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Crt - Crater the Cup

  • Crt - Crater the Cup

    IAU Constellation
    Crt - Crater the Cup

    Size

    53 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern

    Intro and Visual description

    Dim stars on the back of Hydra; shape of a cup.

  • 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.

  • Leo - Leo the Lion

    IAU Constellation
    Leo - Leo the Lion

    Size

    12 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Zodiac
    Northern
    Equatorial

    Intro and Visual description

    East of the Gemini twins lies Leo the Lion.

    Find the bowl of the Big Dipper. A line running through the two stars of the bowl of the Big Dipper on the side nearest the handle points almost directly to two other notable stars. Follow them below the bowl of the Dipper to Regulus.

    Leo’s mane looks like a backward question mark, or sickle. Regulus, the "dot" at the bottom of the mark, lies nearly on the ecliptic.

    His flank is a triangle of stars farther east.

  • Sex - Sextans the Sextant

    IAU Constellation
    Sex - Sextans the Sextant

    Size

    47 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
    Equatorial
    Northern

    Intro and Visual description

    A small, dim constellation lying between Leo and Hydra.

  • Vir - Virgo the Maiden

    IAU Constellation
    Vir - Virgo the Maiden

    Size

    2 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Zodiac
    Southern
    Northern
    Equatorial

    Intro and Visual description

    Continue past Arcturus on the curve from the Dipper’s handle ("Arc to Arcturus, then speed on to Spica"). To "Speed on to Spica," go the same distance as it took to reach Arcturus. If it’s not below the horizon, Spica is the brightest star of the constellation Virgo the Maiden. Although Virgo is the second largest constellation in the sky, the rest of its stars are faint. Yet don’t be surprised if you often see a bright visiting planet nearby.

  • Urania's Mirror (1825) card: Hydra

    Image

    UM-1825-Hydra

    Urania's Mirror (1825) card: Hydra, Crater, Corvus, Sextans, Noctua, Felis, Antla Pneumatica.

  • Urania's Mirror (1825) figure: Crater

    Image

    Urania's Mirror, 1825, Crater

    Urania's Mirror (1825) figure: Crater

  • Hyginus (1485) figure: Hydra

    Image

    Hyginus-1485-Hydra-Corvus-Crater

    With tree.

  • Hyginus (1485) figure: Crater

    Image

    Hyginus-1485-Hydra-Crater
  • Hyginus (1485) figure: Ramus Pomifer in Hydra

    Image

    Hyginus-1485-Hydra-Tree

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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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