Constellations Orion,  in Greek mythology, a giant and very handsome hunter who was identified as early as Homer (Iliad, Book XVIII) with the constellation known by his name. The story of Orion has many different versions. He is considered to be Boeotian by birth, born (according to a late legend) of the earth (from a buried bull hide on which three gods had urinated). Some legends have him as the son of Poseidon. He is associated with the island of Chios, from which he is said to have driven the wild beasts. There he fell in love with Merope, daughter of the king of Chios, Oenopion. The king, who disapproved of Orion and continually deferred the nuptials, eventually had Orion blinded. His vision restored by the rays of the rising sun, Orion is said to have gone to Crete to live with Artemis as a hunter. Accounts of his death vary widely: some legends have him killed by Artemis for trying to rape her, others of Apollo’s jealousy over Artemis’ love of Orion; still other legends have him killed by a monstrous scorpion. After his death he was placed among the stars, and he can be identified (somewhat fancifully) by his club, lion’s skin, girdle (or belt), and sword. In the sky he chases the Pleiades and is himself pursued by Scorpio, the scorpion.

Mythology of Constellations The Greeks and Romans saw pictures in stars of the night sky. They created myths to explain the creation of the stars. These pictures form what we call Constellations. What is a constellation? A constellation is a group of visible stars that form a pattern when viewed from Earth. The pattern they form may take the shape of an animal, a mythological creature, a man, a woman, or an inanimate object such as a microscope, a compass, or a crown.

Despite the many mentions of the stars in Greek and early Roman texts, by far the most thorough star catalogue from ancient times belongs to the Roman Ptolemy of Alexandria, who grouped 1022 stars into 48 constellations during the 2nd century A.D. The influence of both the Greek and Roman cultures may be plainly seen; the myths behind the constellations date back to ancient Greece, but we use their Latin names The word "constellation" comes from a Latin term meaning "set with stars."

The Major Constellations: Andromeda | Aquarius | Aries | Cancer | Capricornus | Cassiopeia | Cepheus | Cetus | Corona Borealis | Cygnus | Draco | Eridanus | Gemini | Hercules | Hydra | Leo | Libra | Lyra | Orion | Perseus | Pisces | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Taurus | Ursa Major | Ursa Minor | Virgo

Mythology, of course, influenced the naming of many objects in the night sky, not just the constellations. The planets all bear names from Roman mythology which reflect their characteristics: Mercury, named for the speedy messenger god, revolves fastest around the sun; Venus, named for the goddess of love and beauty, shines most brightly; Mars, named for the god of war, appears blood-red; Jupiter, named for the single most important god, is the largest planet in our solar system.

How many constellations are there? The sky was divided up into 88 different constellations in 1922. This included 48 ancient constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy as well as 40 new constellations.

Uses for Constellations? Constellations are useful because they can help people to recognize stars in the sky. By looking for patterns, the stars and locations can be much easier to spot. The constellations had uses in ancient times. They were used to help keep track of the calendar. This was very important so that people knew when to plant and harvest crops. Another important use for constellations was navigation. By finding Ursa Minor it is fairly easy to spot the North Star (Polaris). Using the height of the North Star in the sky, navigators could figure out their latitude helping ships to travel across the oceans.

How can I study the night sky? Star Maps The 88 different constellations divide up the entire night sky as seen from all around the Earth. Star maps are made of the brightest stars and the patterns that they make which give rise to the names of the constellations. The maps of the stars represent the position of the stars as we see them from Earth. The stars in each constellation may not be close to each other at all. Some of them are bright because they are close to Earth while others are bright because they are very large stars.

Websites to use for lesson http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/make-a-star-wheel/ http://stardate.org/nightsky/constellations http://artlovelight.com/how-to-see-the-stars-the-ultimate- constellation-image-gallery/