened. The constellation lies between Cetus and Phoenix and contains the south galactic pole.

Scutum, the Shield

Hevelius formed this constellation from several stars in the Milky Way, between the tail of Serpens and the head of Sagittarius. The constellation is supposed to represent the coat of arms of John Sobieski, king of Poland, in honor of his successful resistance against the Turkish attack on Vienna in 1683.

Serpens, the Serpent

This constellation is associated with Ophiuchus, who appears to be holding the serpent in his hands. It is split into Serpens Caput, the head, and Serpens Cauda, the tail.

Sextans, the Sextant

Hevelius formed this constellation, between Leo and Hydra, to recognize the importance of the sextant to his measurements of the stars.

Taurus, the Bull

Zeus disguised himself as a snow-white bull in order to attract Europa, Princess of Phoenicia. Drawn to his beauty, she climbed onto his back and Zeus swam with his passenger to the island of Crete. There he revealed his true identity and made love to her.

Telescopium, the Telescope

La Caille's original formation of this constellation, between Ara and Sagittarius, encroached upon several older constellations. For example, the telescope's stand was in Sagittarius. Later cataloguers redrew the outlines to prevent this kind of overlapping.

Triangulum, the Triangle

This mino constellation has been asssociated with different geographical locations. Due to its similarity to the Greek letter of delta, it was sometimes called the Delta, and associated with the Nile River delta in Egypt. It was also associated with the island of Sicily, whose three promontories give it a triangular shape.

Triangulum Australe, the Southern Triange

Much more prominent than its northern counterpart, Triangulum, this group lies south of Norma.

Tucana, the Toucan

Another one of the southern constellations name for exotic birds, this constellation is the home of the Small Magellanic Cloud.

Ursa Major, the Greater Bear

Zeus fell in love with Callisto, daughter of Lycaon (see under Lupus) and by her had a son, Arcas. In order to spare Callisto from the wrath of Hera, Zeus changed her into a bear to hide her identity.

Ursa Minor, the Lesser Bear

Hera, discovering the tryst Zeus had had with Callisto (see Ursa Major), convinced Arcas to hunt after his mother, who had been changed into a bear by Zeus. To protect Callisto, Zeus changed Arcas into a bear and carried them both by their tails to the heavens, where they became constellations. Annoyed at this honor, Hera convinced Poseidon not to allow the bears to bathe in the sea. For this reason, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor never sink below the horizon.

Vela, the Sails

This constellation represents the sails of the ship, Argo. (see Argo Navis)

Virgo, the Virgin

Identified with many heroines, Virgo is usually associated with Ceres, goddess of the harvest. The brightest star in Virgo, Spica, means an ear of wheat or corn.

Volans, the Flying Fish

Shortened from its original name, Piscis Volans.

Vulpecula, the Fox

A constellation added by Hevelius, Vulpecula is home to the Dumbbell Nebula. It was shortened from it's original name, Vulpecula cum Ansere, the Fox with the Goose.