STARRY, STARRY SKY: If you are in the company of a curious mind, someone who wants to see more than a dotted night sky, who wants to see patterns and hear stories of the constellations, we have the perfect guide for you. We asked Shiraz Awan, of Dubai Astronomy Club, what shapes one can see in the skies these days and how to make the most out of any vantage point you choose.
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APPS CAN HELP He does warn however that constellation viewing depends on the quality of air, on the angle of the earth in relation to the star and to the sun. And he suggests a good app such as SkyView, SkySafari, SkyPortal and Stellarium to get the most of the star-viewing experience. Here’s a look at some of the constellations to look out for:
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VIRGO: Discovered by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century, the constellation has been associated with a number of Greek deities including Dike, the Greek deity of justice, and Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, the harvest goddess, says Space.com. It is also one of the 12 zodiac constellations and has one of the brightest stars in the sky – Spica.
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LIBRA: The Scorpious and the Libra constellations have a lot in common – the claws of the beast are also the scales of Libra. This caused Romans to associate the constellation with the scales of Astraea, the Greek deity of justice.
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SCORPIOUS: Greek legend has it that the scorpion came to be as a result of Orion, the Hunter’s boastful words; when he claimed there was no animal on Earth he couldn’t kill Earth deity Gaia brought forth the scorpion. The duo were mortal enemies from then on. Zeus, the lord of the skies, is said to have placed both in the heavens in a way that they’d never meet.
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SAGITTARIUS: The constellation’s Greek story is based on the legend of Chiron, the centaur (half-human, half-horse), who was a teacher, healer and weapons maker. Myth states that when he was unintentionally shot by Hercules and couldn’t heal himself, he offered to take on the punishment of Prometheus – the Titan who brought fire to mankind and was punished as a result. Zeus however was sympathetic to the immortal centaur’s plight; Chiron couldn’t die nor could he live without pain; and he turned him into a constellation in the sky.
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CAPRICORN: Another Zodiac sign, Greek mythology draws this constellation’s origins from Pan (the nature deity) or goat nymph, Amalthea, who suckled Zeus as an infant or sea-goat Pricus. Capricornus was listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolomy, but prior to this listing, it was one of the constellations oldest known to men, despite its faintness, says astrology-zodiac-signs.com
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BOOTES: This Greek word translates into ‘ox driver’ or herdsman. In the constellation, you can see him driving his plow, the Big Dipper, in a circle around Polaris, with his hunting dogs, represented by the constellation Canes Venatici. Bootes has 10 named stars including Alkalurops, Arcalís, Arcturus, Izar, Merga, Muphrid, Nekkar, Nikawiy, Seginus, and Xuange.
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LYRA: Space.com explains that this constellation lies in the northern sky and represents the lyre, a musical instrument with strings. It was first catalogued by Ptolemy. It contains Vega, the second brightest star in the northern hemisphere.
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