simplyknowledge

G Knowledge

Astronomy

Updates
A - Z

Camelopardalis

A Dutch astronomer Petrus Placinus and a German astronomer Jacob Bartsch created and described a large constellation in the northern hemisphere. It was Camelopardalis. Also known as the Giraffe, it is a large and faint constellation representing a giraffe and not a camel. It was created in those places which the Greek left empty because it did not contain any such bright stars that were brighter than the fourth magnitude. Jacob Bartsch used the shape of the void space which seemed like a giraffe, as the space itself had very dim stars and did not form any noteworthy shape. The constellation belongs to the Ursa Major family of constellations and can be seen during the month of February at 9 pm. Let us discuss Camelopardalis in detail.
Read More

Caelum

We all know that most of the constellations have a major or bright star. However, there is a constellation in the night sky that is faint and none of its stars are brighter than the fourth magnitude. Caelum is one such constellation. It represents a sculptor’s Chisel and is found in the southern hemisphere between the older constellations of Columba the Dove and Eridanus the River. It belongs to the Lacaille family of constellations and was charted by Nicholas Louis de Lacaille, a French astronomer in the 18th century. It can be best visible during the month of January at 9 pm. Caelum occupies a relatively small and barren area of sky which is set apart from the Milky Way and hence, has been described as more of a blank space than a constellation.
Read More

bootes

There are many known and heard constellaions in the sky. Some are visible and easily recognized while few others does exist but are not well known. One such constellation is Bootes. The correct pronunciation is “bou’outus”, each ‘o’ is pronounced separately while stressing on the second syllable. So, the correct pronunciation is ‘Bo–-OH–teez’. Bootes may be the oldest known constellation but comparatively is not widely known. It is a constellation in the northern hemisphere and is referred to as ‘the Herdsman’ as it is often visualized as a herdsman holding a staff and two dogs in a leash which is chasing Ursa Major around the poles. The Greek astronomer Ptolemy first documented it in the 2nd century and named it Bootes based on the mythological stories associated with it.
Read More