Constelation History by Forest Ostrander (good summer reads txt) 📖

Constelation names and prenounciations

Nominative/Genitive/Abbr./Pronunciation/Translation
Andromeda/Andromedae/And/an-DRAM-mih-duh/Chained Maiden

Antlia/Antliae/Ant/ANT-lee-uh/Air Pump

Apus/Apodis/Aps/APE-us/Bird of Paradise

Aquariu(z)/Aquarii/Aqr/uh-QWAIR-ee-us/Water Bearer

Aquila/Aquilae/Aql/ACK-will-uh/Eagle

Ara/Arae/Ara/AIR-uh/Altar

Aries(z)/Arietis/Ari/AIR-ease/Ram

Auriga/Aurigae/Aur/aw-RYE-guh/Charioteer

Bootes/Bootis/Boo/bo-OH-teez/Herdsman

Caelum/Caeli/Cae/SEE-lum/Engraving Tool

Camelopardalis/Camelopardalis/Cam/cuh-MEL-oh-PAR-duh-liss/Giraffe

Cancer(z)/Cancri/Cnc/CAN-ser/Crab

Canes Venatici/Canum Venaticorum/CVn/CAN-eez ve-NAT-iss-eye/Hunting Dogs

Canis Major/Canis Majoris/CMa/CAN-iss MAY-jer/Great Dog

Canis Minor/Canis Minoris/CMi/CAN-iss MY-ner/Lesser Dog

Capricornus (z)/Capricorni/Cap/CAP-rih-CORN-us/Sea Goat

Carina**/Carinae/Car/cuh-RYE-nuh/Keel

Cassiopeia/Cassiopeiae/Cas/CASS-ee-uh-PEE-uh/Seated Queen

Centaurus/Centauri/Cen/sen-TOR-us/Centaur

Cepheus/Cephei/Cep/SEE-fee-us/King

Cetus/Ceti/Cet/SEE-tus/Sea Monster

Chamaeleon/Charmaeleontis/Cha/cuh-MEAL-yun/Chameleon

Circinus/Circini/Cir/SUR-sin-us/Compass

Columba/Columbae/Col/cuh-LUM-buh/Dove

Coma Berenices/Comae Berenices/Com/COE-muh BER-uh-NICE-eez/Bernice's Hair

Corona Australis/Coronae Australis/CrA/cuh-ROE-nuh aw-STRAL-iss/Southern Crown

Corona Borealis/Coronae Borealis/CrB/cuh-ROE-nyh bor-ee AL-iss/Northern Crown

Corvus/Corvi/Crv/COR-vus/Crow

Crater/Crateris/Crt/CRAY-ter/Cup

Crux/Crucis/Cru/CRUCKS/Southern Cross

Cygnus/Cygni/Cyg/SIG-nus/Swa

Delphinus/Delphini/Del/del-FIN-us/Dolphin

Dorado/Doradus/Dor/duh-RAH-do/Dolphinfish

Draco/Draconis/Dra/DRAY-co/Dragon

Equuleus/Equulei/Equ/eh-QUOO-lee-us/Little Horse

Eridanus/Eridani/Eri/ih-RID-un-us/River

Fornax/Fornacis/For/FOR-naks/Furnace

Gemini (z)/Geminorum/Gem/JEM-uh-nye/Twins

Grus/Gruis/Gru/GROOS/Crane

Hercules/Herculis/Her/HER-kyuh-leez/Hercules

Horologium/Horologii/Hor/hor-uh-LOE-jee-um/Clock

Hydra/Hydrae/Hya/HIGH-druh/Female Water Snake

Hydrus/Hydi/Hyi/HIGH-drus/Male Water Snake

Indus/Indi/Ind/IN-dus/Indian

Lacerta/Lacertae/Lac/luh-SER-tuh/Lizard

Leo(z)/Leonis/Leo/LEE-oh/Lion

Leo Minor/Leonis Minoris/LMi/LEE-oh MY-ner/Lesser Lion

Lepus/Leporis/Lep/LEP-us/Hare

Libra(z)/Librae/Lib/LYE-bruh/Scales

Lupus/Lupi/Lup/LOOP-us/Wolf

Lynx/Lyncis/Lyn/LINKS/Lynx

Lyra/Lyrae/Lyr/LYE-ruh/Lyre

Mensa/Mensae/Men/MEN-suh/Table Mountain

Microscopium/Microsopii/Mic/MY-cruh-SCOPE-ee-um/Microscope

Monoceros/Monocerotis/Mon/muh-NAH-ser-us/Unicorn

Musca/Muscae/Mus/MUSS-cuh/Fly

Norma/Normae/Nor/NOR-muh/Carpenter's Square

Octans/Octantis/Oct/OCK-tanz/Octant

Ophiuchus/Ophiuchi/Oph/OFF-ee-YOO-kus/Serpent Bearer

Orion/Orionis/Ori/oh-RYE-un/Hunter

Pavo/Pavonis/Pav/PAY-vo/Peacock

Pegasus/Pegasi/Peg/PEG-us-us/Winged Horse

Perseus/Persei/Per/PER-see-us/Hero

Phoenix/Phoenicis/Phe/FEE-nix/Phoenix

Pictor/Pictoris/Pic/PICK-ter/Painter's Easel

Pisces(z)/Piscium/Pse/PICE-eez/Fishes

Piscis Austrinus/Piscis Austrini/PsA/PICE-iss as-STRY-nus/Southern Fish

Puppis**/Puppis/Pup/PUP-is/Stern

Pyxis**/Pyxidis/Pyx/PIX-iss/Compass

Reticulum/Reticulii/Ret/rih-TICK-yuh-lum/Reticle

Sagitta/Sagittae/Sge/suh-JIT-uh/Arrow

Sagittarius(z)/Sagittarii/Sgr/SAJ-ih-TARE-ee-us/Archer

Scorpius(z)/Scorpii/Sco/SCOR-pee-us/Scorpion

Sculptor/Sculptoris/Scl/SCULP-ter/Sculptor

Scutum/Scuti/Sct/SCOOT-um/Shield

Serpens*/Serpentis/Ser/SER-punz/Serpent

Sextans/Sextantis/Sex/SEX-tunz/Sextant

Taurus(z)/Tauri/Tau/TOR-us/Bull

Telescopium/Telescopii/Tel/tel-ih-SCOPE-ee-um/Telescope

Triangulum/Trianguli/Tri/try-ANG-gyuh-lum/Triangle

Triangulum Australe/Trianguli Australis/TrA/try-ANG-gyuh-lum aw-STRAL-ee/Southern Triangle

Tucana/Tucanae/Tuc/too-KAY-nuh/Toucan

Ursa Major/Ursae Majoris/UMa/ER-suh MAY-jur/Great Bear

Ursa Minor/Ursae Minoris/UMi/ER-suh MY-ner/Lesser Bear

Vela**/Velorum/Vel/VEE-luh/Sails

Virgo(z)/Virginis/Vir/VER-go/Maiden

Volans/Vplantis/Vol/VOH-lanz/Flying Fish

Vulpecula/Vulpeculae/Vul/vul-PECK-yuh-luh/Fox

(z) Constellations of the Zodiac.
* Serpens is divided into Serpens Caput (head) and Serpens Cauda (tail).
** Carina, Puppis, Pyxis and Vela may be called Argo on older maps.

Andromeda-The Chained Lady

Cassiopeia, Andromeda’s mother,
boasted that she was the most
beautiful woman in the world, even
more beautiful than the gods. Poseidon,
the brother of Zeus and the god of the
seas, took great offense at this
statement, for he had created the
most beautiful beings ever in the form
of his sea nymphs. In his anger, he
created a great sea monster, Cetus
(pictured as a whale) to ravage the seas
and sea coast.
Since Cassiopeia would not recant
her claim of beauty, it was decreed that she must sacrifice her only daughter,
the beautiful Andromeda, to this sea monster. So Andromeda was chained to a
large rock projecting out into the sea and was left there to await the arrival of
the great sea monster Cetus. As Cetus approached Andromeda, Perseus arrived
(some say on the winged sandals given to him by Hermes). He had just killed the
gorgon Medusa and was carrying her severed head in a special bag. When
Perseus saw the beautiful maiden in distress, like a true champion he went to
her aid. Facing the terrible sea monster, he drew the head of Medusa from the
bag and held it so that the sea monster would see it. Immediately, the sea
monster turned to stone. Perseus then freed the beautiful Andromeda and,
claiming her as his bride, took her home with him as his queen to rule.

Aquarius-The Water Bearer

The name most often
associated with the constellation
Aquarius is that of Ganymede,
son of Tros, King of Troy.
Ganymede was an extremely
handsome young man, the most
handsome the gods and
goddesses had ever seen.

While attending to his
father’s flocks on Mount Ida,
Ganymede caught the attention of Zeus. Zeus sent his messenger eagle, Aquila,
down to earth with instructions to bring Ganymede back up to Mount Olympus.

On Mount Olympus, Ganymede served the gods by bringing them water
whenever they needed it. He also served as cup bearer to Zeus. He was
honored for his service by Zeus, who placed a constellation called Aquarius,
which means water carrier, among the stars.

Aquila – The Eagle

In Greek mythology, the
eagle was associated with Zeus
(Jupiter), either as a servant
who carried Zeus’ messages down
to humans on Earth or as a
disguise taken by Zeus in order
to avoid his wife Hera when he
was up to some mischief.

One story of Aquila’s
service to Zeus was that of Ganymede, who was a very gentle, kind shepherd
and the most handsome mortal the gods and goddesses had ever seen. One day,
the great eagle Aquila swooped down from the sky and, landing near the
startled Ganymede, told him that Zeus had sent him to carry Ganymede to
Mount Olympus. And so, climbing up on the eagle’s broad back, Ganymede was
taken up to Mount Olympus where he served the gods by bringing them water.

Aries – The Ram

Athamas, the legendary king
of Thessaly, had two children,
Phrixus and Helle. He had
remarried and Ino, the children’s
stepmother, began to treat them
very badly. They were treated so
cruelly that Hermes took pity on
them and sent a magical ram to take
them away and escape their
stepmother’s wrath.

Mounted on the ram’s back, the children flew over land and sea to the
east. Unfortunately, Helle failed to get a good hold on the fleece of the ram
and as they flew over the strait that separates Europe and Asia, she fell off
and was drowned in the sea far below. That sea is called Hellespont to this day
in honor of her memory.
Phrixus landed safely at

Phrixus landed safely at Colches, which is on the edge of the Black Sea.
In gratitude for his safe deliverance, Phrixus sacrificed the ram and gave its
Golden Fleece to the king of that country.

In honor of the ram’s great sacrifice in saving the children, Zeus placed
the ram’s constellation, Aries, in the night sky.

Auriga – The Charioteer

The constellation
Auriga is mentioned in two
ancient stories. The first,
relating to a charioteer, is
that of Auriga, the crippled
son of Vulcan and Minerva,
who invented a four-horse
chariot in order to get
himself around. This became
such an important invention that Zeus placed the first chariot into the skies
with the other constellations.

The second story, which is the older of the two, referred to Auriga as a
gentle shepherd who, after finding one of his pregnant goats missing, went out
into the hills and searched until he found her stranded on a rocky ledge with
her two new kids. Placing her across his shoulders and carrying the two kids in
his left arm, he returned to the rest of the herd. Some stories relate how the
two kids commemorate the two daughters of the king of Crete who fed and
cared for the infant Zeus.

Bootes – The Bear Driver

According to the Greeks, Bootes
was pictured as a