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Overview
In contemporary astronomy, the International Astronomical Union recognizes 88 constellations. 42 of them depict animals, 29 depict inanimate objects, and 17 depict humans or mythological characters.
The ancient Sumerians, Babylonians, and Greeks established most of the northern constellations that are officially recognized today, which is why many stars and constellations represent ancient myths and legends.
One of the most notable examples is the Lyre constellation, which represents the celestial harp created by Hermes and gifted to Orpheus by Apollo. In this legend, when Orpheus played love songs to his beloved Eurydice, people and animals would also become captivated. When Eurydice died suddenly, Orpheus’ enchanting lyre music convinced the ruler of the underworld to release Eurydice under the condition that Orpheus would not look back at her as she followed him out to the surface.
Unable to endure the doubt that she was not behind him, he glanced over his shoulder and witnessed Eurydice fade back into Hades’ domain. After Orpheus passed away, Zeus placed his lyre in the stars, honoring his beautiful music and forsaken love.
Egyptians and the Zodiac
The ancient Egyptians are believed to have developed the Zodiac system, which was later adopted by the Babylonians.
Early astrologers understood that it took 12 lunar cycles for the sun to return to its original position. For that reason, they identified 12 constellations that correlated with the progression of the seasons and named them after certain animals or people. These became the Zodiac signs.
The Zodiac signs are split into four groups. Fire signs include Aries, Sagittarius, and Leo. Water signs include Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Air signs include Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini. Earth signs include Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo. Babylonian astrologers believed that the Sun, Moon, and five known planets (Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Saturn, and Venus) imbued distinct powers onto each Zodiac constellation.
Top 10 Constellations
The largest constellation is the Hydra, which takes up 3.2% of the Southern night sky. It is commonly depicted as a water serpent. The best time to see Hydra is in January.
The top 10 largest constellations are as follows:
- Hydra – 3.2%
- Ursa Major – 3.1%
- Virgo – 3.1%
- Cetus – 3%
- Hercules – 3%
- Eridanus – 2.8%
- Pegasus – 2.7%
- Centaurus – 2.6%
- Draco – 2.6%
- Aquarius – 2.4%
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