When you look at the sky during the night, what do you see?

The first thing that would have come to your mind would be Moon and the stars, right?

So let’s learn about stars!

A star is an astronomical object consisting of a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its own gravity. In simple terms, we can say that stars are huge, glowing balls of gases.

What are Constellations?

A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms a perceived outline or pattern, typically representing an animal, mythological person or creature, or an inanimate object. The word ‘constellation’ is derived from the Latin word ‘constellatio’ which means ‘set of stars’. A constellation (or star), viewed from a particular latitude on Earth, that never sets below the horizon is termed circumpolar. From the North Pole or the South Pole, all constellations south or north of the celestial equator are circumpolar. Depending on the definition, equatorial constellations may include those that lie between declinations 45° north and 45° south or those that pass through the declination range of the ecliptic or zodiac ranging between 23½° north, the celestial equator, and 23½° south.

The apparent groupings of stars into constellations that we see in the sky are not physical groupings. They are optical projections on the celestial sphere! The stars appear to be grouped because they lie approximately in the same region or direction of the sky.

Some well-known Constellations are Hydra, Virgo, Cetus, Hercules, Orion, Taurus, etc.

Know More!

Orion Constellation:  Orion is a prominent constellation and is visible throughout the world. It is one of the most recognizable constellations.  It is named after a hunter in Greek mythology.   Its brightest stars are blue-white Rigel(Beta Orionis) and red Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis)

Rigel is a blue supergiant that is the sixth brightest star in the night sky.  Betelgeuse is a massive red supergiant star nearing the end of its life. It is the second brightest star in Orion,

The Rigveda refers to the Orion Constellation as Mriga.