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Ursa Major -

One of the most prominent and recognizable constellations in the night sky, Ursa Major sits over a large portion of the Northern Hemisphere. The great bear was once the beautiful nymph Callisto, who was turned into a bear by Hera, the wife of Zeus, after their affair was uncovered. Ursa Major is the third largest constellation in the sky, and contains no less than six galaxies.

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Andromeda -

The massive constellation of Andromeda sits in the Northern Hemisphere. In Greek mythology, Andromeda was set for sacrifice and chained to a rock by her father, Cepheus, in order to avoid an attack by the sea god Poseidon. Perseus saw Andromeda in peril, and swooped down on the winged horse Pegasus to save her. The Andromeda, Perseus, and Pegasus constellations are all grouped together in the sky.

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Pegasus -

Pegasus, the legendary winged horse of Greek mythology, rests in the Northern Hemisphere alongside Perseus and Andromeda. Pegasus, allegedly the child of Poseidon and Medusa, helped Perseus rescue Andromeda from certain death.

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Delphinus -

In Greek mythology, the sea god Poseidon once sent a dolphin messenger out to Amphitrite, a nymph whom Poseidon wished to marry. When the dolphin came back with news of Amphitrite's acceptance, Poseidon showed his gratitude by giving the dolphin an eternal home in the sky, represented by the small northern constellation of Delphinus.

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Hercules -

One of the most famous warriors from Greek mythology, Hercules (or Heracles), is immortalized in the Northern Hemisphere. After a fit of insanity that caused the demigod to murder his mortal family, he was forced to complete his famed Twelve Labors, many of which involved slaying mighty monsters. Four of these monsters are also immortalized in the skies alongside their assailant.

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Hydra -

The great water serpent Hydra is represented by the largest and longest constellation in the entire night sky, and stretches across both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. Hydra was one of the monsters Hercules was tasked with killing during his Twelve Labors.

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Cancer -

One of the zodiac constellations, inhabiting the Northern Hemisphere, Cancer honors a brave crab in the story of Hercules and Hydra. As Hercules was in battle with the water monster Hydra, a crab tried to help Hydra by biting Hercules in the foot. Hercules, the great warrior that he was, slayed both Hydra and the crab, but the crab nonetheless earned its place in the celestial storybooks.

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Draco -

High up in the Northern Hemisphere lies Draco, a constellation that represents the dragon known as Ladon in Greek mythology. Before Ladon was slain by Hercules, he protected Hera's golden apples, which were said to grant immortality.

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Orion -

One of the most famous figures in the sky, Orion is easily recognized by his belt, made up of the three bright stars Alnilam, Mintaka, and Alnitak. Orion is accompanied in the night sky by his trusty hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor.

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Canis Major -

Canis Major and its smaller counterpart Canis Minor are the loyal hunting dogs of the great hunter Orion, and accompany him in the Southern Hemisphere. Canis Major is also home to Sirius, the single brightest star in the entire sky, which rests prominently on Canis Major's neck, like a medallion on a collar.

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Scorpius -

Scorpius is the eighth constellation in the zodiac, and rests in the Southern Hemisphere. According to some stories, a bite from Scorpius was what caused the great hunter Orion to perish. In order to avoid any further conflict between the two enemies, the Greeks placed Scorpius and Orion at opposite ends of the sky.

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Columba -

Columba, the celestial dove of the Southern Hemisphere, is thought to represent one of two legendary birds, depending on your persuasion. In the Greek canon, Columba honors the great avian navigator sent out by the Argonaut sailors to help them traverse the Black Sea. Alternatively, Columba can represent the dove sent out by Noah during the Great Flood that came back with an olive branch, signifying the emergence of land from the waters.

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Ara -

Ara is a small, dim constellation in the Southern Hemisphere and represents the altar of the great centaur Chiron, who was thought to be the wisest creature on Earth in Greek mythology. Ara is significant for containing the Stingray Nebula, the youngest-known nebula in space, which has given astronomers invaluable insight into the early evolution of star clusters.

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Centaurus -

Located in the Southern Hemisphere, the massive constellation of Centaurus contains the largest number of stars visible to the naked eye, including the famous Alpha Centauri, the third brightest star in the sky. Centaurus is said to represent the wise centaur Chiron, and is placed next to his altar, the constellation Ara.

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Leo -

The fifth constellation in the zodiac, the great lion Leo occupies the sky of the Northern Hemisphere. Leo represents the fierce lion strangled by Hercules in the myth of the hero's 12 labors in Greek mythology. This cluster of stars is where the Leonid meteor shower occurs every year during November.

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Cygnus -

Another resident of the Northern Hemisphere is the constellation Cygnus, the swan. Many myths are associated with Cygnus. It is possible that it represents a manifestation of Zeus himself, who turned himself into a swan in order to seduce Princess Leda.

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Gemini -

The third sign in the zodiac cycle, Gemini resides in the skies of the Northern Hemisphere. Gemini actually represents two individuals: the maternal half-brothers Pollux and Castor. Pollux's father was Zeus, making him immortal, and he was devastated by the mortal loss of his brother. Zeus took pity on the brothers, and allowed them to stay together for eternity in the stars.

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Lyra -

Lyra represents the lyre, a small harp-like instrument created by Hermes and gifted to the legendary tragic hero Orpheus, famous for his ill-fated journey to the underworld and also for being the most mesmerizing musician in ancient Greece, able to charm and seduce any mortal human or animal.

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Taurus -

The second sign in the zodiac, Taurus represents Zeus on another one of his escapades of seduction. In a quest for the heart of Phoenician princess Europa, Zeus transformed himself into a beautiful white bull and won the princess over with his kindness and gentleness.

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Corona Australis -

Corona Australis, or the Southern Crown, is a faint constellation in the Southern Hemisphere, located near Sagittarius. It is thought by some historians and astronomers to symbolize Sagittarius' crown.

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Eridanus -

Eridanus is the second longest constellation in the sky, and stretches far across the Southern Hemisphere. The river of Eridanus features in one of the earliest Greek myths, in which Phaethon, son of the Sun god Helios, lost control of the chariot that carried the Sun around the world and fell into the celestial river after Zeus stopped the chariot with a thunderbolt.

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Ophiuchus -

Ophiuchus is a large equatorial constellation. It is the only star that rests on the ecliptic path that the Sun follows annually that isn't included in the celestial zodiac. Ophiuchus lies between Scorpio and Sagittarius. In mythology, the constellation represents Asclepius, the god of medicine.

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Pisces -

The northern constellation of Pisces is the last constellation in the zodiac, and is represented by two fish swimming through the sky in opposite directions. These two fish, according to myth, were once Aphrodite and Eros, who transformed into fish in order to escape the wrath of the monster Typhon.

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Crux -

While Crux is the smallest constellation in the sky and not one of the original 48 constellations mapped by ancient civilizations, it is one of the most significant in the Southern Hemisphere. It appears on many national flags, most likely in part for its religious symbolism, and also probably due to its importance for sailors looking to locate the South Pole.

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Virgo -

Virgo is the second largest constellation in the sky, only slightly smaller than Hydra, and can be observed from most parts of the world during May. Virgo's English name is simply The Maiden, and may represent any number of women from Greek mythology.

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Carina -

Carina, the keel constellation, is one quarter of what used to be by far the largest constellation in the sky, Argo Navis, before it was broken into four parts in 1930. Argo Navis represented the ship of the Argonauts, while Carina represents only the bottom of the boat.

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Sagittarius -

The ninth constellation in the zodiac, Sagittarius lies in the Southern Hemisphere. Its represents a number of characters from Greek mythology, depending on the story. Some say it represents Crotus, the son of Pan, who was an excellent hunter and musician like this father.

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Monoceros -

Monoceros, the unicorn constellation, is one of the equatorial constellations. While no mythology is associated with Monoceros, it is home to a number of significant celestial objects, including Plaskett's star, one of the biggest binary stars ever discovered, with a mass of more than 100 times that of our Sun.

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Camelopardalis -

Camelopardalis is one of the largest constellations in the Northern Hemisphere, and is most easily visible during February. Camelopardalis is a relatively recent constellation, not added to the canon until the 17th century.

Sources: (The Constellation Directory) (StarChild) (Constellation Guide)

See also: Probing deep space: Journeys into darkness

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