What constellations can be seen in Crimea. Excursion to the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. Underwater museums and wrecks

Most scientists believe that the Sumerians’ identification of the constellation Taurus as the first constellation in the zodiac series testifies to the antiquity of the Zodiac. The ancients (including the Sumerians) considered the spring equinox to be the beginning of the year, and the 30-degree celestial segment in which the Sun was located at that moment was the first in a series of zodiac signs. During the heyday of the Sumerian civilization and the emergence of astrology (IV-V millennium BC), the point of the vernal equinox was in Taurus, which served as the basis for identifying this zodiac sign as the reference point in the annual movement of the Sun along the ecliptic. The summer solstice at this time occurred under the sign of Leo, which was endowed with bright solar qualities due to highest position sun throughout the year in this zodiac sign. A researcher of Sumerian culture, Hartner drew attention to the motif of a bull fighting a lion, often repeated since ancient times in Sumerian drawings, and hypothesized that it is a reflection of the relative position of the constellations Taurus and Leo, marked by the spring equinox and summer solstice in 4000 BC.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu fight lions and bulls.

But the point of the vernal equinox does not have a stationary position on the ecliptic; it slowly shifts in the direction opposite to the daily rotation of the celestial sphere. In addition to the rotation of the Earth around its own axis, our planet, under the influence of the joint influence of the Sun and the Moon, performs oscillatory precessional and nutational movements, similar to the movements of a top, the axis of rotation of which is tilted relative to the horizontal plane. Due to the precession of the earth's axis, the equinox and solstices moved year after year in the direction opposite to the direction of the earth's rotation at a rate of fifty seconds per year, or 1 degree of celestial arc in 72 years, that is, one complete zodiac sign in 2160 years."

1 The phenomenon of precession is the result of the vibration of the earth's axis, which connects the poles of the earth and describes in the sky big circle. The time it takes the earth's axis to complete a full circle of 360 degrees is 25,920 years. So many years must pass before the North Pole again points to the same Polar Star.

In 2003, the point of the vernal equinox moved to the sign of Aquarius, and therefore, along with it, the beginning of the zodiac circle should move to the sign of Aquarius. But nevertheless, this did not happen - the “Sumerian” order of astrological signs and the system of abodes and exaltations of the planets remained unshakable. The Sun still has its abode in the sign of Leo, although the summer solstice now falls not in the sign of Leo, but in the 30th degree of Taurus. The Moon, which influences plant growth, still has its exaltation in Taurus, although during the spring flowering period these days the Sun moves not through the constellation Taurus, but through the constellation Pisces.

projection onto the constellations of rotation of the precessional axis

Time passes, the equinoxes move along the ecliptic, the zodiac signs no longer coincide with the zodiac constellations to which they were once “attached,” but astrological patterns, nevertheless, still remain very relevant. People born under the sign of Leo still stand out from those around them with their brightness and regal manners, typical Pisces still prefer the illusory world of fantasies and dreams to objective reality, and Taurus still tries to create a solid material foundation for the realization of their very specific goals. What is the secret of such a strange discrepancy between the immutable astrological system of signs, houses, abodes, etc. real movement of the precession point from sign to sign? After all, astrological patterns objectively manifest themselves regardless of whether we know about them or not. How can this happen if the zodiac constellations corresponding to the astrological signs have long since moved away from their original places?

There can only be one answer - in astrology are primary not at all constellations crossed by planets in their movement along the ecliptic, but luminaries- The Sun, dividing the year into four seasons by the equinoxes and solstices, and the Moon, dividing the year into 12 months. The zodiac signs, reflecting the division of the solar year into 12 lunar months, exactly corresponded to the zodiacal constellations only in the times of Ancient Sumer. The Sumerians used the celestial sphere only as a scale for marking the year into 4 seasons of 3 months each. Those stars that fell into the 30-degree segments of the celestial arc marked by the Moon and the Sun were united into zodiacal constellations. For groups of stars coinciding with sunrises during 12 different months, ancient astronomers assigned astrological names: Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo and that which have remained with them to this day.

As a result, confusion arose: from the beginning of astrology to the present, the zodiacal constellations have shifted along the ecliptic by almost 90 degrees, the vernal equinox point has moved to the sign of Aquarius, while the beginning of the Zodiac corresponds to the picture of the 1st century BC, when the vernal equinox point was in sign of Aries. With all this, the system of rulers of the zodiac signs remained the same as in the times of Ancient Sumer, when the point of the vernal equinox, the beginning of the year and the zodiac circle fell on the sign of Taurus. Such a discrepancy between astrological constructions and the real movement of the heavens was the result of a number of errors, each of which was due to objective historical circumstances.

In the era of Pisces - the era of Christianity, astrology, condemned by the church, was in a “frozen” state, which led to the fact that the vernal equinox along with the zodiacal constellations moved forward, and the sequence of astrological signs with the beginning of the zodiac circle in Aries still corresponded to the level of development of astrology Hellenistic times. However, it appears that the initial mistake was made much earlier.

Most likely, the Akkadians misunderstood the essence of the zodiac astrology of the Sumerians. The inhabitants of Akkad, having conquered the more advanced Sumerians in the 22nd century BC, adopted the writing, mathematics and astrological science of the Sumerians, but, unfortunately, took it literally. They correlated astrological signs with the zodiacal constellations, which, in principle, could not be done, since the signs should be strictly linked to the solstices and equinoxes, and not at all to the areas of the celestial sphere along which the Sun moves throughout the year. Astrological signs and zodiacal constellations could be identified only if the celestial sphere were unshakable and did not undergo precessional movement.

Even the Sumerians knew about the phenomenon of precession (the anticipation of the equinoxes), but during the heyday of their civilization, the zodiacal constellations exactly corresponded to the zodiacal signs. The successors of the Sumerians - the Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Persians and Hellenes - developed astrological science, supplementing basic Sumerian astronomy with new discoveries. One of these “innovations” was Hipparchus’s discovery of the phenomenon of precession, which was known to the Sumerians 3,000 years earlier. By the time of Hipparchus, much ancient knowledge had been lost, including knowledge of such a phenomenon as the anticipation of the equinoxes. But during the times of Assyria and Babylon, astrologers carried out a correction of the zodiac circle, moving the beginning of the Zodiac from the sign of Taurus to the sign of Aries. The astrologers could only be prompted to such a reform by the fact of the transition of the vernal equinox point from the zodiac sign of Taurus to the sign of Aries, and therefore, they knew about the precessional movement planets.

The Sumerians' deep knowledge of the movement of the Earth and the stars is confirmed by many modern researchers. “Professor Langdon’s research has shown that the Nippur calendar, compiled approximately 4400 BC, that is, in the era of Taurus, speaks of awareness of the phenomenon of precession in general and of the displacement of the zodiacal houses in particular, which took place 2160 years earlier than the indicated time. Professor Jeremias, who correlated the Mesopotamian texts on astronomy with similar Hittite texts, was of the opinion that the ancient clay tablets contained information about the transition from the constellation Taurus to the constellation Aries, and also came to the conclusion that Mesopotamian astronomers predicted and expected the movement of the Sun from the house of Aries to the house of Pisces” Sitchin Z. 12th planet. M, 2002".

Apparently, the Sumerians knew about the phenomenon of precession long before the second discovery of this phenomenon by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus. However, they, who created a surprisingly harmonious system of the zodiac hierarchy, knew that precession influences events of an epochal nature, while for human life the solar cycle of 12 zodiac signs, divided into 4 groups by the points of solstices and equinoxes, dividing the year by 4, is much more important seasons of 3 months each. Each zodiac sign is associated with one or another lunar month, successively replacing each other 12 times throughout the year. Even the mythological images of the zodiac signs are associated with the calendar cycles of sowing, plowing, harvesting, the rainy season, and so on. If the zodiacal circle shifted along the ecliptic adequately to precession, then now we would have to recognize the zodiac sign of Aquarius as the first sign, and the entire system of planetary abodes would have to shift along the ecliptic by 90 degrees. In this case, from February 2003, the sign of the abode of the Sun should be considered Taurus, the sign of the abode of the Moon - Aries, and so on to the point of complete absurdity. Of course, this should not happen, since the entire system of astrological patterns becomes conventional and loses all meaning.

The zodiac is adapted for the geocentric system, for people living on Earth, and therefore more acutely aware of the changing phases of the Moon and seasons of the year than the transition of the vernal equinox from one zodiac sign to another due to the phenomenon of precession of the earth's axis. Therefore, let us establish once and for all the most important astrological position: the Zodiac and the constellations along which the Sun moves throughout the year are not the same thing. Constellations shift along the ecliptic at a speed of 1 degree of the celestial arc in 72 earthly years. The Zodiac is unshakable, because it embodies the cosmic law of proportionality between the annual solar and monthly lunar cycles.

The influence of the Sun and Moon dominates all other cosmic influences, and this was perfectly understood by the ancient astronomers who created the universal system of the zodiacal hierarchy. The zodiac circle is based on 4 pivot points of the solar and lunar path along the celestial sphere. These points and their corresponding zodiac signs symbolize the 4 hypostases of the sun and the 4 hypostases of the moon. The sun in the monastery symbolizes the greatness of the Sun at the time of the summer solstice, the winter solstice shows the qualities of the expelled Sun, the lack of its life-giving energy in the winter months. The spring and autumn equinoxes correspond to the exaltation and fall of the Sun, reborn in the spring and “dying” in the fall. The four zodiac signs in which the Moon exhibits special qualities correspond to the four phases of the Moon during the month. The expulsion of the Moon is nothing more than the new moon, the abode of the Moon - the manifestation of the maximum lunar qualities at the moment of the full moon, the exaltation and fall of the night luminary correspond to the growing and aging Moon, mythologically associated with the images of Selene and Lilith.

The signs of the selected position of the Sun and Moon form an unshakable framework of the zodiacal circle, on which the entire edifice of planetary abodes, exiles, exaltations and falls is built. Zodiac signs under the patronage of the Sun and Moon have only one ruler, which sets them apart from other signs, each of which is ruled by two planets.

The Sun and Moon form a pair of luminaries, symbolizing the cosmic harmony of the masculine and feminine principles. That is why the signs of the monastery, exile, fall and exaltation of the Sun are in immediate proximity to the signs of the monastery, exile, fall and exaltation of the Moon. A lion symbolizing the power of the Sun at the moment
solstice, adjacent to the sign of Cancer, which embodies the qualities of the full moon. Capricorn, in which the exiled Moon exhibits the qualities of the new moon, is adjacent to Aquarius, in which the Sun is in exile at the time of the winter solstice. The founders of the zodiac circle adhered to this logic 6000 years ago.

Over time, such astrological views have not become less relevant. The Sun and Moon have a much greater influence on the Earth's biosphere than other planets, and even more so distant stars, which makes clear the priority of the Sun and Moon in the astrological system compared to all other celestial bodies. The Moon's diameter is 400 times smaller than the Sun's, but the fact that it is 400 times closer to the Earth than the Sun makes its apparent angular diameter almost equal to the Sun's diameter, making total solar eclipses possible. The equivalence of the visible angular diameters of the day and night luminaries served as the reason for ancient astrologers to give the Sun and Moon equal status in the zodiacal circle.

The zodiac circle is a sequence of signs expressing the idea of ​​evolution and formation of the cosmos. The belonging of zodiac signs to one or another element is due to a strict pattern, which involves dividing the zodiac circle not only into elements, but also into zones, quadrants, hemispheres and crosses. The twelve-part Zodiac can be divided into several prime numbers, as a result of which zodiac crosses, zones, elements, etc. arise. The prime numbers into which 12 is divisible without a remainder are 2, 3, 4 and 6, but since these numbers have different occult and mystical meanings, the division of the zodiac circle into 2 hemispheres, 3 zones, 4 quadrants, 4 crosses and 6 dyads, allows you to look at the “circle of life” (zodiacos) from different angles.

The refraction of the zodiac circle into 2 equal parts (northern and southern hemispheres) is the primary of the possible divisions of the Zodiac, since it expresses the original duality - the equal size of day and night during the day and the equal size of the warm and cold seasons. Two is the number of primary duality, the presence of opposites, and therefore any even number (divisible equally without a remainder) is dual, ambivalent by definition. Each even number, and therefore the 12-digit zodiac circle, contains two necessary opposites: male and female, light and dark, obvious and secret sides. The annual circle of 12 months is divided by the spring and autumn equinox into two halves - warm and cold, which is due to the tilt of the earth's axis relative to the ecliptic. A decrease in the tilt of the planet's axis would lead to a noticeable reduction in seasonal climate changes and the elimination of climatic differences between the Southern and Northern hemispheres of the Earth. An increase in the angle of inclination of the planet relative to the ecliptic plane, on the contrary, would lead to a pronounced temperature and climatic contrast between the hemispheres of the planet. An example of this is Uranus, which moves in orbit almost lying on its side, resulting in eternal day in the hemisphere facing the Sun, while eternal cold and darkness reigns beyond the equator of the planet.

Earthlings are spared such a pronounced polarity climatic conditions, but nevertheless, in terrestrial conditions, the contrast between the cold and warm seasons is felt the more acutely, the closer the observer is to the pole of the planet. Beyond the Arctic Circle, time flows according to different laws, and the daily rhythm of day and night takes on the scale of the annual rhythm of changing seasons. The polar night, which lasts six months, replaces the equally long polar day. In the Arctic, the struggle between light and darkness, day and night, summer and winter, life and death becomes the main idea of ​​nature. The life of people living in the polar regions is completely subordinated to the natural rhythm of the dark and light seasons, which could not but affect the psychology, mythology and religious views of the northern peoples. According to the Iranian Avesta and Indian Rig Veda, ancient monuments writings of the Indo-Europeans, the ancestors of the Aryans came from the distant North, from where they brought the doctrine of the struggle between light and darkness, as well as the cult of the Sun - the giver of life, light and warmth. Lunar cults are the product of the southern peoples, for whom the coolness of the night and the soft light of the Moon seemed more valuable than the sizzling heat of the southern sun. The difference in climatic conditions of residence of individual ethnic groups led to the formation of different psychotypes, national cultures, mythological and religious ideas.

Most researchers agree that the ancestral home of the Aryans could have been the Arctic in the distant times of the Halouene optimum, when the life of people, animals and plants in the extreme northern latitudes was possible. For residents of the North, winter and night are identical, inextricably linked concepts, which cannot be said about residents of more southern latitudes. Near the equator, there are no seasonal changes in nature at all, and the biological tuning fork of living organisms is tuned only to the daily rhythm. If the pole is the focus of opposites, the concept of the eternal struggle between light and darkness, then in the equatorial regions of the planet all opposites are erased, the balance of night and day is established with absolute climatic constancy and the absence of seasons.

Everything is much more complicated in the middle latitudes, where the length of daylight directly depends on the time of year, and the main rhythm of nature is not an annual one, as at the pole, and not a daily one, as at the equator, but a monthly cycle, which is of enormous importance for agricultural crops. The poles and equatorial regions of the planet are completely subject to the solar rhythm, with the only difference being that the equatorial day marks the revolution of the Earth around its axis, and the polar day, equal to a year, marks the revolution of the Earth around the Sun. In both cases, nature is characterized by constancy: at the equator, during the year, “Groundhog days” replace each other 365 times, no different from each other, while at the poles, endless polar days and nights last for six months. And only in the middle latitudes does the nature of the earth manifest itself in maximum diversity, due not only to the change of day and night, but also to the change of seasons. For residents of mid-latitudes, the lunar-solar calendar is very relevant, combining in its structure the rhythms of the day and night luminaries. New moons occurring every 30 days (the synodic month) gave rise to the division of the year into smaller periods of time, reflecting the different stages of the vegetative annual cycle. The years marked by the coincidence of new moons and the spring equinox were considered supporting, “basic”, since it was in these years that the solar and lunar months arrived simultaneously, which symbolized the heavenly harmony and beauty of the established world order.

For elementary orientation in time, it is enough for a person to know three time indicators: day, month and year, associated with the movement of the Earth around its axis, as well as with the movement of the Moon around the Earth and the Earth around the Sun. The annual macrocycle has a solar nature, the monthly one has a lunar nature, and the daily microcycle of day and night has an earthly nature and is associated only with the speed of rotation of the Earth around its axis. Each of the three time cycles (annual, monthly and daily) is divided into four parts. The day is divided into 4 times of day: morning, afternoon, evening and night. The year is divided into 4 seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The month is divided into 4 phases of the moon, which became the prototypes for dividing the month into 4 seven-day weeks (the word “week” emphasizes the indivisibility and integrity of the sacred number 7, since any numbers ending in 7 are not divisible by any divisors other than 1). Thus, there are 3 main time cycles, but each is divided into 4 components, which together amount to 12 forms of time: 4 times of day, 4 seasons of the year and 4 weeks of the month, symbolically associated with the four phases of the night star.

The three zodiac zones include 4 signs each, which makes up a complete set of primary cosmic elements, consisting of fire, earth, air and water. The division of the Zodiac into zones occurs between the signs of fire and water - elements that are mutually exclusive. Each zodiacal zone - a section of the ecliptic at 120 degrees - represents a model of the evolution of cosmic matter. The first sign of each Zodiac zone is associated with the cosmic element of fire, which corresponds to the idea of ​​​​the primacy of the fiery principle.

According to the concept of the origin of the Solar System, well-established in the scientific world, the Sun was the first to arise in the center of the gas-dust nebula - a fiery star, a source of heat and light. Further, grains of solid matter rotating around the center of the gas and dust cloud were grouped into protoplanes (tel. planetesimals), from which solid terrestrial planets with a rocky core subsequently emerged: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. This second stage of the genesis of the solar system fully correlates with the element of earth, with which Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are associated - the second signs in the zodiac zones. Further in the zodiacal zones follow the signs of the air element, and in the solar system behind the solid “terrestrial” planets are the gaseous giant planets Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus, formed from gas - a light substance, and therefore displaced further from the Sun compared to the terrestrial planets. Closer to the periphery of the Solar system there are “water” planets: Neptune, Pluto, Proserpina, which are spherical clumps of frozen liquid. An ammonia ocean moves under the icy surface of Neptune, while Pluto receives so little solar heat that almost all the liquid on it has turned into ice. Nevertheless, the distant planets can be quite reasonably correlated with the water signs of the Zodiac, which close the evolutionary sequence of the elements in each zodiacal zone.

Thus, it can be established that the sequence of the four elements in the zodiacal circle (fire, earth, air, water) is due to the evolution of the solar system, and not to any other process, since gradation according to the density of matter would give a completely different picture. The four states of matter, depending on its density: plasma, gaseous, liquid and solid, exactly correspond to the four alchemical elements: fire, air, water and earth. However, in the zodiacal model we observe a different sequence, from which we can conclude that the Zodiac is a more complex structure, built not on the involutionary principle of the transition of energy into the state of matter with a further increase in its density, but on the evolutionary principle of the formation of the Solar system and the origin of life in it .

Life is symbolized by the element of wood - the fifth element, which is the quintessence of the four elements. The system of Chinese medicine is based on the doctrine of the five elements, which, in addition to the usual zodiac elements, also includes the element of wood, which is an integral part of the Chinese universe. The fifth element of Greek astrology was considered ether - a subtle substance that permeates the entire Universe and connects it into a single whole. At the material level, the ether corresponded to the element of wood, as Plutarch popularly expressed in his work “On the “E” at Delphi.” A tree is a carrier of life, embodying the principle of evolutionary growth and connection of the lower, middle and upper worlds. It is no coincidence that in almost all traditions there is an image of the World Tree, which is the axis on which the entire Universe is based. Therefore, not to include the “fifth element” in the Zodiac would mean leaving it as a lifeless model of the aimless development of the cosmos, because the true goal of the evolutionary cosmic process is the development of life, and it is the World Tree that is the main carrier of vital energy. Plants arose before living organisms and subsequently became the basis of the diet for more highly organized forms of life. It is no coincidence that the tree has become a symbol of eternal life.

The evolution of nature and the emergence of life is reflected in the sequence of the five elements that make up the integrity of the Universe in the understanding of the ancient Chinese. The Chinese pentagram evolves from fire to earth, from earth to metal (corresponding to the element of air in the European tradition), from metal-air to water, from water to wood. As you can see, the sequence is the same as in the zodiac circle, with the only difference being that a fifth element has been added to the circle of life - the element of wood. This diagram accurately reflects the sequence of processes that led to the formation of life on planet Earth. First, the Sun (fire) is born in the chaos of a gas and dust cloud, then a material planet (the element of earth) is molded from solid particles. Next, the Earth - Gaia gives birth to the sky - Uranus (the element of air), i.e. Geological and volcanic activity of the planet leads to the formation of an atmosphere. The next element in the evolutionary sequence of elements is water, born from the air. Water vapor in the earth's atmosphere, cooling, condensed into water that fell to the ground in the form of rain. And water, as we know, became the medium in which life originated, symbolically represented in the five-ray evolutionary model by the element of wood

Moreover, it was on this night that the Earth flew through the Geminids meteor shower. True, I never managed to catch them, but the stars themselves were good!

1. Here is a photograph where the satellite tracks are visible.

2. The Parus rock is visible below. We'll go down closer.

3. In 1927, an earthquake occurred on the Crimean peninsula, and then a small part broke off from Cape Limen-Burun, which became the Parus rock. Finally, “Parus” became a separate rock, surrounded on all sides by the Black Sea waters after the destruction of the isthmus that connected the rock to the shore. The Parus rock is located next to the Swallow's Nest.

4. And here you can see the Milky Way above the rocks.

5. Now we are already on the shore.

7. Here either a satellite or a meteor flies through the Pleiades.

11. While we moved to Mount Cat, Orion rose above the horizon. This is a complex natural monument of national importance, located on South Coast Crimea on the territory of the Yalta City Council (Crimea).

SIMFEROPOL, October 20 - RIA Novosti Crimea. From October 21 to 22, residents and guests of Crimea will be able to observe the peak of the meteor shower from the constellation Orion. To do this, it is important to choose places away from illuminated cities, Aleksey Baklanov, candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, scientific secretary of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, told RIA Novosti Crimea.

The meteor shower in the constellation Orion - the Orionids is included in the list of 10 largest starfalls. Every year the Earth passes through a swarm of meteorite bodies formed as a result of the passage of Comet Halley near the Sun. Last time It flew past the Earth in 1986, but its detached particles reach the Earth's atmosphere twice a year every year, forming meteor showers.

According to Baklanov, the meteor shower will be best visible from midnight to morning in the southeastern part of the sky in clear weather.

“It is advisable to observe the Orionids, like any meteor shower, where it is dark, away from cities and towns. And it is desirable that there is a clear horizon. In Crimea, conditions for observation are good. The Orionids will be at their maximum from October 21 to 22,” stated scientist.

At the same time, he noted that the starfall on Saturday night will be among the ten largest. “These are the remains of Halley’s comet: it melts a little when it flies up to the Sun, dust remains in its orbit and due to this dust we observe meteor showers. They will not be the largest - about two dozen meteors per hour. The same Persids are up to two to three hundred meteors per hour,” Baklanov explained.

He also said that it makes no sense to observe meteors through binoculars or a telescope. “If you want to watch a meteor shower, then you don’t need any special tools: neither a telescope nor binoculars. They have a small field of view, and meteors fly at a speed of 70 meters per second,” the expert said.

But, he added, despite the high speed, there is no need to be afraid of the consequences of meteor flights. “It’s unlikely that you’ll get hit on the head with a meteor. The fact is that they burn up in the atmosphere, since they’re very small. Fireballs are something to be afraid of,” Baklanov reassured.

For those who decide to observe the astronomical phenomenon, RIA Novosti Crimea has compiled a list of places where it will be most convenient to do so.

1. Ai-Petri
This is one of the most popular observation platforms on the southern coast of Crimea. The height of the mountain above sea level is 1 thousand 234 meters.

2. Tepe-Kerman
The cone-shaped mountain is located in the Bakhchisarai region. It houses a popular tourist cave city. Height above sea level - 554 meters.

3. Chatyr-Dag
This is a mountain range in the south of Crimea, part of the main mountain range of the peninsula. Consists of a lower and upper plateau. The height of the main peaks of the massif is 1527 meters (Eklizi-Burun) and 1453 meters (Angar-Burun).

4. Kush-Kaya
Also known as "Bird Mountain". It is located above Laspi Bay and the Batiliman tract. The height above sea level is 627 meters.

5. Village Nauchny
In that locality The Crimean Astrophysical Observatory has been operating in the Bakhchisarai region for many years. The village offers an excellent view of the sky, so it is convenient place for observing meteorites.

Constellations - These are areas of the sky into which the celestial sphere is distributed in order to conveniently navigate the starry sky. In ancient times, constellations were various kinds of figures that were formed by bright stars, often these were the names of heroes of Greek mythology. Our entire starry sky is divided into 88 constellations, which were recorded by the International Astronomical Union in 1930. To date, the names of these constellations have been decided to be considered unchanged, as well as other names of bright stars. Some famous astronomers named discovered stars after themselves, but such names were never officially recognized. There are some companies that sell so-called “certificates” for naming the name of the star you like. So if you think what to give your girlfriend on March 8 or Valentine's Day then give her a “star in the sky.”

Constellations are rightfully considered reminders of the ancient culture of mankind, its myths and its first interest in celestial bodies. They help historians, astronomers and mythologists very well to understand the way of life and thinking of ancient people. Today, constellations help bright minds in astronomy navigate the sky and quickly determine the positions of various kinds of objects.

The most famous and most noticeable constellations of the zodiac signs

Orion constellations

Location of stars and constellations

They delight the eye and inspire to contemplate the endless space. A favorable season is beginning for lovers of observing distant foggy objects. Be sure to spot the planetary Ring and Dumbbell nebulae, the giant Hercules globular cluster, and the famous Andromeda galaxy in the sky! Of the easily recognizable patterns of the August sky, the following are immediately noticeable: the Summer Triangle of stars of the constellations Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila above the southwestern horizon, the huge Square of Pegasus above the southeast, the semicircle of stars of the constellation Northern Crown above the west. The Big Dipper floats low above the northern horizon overnight. At midnight, the Milky Way stretches in an arc across the zenith from southwest to northeast.

The review does not show the current positions of the planets in the constellations. Read more about the movements of the planets in the monthly materials "".

This article will help you navigate star maps:
"How to use the star map"

We remind you: true midnight in Bratsk occurs around 1 am local time!
why so, we read in the material: Games with time. When is noon in Bratsk? ,

and after October 26, 2014 we read in the material: Clocks in the Irkutsk region will be changed once and for all

OVER THE NORTHERN HORIZON...

The Big Dipper sparkles with the seven stars of the Bucket. Cepheus is located high at the zenith. On the left of North Star (+1.97m) Dragon descends, and on the right Cassiopeia rises to the zenith, which is easily identified by five stars forming the letter M. Above the northeastern horizon, the constellation Auriga follows each other - with the brightest star Capella(+0.08m) - and Perseus. The Ursa Minor dipper now descends to the left of Kinosury(Polar Star).

The night sky in AUGUST from the northern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

August night sky at zenith (overhead) around midnight in mid-latitudes

(direction to the northern horizon - bottom edge of the image):

ABOVE THE EASTERN HORIZON:

The main constellations on the eastern horizon in August are Perseus with the winking variable star Algol and the constellation Andromeda, the most notable object of which is the bright galaxy Andromeda's nebula (M31). The most beautiful Perseids fly out from this area of ​​the sky; meteors shower especially abundantly every year on the night of August 12th.

The night sky in AUGUST from the eastern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

ABOVE THE SOUTH HORIZON:

High, almost at the zenith, the huge cross of the Cygnus constellation with a bright star sparkles Deneb(+1.25m), a star sparkles to the right of it Vega(+0.03m) from the constellation Lyra, and below is the constellation Aquila with its alpha star Altair(+0.75m) - three bright stars of these constellations form Summer triangle . Popular objects to observe with a telescope in the Summer Triangle are Ring Nebula And Dumbbell. The ornate Square of Pegasus sparkles above the southeast, and the constellation Pisces floats below.

The night sky in AUGUST from the southern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

ABOVE THE WESTERN HORIZON:

The constellation Bootes sets in brilliant orange Arcturus(-0.04m), which is indicated by the handle of the Ursa Major Dipper on the right. Between Bootes and Hercules, a conspicuous constellation of stars sparkles in the semicircle of the Northern Crown with a bright “gem” Gemma(+2.25m). To the right of the Summer Triangle, the constellations Hercules (above) and Ophiuchus (below) set above the west. In Hercules, even with a simple telescope one can discern a gigantic globular cluster of stars M13 .

The night sky in AUGUST from the western horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

Star maps taken from Stellarium 0.11 program

THE MOST EASILY ACCESSIBLE OBJECTS IN THE AUGUST SKY:

Andromeda's nebula and its position in the constellation

This is the most favorable period for observing one of our closest galactic neighbors, the Andromeda Nebula (M31). It is easily distinguishable even with binoculars as a large elongated nebulous spot above the star ν Andromeda. This beautiful spiral galaxy is located at a distance of 252 million light years from Earth. Its extent is 260 thousand light years, which is 2.6 times longer than the Milky Way. In the Earth's sky, it occupies an area of ​​3.2° × 1.0°. The magnitude is +3.4m.

Giant globular cluster M13 and position in the constellation Hercules

M13 It is considered one of the brightest globular star clusters in the northern sky, which is easily visible with a regular telescope. Through binoculars it is easily located along west side trapezium formed by the stars ε, ζ, η, π Hercules, between η and ζ. The cluster looks like a bright diffuse spot between a pair of seventh magnitude stars. Through a telescope you can see hundreds of thousands of stars in this magnificent cluster, the distance to which is 25 thousand light years. The cluster's stars are crowded into an area 160 light-years in diameter. The visible dimensions in the earth's sky are 23 arc minutes, the magnitude is +5.8m. In 1974, a short message was sent towards the cluster from the Arecibo radio telescope.

Ring Nebula M57 and position in the constellation Lyra

Ring Nebula The Ring Nebula is one of the most famous examples of planetary nebulae and one of the most popular objects for amateur astronomical observations. The ejection of the expanding shell from the central star occurred approximately 5,500 years ago. The nebula is quite bright (+8.8m) and can be found between γ and β Lyrae with powerful binoculars. In an amateur telescope, M57 looks like a ring of smoke. The nebula is located at a distance of 2.3 thousand light years from Earth, with a spatial diameter of 1.5 light years. The central star that illuminates the nebula is very dim - only +15m - and inaccessible to amateur instruments. The visible angular dimensions of the “ring” in the earth's sky are 2.5" × 2".

Dumbbell Nebula M27 and position in the constellation Chanterelle

Dumbbell Nebula(Dumbbell Nebula) is another very popular object for amateur observations. This planetary nebula is located in the constellation Vulpecula at a distance of 1.25 thousand light years from Earth. The age of the Dumbbell Nebula is estimated to be between 3,000 and 4,000 years. The strange dumbbell-shaped shape of the nebula can already be caught in a telescope with an aperture of 80 mm. Its shape is similar to the core of an eaten apple. To search for it, you need to focus on the “tip” of the constellation Arrow. "Dumbbell" is located 3° above γ Sge in the direction of Cygnus. The apparent brightness is +7.4m magnitude, and the diameter is 8.0" × 5.7" arcminutes in the earth's sky.

Wishing you clear skies and exciting observations!