Alongside them are a couple of star lines forming their bodies, giving the constellation a rough “U” shape. Look northeast of the constellation Orion and between the Taurus and Cancer constellations and you should find its two bright stars representing Castor and Pollux. The Gemini constellation is best viewed is during February. Devastated Polydeuces asked Zeus to share his immortality with his murdered brother and the god placed them both in the sky, where they remain inseparable as the constellation Gemini. Lynceus killed Castor by stabbing him with a sword. One day, the brothers clashed with another set of twins, Idas and Lynceus, when they fought over two women, Phoebe and Hilaira. These siblings were fathered by Tyndareus and, unlike Zeus’ children, they were mortal.ĭespite having different fathers, Castor and Polydeuces grew up together and were very close. Leda later also became pregnant with Castor and Clytemnestra. She became pregnant with the immortal Polydeuces and Helen (who later became the legendary Helen of Troy). The twins’ mother, Spartan Queen Leda, was seduced by Zeus, who visited the queen in the form of a swan. The constellation represents the twins Castor and Polydeuces (or Pollux) in Greek Mythology. Gemini is the 30th largest constellation in the sky, occupying an area of 514 square degrees. Gemini is one of the constellations of the zodiac and is located in the Northern Sky. Gemini (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain) Only Cassiopeia suffered humiliation she was forced to wheel around the North Celestial Pole on her throne, spending half of her time upside-down, clinging to it so she does’t fall off.Ĭassiopeia can be found high in the northeastern sky on October evenings, not far from Polaris, the North Star. Cassiopeia’s daughter, Princess Andromeda, was left bound to a rock as prey for the monster, but she was rescued by Perseus the Hero whom she later married.Ĭassiopeia, Cepheus, and Princess Andromeda were all elevated to the sky as stars. Her claim angered Poseidon, god of the sea, who sent a sea monster called Cetus to destroy the kingdom. As the legend goes, Cassiopeia boasted that she was more beautiful than the sea nymphs called the Nereids. The constellation is named after the vain queen Cassiopeia in Greek Mythology, wife of the King Cepheus of Aethiopia. With its distinctive “W” shape formed by five bright stars, Cassiopeia is one of the most easily recognizable constellations in the northern night sky. According to lore, he was brought to Mount Olympus where he served as cupbearer to the gods and was granted eternal youth.Īquarius can be seen in the spring in the Southern Hemisphere and the fall in the Northern Hemisphere.Ĭassiopeia (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain) In Greek mythology, the constellation represents Ganymede, a handsome young man who was the object of Zeus’ affection. The name Aquarius means “cupbearer” or “water bearer” in Latin. Aquarius is located near other water-related constellations-Cetus (the whale), Pisces (the fish), Delphinus (the dolphin), and Eridanus (the river)-in what is often referred to as the water or sea section of the sky. Despite its size, it can be difficult to see with the naked eye as there are no particularly bright stars that stand out. It’s also one of the biggest, spreading out over 980 square degrees. Aquarius was first recorded in the second century by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy, making it one of the oldest documented constellations. ![]() Aquarius is one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac and situated between Capricornus and Pisces.
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