Since ancient times, the starry sky has attracted the attention of people from all over the world. The endless expanses of the firmament aroused curiosity, admiration and even fear in them.
Ancient astronomers saw the divine principle in the sky, the real abode of the gods. Astronomers-priests studied the sky, combined the stars into constellations, and also invented them not only names, but also legends. The famous 12 signs of the zodiac are located on the visible part of the path of the sun, they are the oldest constellations of all existing today.
Currently, astronomers identify 88 constellations.
History of constellations named after birds
Most of these constellations were formed in the late 15th - early 16th centuries by astronomers Johann Bayer and Petrus Plancius.
The names of the constellations are usually used in accordance with the Russian and international classifications, that is, in two languages. Almost all constellations whose names are associated with birds are located in the Southern Hemisphere.
For thousands of years, astronomers around the world have been directing their telescopes into the mysterious darkness of the sky in search of an answer to the question of the origin of mankind.
Constellations named after birds
The Bird of Paradise (Apus) is an inconspicuous constellation in the Southern Hemisphere, detailed in Bayer's Uranometrics in 1603. Eagle (Aquila) is an equatorial constellation, highlighted in the sky by the ancient astronomers of Mesopotamia. It is remarkable for one of the brightest stars - Altair.
The Dove (Columba) is a small southern constellation proposed by the 16th century Dutch cartographer Petrus Plancius. It was formally included in star charts in 1679. The previous name was Noah's Dove. It is noteworthy that the Dove was next to the now defunct Ship Argo (divided into constellations: Poop, Carina, Sails, Compass).
The constellation Raven (Corvus) is located in the Southern Hemisphere. It was known to ancient observers and was first mentioned in the work of Ptolemy "Almagest". Cygnus (Cygnus) is a constellation of the Northern Hemisphere, located at the site of the bifurcation of the Milky Way. It is remarkable for a very bright star - the handsome Deneb.
Crane (Grus) is an inconspicuous constellation of the Southern sky. It was officially recognized after being included in Bayer's book "Uranometria". Peacock (Pavo) - a new dim constellation of the Southern Hemisphere, invented by Johann Bayer in 1603 and published in the work of his life "Uranometria".
Phoenix is a constellation visible in the southern latitudes. The full description first appears in Bayer's Uranometrics in 1603. Unlike the beautiful name, the constellation itself is inconspicuous. Tucana is a constellation in the Southern latitudes, located next to the Small Magellanic Cloud.
