Greek Constellations
The earliest references to the Greek Constellations known might be the information found in the works of Homer. The Iliad by Homer dates back to the 7th century B. C. And in it Homer describes the creation of the Achilles’s shield by Hephaistos, the craftsman god. On the shield he put the earth, sky, sea, sun, moon, and all of the constellations which were in the sky. These constellations were Pleiades and Hyades, which is the mighty Orion and the Bear. Men have also called it by the name of Wain, who wheels around in the same place and watches for Orion. She is also the only one not to bathe in Ocean. This information is taken from Iliad XVIII 486- 490).
During the time of Homer the constellations were not so much associated with the Greek myths or gods. They were just objects or animals and represented the lyre, the Ram, etc.. By the 5th century B. C. Most of the constellations were connected to the Greek myths, gods, and goddesses. The Catasterismi of Eratosthenes completed the mythological connection to the stars.
Although there were many stars and constellations named after Greek gods, goddesses, or Greek heroes, most of the stars were catalogued by the Romans. The Roman named Ptolemy of Alexandria grouped together 1022 stars into 48 different constellations. This was done during the 2nd century A. D.. Although his Almagest did not include the constellations which only could be seen by those in the southern hemisphere, it did supply the basis for the modern list of 88 constellations which have officially been designated by the International Astronomical Union. While the myths behind the constellations date as far back as Ancient Greece, Latin names are used to name the constellations.
The myths have a big influence on what the names of the constellations are and what they will be in the future for any new ones discovered. The planets are all named from Roman mythology. Mercury is named after the Roman speedy messenger god. It revolves the fastest around the sun. Venus is named after the goddess of Love and Beauty, and it is the brightest planet. Mars is named after the god of War because it appears blood red. Jupiter is named after the one most important god and it is the largest planet of them all. The four largest moons of Jupiter can also be seen through a small telescope and they are named after Roman gods also. They were Europa, Ganymede, Io, and Callisto.
The major constellations are: Andromeda, Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cetus, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Draco, Eridanus, Gemini, Hercules, Hydra, Leo, Libra, Orion, Perseus, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Taurus, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and Virgo.
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