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Mon - Monoceros the Unicorn

  • CMa - Canis Major the Big Dog

    IAU Constellation
    CMa - Canis Major the Big Dog

    Size

    43 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern

    Intro and Visual description

    South of Orion in the Winter Hexagon, near the horizon.

  • CMi - Canis Minor the Little Dog

    IAU Constellation
    CMi - Canis Minor the Little Dog

    Size

    71 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Northern
    Equatorial

    Intro and Visual description

    Procyon, the brightest star of Canis Minor, serves as the vertex of the Winter Hexagon lying between Gemini and Sirius.

  • Gem - Gemini the Twins

    IAU Constellation
    Gem - Gemini the Twins

    Size

    30 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Zodiac
    Northern

    Intro and Visual description

    Look for the two bright stars, Castor and Pollux, which form one vertex of the Winter Hexagon. Castor is closer to Capella, in Auriga on the north; and Pollus is closer to Procyon, in Canis Minor on the south. Cancer and Leo lie to the east.

    The Geminids meteor shower occurs around October 19.

  • Hya - Hydra the Water Snake

    IAU Constellation
    Hya - Hydra the Water Snake

    Size

    1 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
    Equatorial

    Intro and Visual description

    Hydra the Water Snake is the largest and longest of the constellations, stretching from Cancer to Libra. Several constellations and asterisms ride on its back; from head to tail they are Sextans the Sextant, Crater the Cup, Corvus the Crow, and Noctua the Owl.

  • Lep - Lepus the Hare

    IAU Constellation
    Lep - Lepus the Hare

    Size

    51 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
  • Mon - Monoceros the Unicorn

    IAU Constellation
    Mon - Monoceros the Unicorn

    Size

    35 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Equatorial
    Southern
    Northern

    Intro and Visual description

    The Unicorn is running up behind Orion, who has not heard it coming (a sign of its magical nature).

  • Ori - Orion the Hunter

    IAU Constellation
    Ori - Orion the Hunter

    Size

    26 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Equatorial
    Northern
    Southern

    Intro and Visual description

    Three stars in a row make up Orion’s belt, within a rectangle of four bright stars representing his shoulders and feet. At sunset in the autumn, Orion’s belt appears to rise straight up on the horizon. The sword hanging from his belt includes M42, the beautiful Orion nebula.

    Since Orion’s belt of three bright stars lies upon the celestial equator, Orion is visible from every inhabited part of the globe.

  • Pup - Puppis the Stern of Argo Navis

    IAU Constellation
    Pup - Puppis the Stern of Argo Navis

    Size

    20 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
  • Urania's Mirror (1825) card: Monoceros

    Image

    UM-1825-Monoceros

    Urania's Mirror (1825) card: Monoceros, Canis Minor, Printing Press

  • M50

    Object image

    M50, Ole Nielsen (cc-by-sa)

    Object image source

    Ole Nielsen
    Permission
    cc-by-sa

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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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