Constellations

Have you ever wondered how the constellations in the sky were discovered? Space is made up of billions of stars. Of those stars, some of them make up the 88 constellations that we see today. Constellations are stars that form into patterns. Constellations were discovered thousands of years ago, were named by various astronomers and researchers, and can be found in different places at different times.

The people who discovered the first constellations were the Greeks. They listed up to 50 constellations in the western hemisphere. Some European explorers discovered southern sky constellations, and they were added from the 15th century to the mid 18th. Researchers also discovered paintings of constellations and their shapes in the Lascaux Caves in France, such as the constellation Taurus. In Mesopotamia, clay tablets containing information on constellations were also discovered. Catalogues on constellations from 1000 B.C. were found in Babylonia. Researchers also found oracle bones from the Shang Dynasty in Ancient China. Oracle bones were a way of fortune telling and divination, and they also had constellation information on them. During 1595, a group of Dutch explorers discovered 12 more constellations, and they were soon added to the list. It’s extremely fascinating how so many people in many different places have all written about constellations.

Many people don’t know how the constellations got their names. In fact, the International Astronomical Union named the 88 constellations. They took their names from the Middle East, Greeks, and the Romans. Most of the names come from gods, goddesses, sacred animals, or important objects. Some Greek constellations are Orion, Scorpios, Cygnus, Cassiopea, and the Great Bear. Constellations from Roman roots are Andromeda, Aquarius, Aquila, and Argo Navis. The Dutch explorers from before named those 12 constellations after animals. The last major group of constellations were discovered in the 18th century. They were named after lab tools. The fact that all of these names come from Roman or Greek roots are really amazing, and I think that the people who took the time to name them are impressive too.

The location of the constellations isn’t specified, because the Earth rotates. If you want to see a constellation, it matters where you are on Earth. 36 constellations are found in the northern sky, and the other 52 are in the southern sky. Because the Earth spins, you can view different constellations at different times of the year.

Our major constellations were first discovered, named, and located. Greeks discovered the first constellations, and they listed up to 50 constellations. Constellation names come from the International Astronomical Union. There is no specified location for constellations because our Earth spins on its axis, and you can see different constellations. The evolution of constellations comes from the ancient Greeks all the way to modern times.