The Rambling Astronomer

Formerly part of the ancient constellation of Argo Navis, which represents the ship that Jason and the Argonauts sailed on looking for the golden fleece. It was broken up by the French astronomer Nicolas De Lacaille in the 1750s, into four parts Carina the Keel, Puppis the Poop Pyxis the Compass and Vela the Sails.

Ursa Minor is also termed the Little Dipper because its seven brightest stars form a shape like a smaller version of the Plough in Ursa Major. The stars Beta and Gamma in the blade of the small plough are referred to as the Guardians of the pole.

The 3rd largest constellation in the sky. Its central feature is the seven stars that make up the shape variously called the Plough or Big Dipper, undoubtedly the best known of all star patterns, references of it are found in writings dating back to the dawn of civilisation.

A small constellation near the south pole of the sky introduced by Petrus Plancius based on observations by Pieter Keyser and Frederick de Houtman It represents the Toucan a bird found in central and south America. The bird has a large beak.

An ancient constellation representing a pair of fishes tied by their tails, the knot being marked by the star alpha. One legend identifies the constellations with Venus and her son Cupid, who turned themselves into fishes and swam away from the attack of the monster Typhon.

John Field 1527-1587 was born in Ardsley to the SW of Leeds) in the West Riding, an astronomer who seems to be missed of many people’s radar. His describes himself as being a farmer, and sometimes student in the mathematic sciences. Yet this farmer would become a trail blazer and was the first person to publish an ephemeris or movements of the stars and planets in England that was based on the Copernican theory. John Field was known as the proto Copernican of England.

A small but readily distinguishable constellation near alpha Centauri. It was introduced by the German astronomer Johann Bayer in 1603. It is the southern hemisphere equivalent of the long established northern Triangle, Triangulum.

A small but distinctive constellation between Andromeda and Aries, consisting of 3 main stars that form a thin delta or triangle shape. The Greeks referred to it as Deltoton.

Another constellation introduced by de La Caille in the 1750s in honour of the invention of the telescope which had such a revolutionary significance for astronomy. However like many of his constellations it is faint and indistinct.

One of the most ancient constellations. Taurus has been known to people’s throughout the world since the dawn of civilisation, for the bull’s attributes of strength and fertility mean that it has always held an honoured place in ceremony and religion.