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CVn - Canes Venatici the Hunting Dogs

  • Boo - Bootes the Herdsman or Bear Driver

    IAU Constellation
    Boo - Bootes the Herdsman or Bear Driver

    Size

    13 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Northern

    Intro and Visual description

    Skywatchers have long-repeated the catch-phrase "Arc to Arcturus" (Arc-TUR-us). Follow the curve of the Big Dipper’s handle to the fourth brightest star in the sky. Arcturus belongs to the ancient constellation Bootes (BOW-oh-tees). Look for a pentagon above Arcturus forming the torso of the herdsman.

    Some prefer to see Bootes as a one-scoop ice cream cone. Just to one side lies Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. With bright Gemma ("Jemma") in its center, like a second scoop of ice cream that melted in the heat of summer and fell off the top.

  • CVn - Canes Venatici the Hunting Dogs

    IAU Constellation
    CVn - Canes Venatici the Hunting Dogs

    Size

    38 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Northern

    Intro and Visual description

    Lies under the arc of the Big Dipper’s handle.

  • Com - Coma Berenices the Hair of Berenice

    IAU Constellation
    Com - Coma Berenices the Hair of Berenice

    Size

    42 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Northern

    Intro and Visual description

    To the east of Leo is the constellation Coma Berenices (KOH-ma Bear-uhn-EE-chayz), which pictures the braided hair streaming down from the back of Berenice’s head. Between Leo, Virgo, and Bootes.

  • UMa - Ursa Major the Big Bear

    IAU Constellation
    UMa - Ursa Major the Big Bear

    Size

    3 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Northern

    Intro and Visual description

    Ursa Major or the Big Bear is the third largest of the 88 constellations. Seven stars form a familiar group of stars, or an "asterism" within the constellation. In America they are called the "Big Dipper" or "Drinking Gourd," and in Britain the "Plough" or the "Wain." The Big Dipper is one of the most easily recognizable groups of stars in the sky. It is referred to as circumpolar because it never completely sets below the horizon, but is visible in northern skies year-round.

    The Big Dipper.

    Hubble Deep Field

  • M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy

    Object image

    M51, NASA and European Space Agency

    Object image source

    NASA and European Space Agency
    Permission
    Public domain
  • Urania's Mirror (1825) card: Bootes

    Image

    Urania's Mirror, 1825: Bootes, Coma Berenices

    Bootes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices

  • Urania's Mirror (1825) figure: Canes Venatici

    Image

    Urania's Mirror, 1825: Canes Venatici
  • M3

    Object image

    M3, Adam Block, Mount Lemmon SkyCenter, University of Arizona

    Object image source

    Adam Block, Mount Lemmon SkyCenter, University of Arizona
    Permission
    cc-by-sa
  • M63 - Sunflower Galaxy

    Object image

    M63, NASA, WikiSky

    Object image source

    NASA, WikiSky
    Permission
    Public domain
  • M94

    Object image

    94, Atlas Image courtesy of 2MASS/UMass/IPAC-Caltech/NASA/NSF

    Object image source

    Atlas Image courtesy of 2MASS/UMass/IPAC-Caltech/NASA/NSF
    Permission
    Public domain

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IAU Constellation Main Page

Tau - Taurus the Bull

IAU Constellation
Tau - Taurus the Bull

Size

17 of 88
Astronomical Regions
Zodiac
Northern
Equatorial

Intro and Visual description

Taurus the Bull is easily spotted. Its head is the Hyades, a V-shaped cluster of stars. His horns point outward from the V. Aldebaran is the red eye of the Bull as he charges down upon us.

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Kerry Magruder, Brent Purkaple, and Aja Tolman, editors, "The Sky Tonight: Cultural Archaeology of the Stars" (December 21, 2019 - ongoing), skytonight.org.


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