Constellations

Andromeda is a large constellation ranking 19^th in size among the 88 classical constellations.  It is visible in the northern hemisphere year round but is best viewed in Autumn.  Ptolemy, the Roman astronomer and geographer of the 2^nd century, listed Andromeda as one of his original 8 constellations. 

The constellation contains a large number of bright stars, a beautiful double star and the famous Andromeda Galaxy.  The Andromedids meteor shower radiates from Andromeda in the month of November.

Indus was named for the indigenous inhabitants of the New World that the European explorers encountered during the 16^th century.  It is located in the southern sky and is a relatively recent addition to the 88 modern constellations.

The constellation Cepheus is named after the mythological Ethiopian King married to Queen Cassiopeia and father to Andromeda.  The constellation is visible in the northern sky and is generally described as a King with a foot on Polaris, the North Star.  Modern stargazers will more easily find Cepheus by looking for its distinctive shape reminiscent of a simple drawing of a house (a triangle on top of a square).

Tucana contains some of the best objects that are visible to the naked eye, including one of the closest galaxies (NGC 292) and a pair of globular clusters including the second largest globular visible from Earth (NGC 104). 

This constellation is located near the pole in the southern hemisphere and is one of the circumpolar constellations of the southern sky.  It is named after the Brazilian bird, the toucan, famed for its prominently large beak. 

Cassiopeia is one of the better known constellations in the northern sky.  It can be seen all year long for observers in the northern hemisphere with best viewing September through February.  It is medium size constellation, ranking 25^th in size among the 88 constellations.  The large distinctive “W” or “M” shape formed by five bright stars and its location at the edge of the Milky Way make this constellation easy to locate in the night sky. 

Two Messier objects, M52 and M103, both open clusters, are located in Cassiopeia.  These two Messier objects have an apparent magnitude of 7 and can be viewed with binoculars but are best viewed with a telescope. 

Aquarius is a constellation best observed in October when it crosses the meridian in the evenings between 9pm and 10pm.  It is a dim constellation with only two stars of magnitude greater than 3.00.  The asterism resembles a man’s torso with one arm reaching out towards Capricornus.

There are three Messier objects in this constellation to discover, two notable multiple star system and two planetary nebulae.

Aquarius lies on the ecliptic and is one of the constellations associated with water.  Cultures that experienced flooding dreaded the appearance of Aquarius.  Those that lived in dry environments welcomed its arrival.

Capricornus is constellation best observed in September when it crosses the meridian typically on September 20.  It is a dim constellation where it’s brightest three stars are of magnitude between 2.8 and 4.1.  The asterism resembles a equilateral triangle with bent sides.

There is just one Messier object, a globular cluster and two double star systems.

Although it is rather faint compared to other zodiacal constellations but has one of the oldest mythical stories in western history.  It is represented as a goat with the tail of a fish.  In Greek mythology this constellation is the goat that suckled the infant Zeus after his mother Rhea saved him from being devoured by his father Cronos.