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Constellations
Constellations
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"Constellations." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Constellations." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-constelTABLE.html "Constellations." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-constelTABLE.html |
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Constellation
ConstellationA constellation is a group of stars that form a long-recognized pattern in the sky, as viewed from Earth. The stars that make up a constellation do not represent any meaningful order in the universe. Those stars may be at very different distances from Earth and from one another. Constellations seen from Earth would be shaped much differently and would be unrecognizable if viewed from another part of our galaxy. The naming of constellations dates back to ancient civilizations. Although some constellations may resemble the animals, objects, or people for which they were named, others were merely named in honor of those figures. Many of the constellations were originally given Greek names and are related to ancient mythology. These names were later replaced by their Latin equivalents, names by which they are still known today. Words to KnowAsterism: Familiar star pattern that is not a constellation. Celestial sphere: The sky or imaginary sphere that surrounds Earth and provides a visual surface on which astronomers plot celestial objects and chart their apparent movement due to Earth's rotation. Ecliptic: The apparent path of the Sun, the Moon, and the major planets among the stars in one year, as viewed from Earth. Stargazing, however, was not limited to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Many cultures looked to celestial bodies to understand the creation and structure of the universe and their place in it. Their naming of the different stars reflects their views or mythology. For example, the constellations the Romans called Ursa Major and Cassiopeia (pronounced kas-eeo-PEE-a) were called Whirling Man and Whirling Woman by the Navajo. Some familiar star groups known by common names are not constellations at all. These groups are called asterisms. Two examples are the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. The Big Dipper, also known as the Plough, is part of the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear). The Little Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Minor. Eighty-eight constellations encompass the present-day celestial sphere (the sky or imaginary sphere that surrounds Earth). Each of these constellations is associated with a definite region in the celestial sphere. The yearly path of the Sun, the Moon, and the major planets among the stars, as viewed from Earth, is called the ecliptic. Twelve constellations are located on or near the ecliptic. These constellations—Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces—are known as the constellations of the zodiac. The remaining constellations can be viewed in the celestial sphere during the year from either the Northern Hemisphere (28 constellations) or the Southern Hemisphere (48 constellations). The daily rotation of Earth on it axis causes the constellations to appear to move westward across the sky each night. The yearly revolution of Earth around the Sun, which brings about the seasons, causes different constellations to come into view during the seasons. [See also Star ] |
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"Constellation." UXL Encyclopedia of Science. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Constellation." UXL Encyclopedia of Science. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3438100186.html "Constellation." UXL Encyclopedia of Science. 2002. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3438100186.html |
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constellation
con·stel·la·tion / ˌkänstəˈlāshən/ • n. a group of stars forming a recognizable pattern that is traditionally named after its apparent form or identified with a mythological figure. Modern astronomers divide the sky into eighty-eight constellations with defined boundaries. ∎ a group or cluster of related things. ORIGIN: Middle English (as an astrological term denoting the relative positions of the “stars” (planets), supposed to influence events): via Old French from late Latin constellatio(n-), based on Latin stella ‘star.’ |
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"constellation." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "constellation." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-constellation.html "constellation." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-constellation.html |
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constellation
constellation Grouping of stars, forming an imaginary figure traced on the sky. The groupings have no physical basis as each star is a different distance from Earth. There are 88 constellations that have been assigned boundaries on the celestial sphere by the International Astronomical Union in 1930.
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"constellation." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "constellation." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-constellation.html "constellation." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-constellation.html |
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Constellation
Constellationa fixed group of stars; an assembly of great splendour; a group of famous people; a fixed pattern of individual elements functioning in a related way. Examples: constellation of fair ladies, 1665; of genius; of computer programs; of prophets, 1860; of stars; of wax lights, 1739. |
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"Constellation." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Constellation." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300431.html "Constellation." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505300431.html |
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Constellation
Constellation C-121 used primarily as a transport aircraft for very important people, the C-121 is best known in its EC-121 version as a radar aircraft. Another version, the C-121J, was an airborne television studio used during the Vietnam War.
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"Constellation." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Constellation." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-Constellation.html "Constellation." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-Constellation.html |
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