I am preparing a lesson: Natural History 5 Constellations. Zodiac belt.
I need a smart and patient interlocutor...
Lesson progress:
How many stars are there in the sky?
It is convenient to combine stars into groups (constellations)
Which constellations are easy to find?
The moon changes its position among the stars:
Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries.
In its annual movement among the stars, the Sun describes a complete circle of the ecliptic on the celestial sphere. Moving along the ecliptic, the Sun successively moves from one constellation to another. There are 12 such constellations. They form the so-called zodiac belt and are called zodiacal. Zodiac is a Greek word that has the same root as the current zoo; in Russian it is translated as a circle of animals. Most of the zodiac constellations actually bear the names of animals; the rest have been given symbolic names by popular imagination.
Zodiac Valishin Yu.I.
Looking at the zodiac belt
We will see cancer in January,
And in February we will notice a lion,
His keeper was
In cold March, an evil maiden,
Leo's neighbor in the sky on the left
I bought myself a scale in April.
They wanted to live in peace
But in May there is a terrible scorpion
He stole their peace and sleep.
He was killed by a beautiful archer,
Father June's son is unhappy.
In July, brother Capricorn
The dream of the lion and the maiden saved.
And in August for many days
Uncle Aquarius has arrived.
He cooked fish in September
Uhu, and ate it in the yard,
Aries roasted in October,
Taurus was stabbed to death in November
And in December in the end
A pair of twins was born.
1961
Taurus (transparency 12). One of the most ancient constellations in the zodiac. And since cattle breeding played a huge role in the life of ancient peoples, the constellation where the Sun seemed to conquer winter and herald the arrival of spring turned out to be associated with the bull.
But the constellation Taurus was also, of course, of great importance for the ancient peoples because it contains the open star cluster of the Pleiades. The role of this group of stars in the life of ancient peoples is enormous. Even before the length of the solar year was established, people divided the whole year into two parts in such a way that it began with the morning rising of the Pleiades in the spring before the sun rose, and winter was counted from the time when the Pleiades rose in the evenings in the fall.
How (?) can I write this fragment shorter, clearer, more emotional?
Gemini (transparency 13).
With its shape, this constellation resembles an elongated star rectangle. It contains about 70 stars visible to the naked eye. And the two brightest ones - Castor and Pollux shine in the firmament, like two twin brothers.
Cancer (slide 14). The constellation Cancer is one of the most inconspicuous in the zodiac.
According to classical Greek mythology, this is the same Cancer that attacked Hercules, who fought the Lernaean Hydra. Ancient authors called this constellation karkinos, which means both crayfish and sea crayfish (that is, crab). Therefore, on ancient star maps you can find both images.
Leo (slide 15). There are about 70 stars in this constellation. The four brightest stars form a large star trapezoid, resembling the body of the king of beasts. And the stars forming a crescent shape resemble the neck and head of a lion.
The Assyrians called this constellation the great fire. And they associated the ferocious lion with the no less ferocious heat that occurred every summer. They believed that the Sun received additional strength and warmth when it was among the stars of Leo.
Virgo (transparency 16). In terms of size, the Virgo constellation is the second largest in the entire sky. There are about 100 stars in it. The brightest star is Spica (Spica). The very name of the star and the fact that Virgo was depicted with ears of wheat in her hands indicate the connection of this star with human agricultural activities. It is possible that its appearance in the rays of the morning Sun coincided in ancient times with the beginning of the harvest.
Scales (transparency 17). This constellation is relatively young.
the justice of the Roman emperor Octavian Augustus (6314 BC) inspired senators and priests to introduce the constellation Libra (the emperor was depicted on coins and medals with this symbol of justice).
Scorpio (diapositive 18) is one of the very few constellations whose outlines correspond to its name.
The Sun entered this area of the sky in late autumn, when all nature seemed to be dying, in order to be reborn again, like the god Dionysus, in the early spring of the next year. The sun was considered as if stung by some poisonous creature (and therefore was sick all winter, remaining weak and pale).
Sagittarius (slide 19). On the famous Dendera zodiac, this centaur is depicted with two faces: one facing backward, the other forward. In this way he resembles the Roman god Janus. The first month of the year, January, is associated with the name Janus.
And the Sun is in Sagittarius at the end of winter, during the interannual period. Thus, the constellation seems to symbolize the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one, with one of its faces looking into the past and the other into the future.
Capricorn (transparency 20). Capricorn is a mythical creature with the body of a goat and the tail of a fish. According to the most widespread ancient Greek legend, the goat-footed God Pan, the patron of shepherds, was frightened by the hundred-headed giant and threw himself into the water in horror. Since then, he became a water god and grew a fish tail. Transformed into a constellation by the god Zeus, Capricorn became the ruler of the waters and the harbinger of storms. It was believed that he sent abundant rains to the earth.
Aquarius (transparency 21). According to the Sumerians, the constellation Aquarius was located in the center of the celestial sea, and therefore foreshadowed the rainy season.
In Egypt, Aquarius appeared when the water level in the Nile was at its highest. It was believed that the god of water, Knemu, was throwing a huge ladle into the Nile. It was also believed that the White and Blue Nile flowed from its vessels. It is possible that Hercules’s cleaning of the Augean stables is connected precisely with the image of Aquarius.
Pisces (transparency 22). This constellation, reminiscent of a huge star horn, can also be represented as two fish. The Sun entered this constellation at the time of rich fishing.
Aries (transparency 23). In ancient times this constellation was revered. The supreme god of Egypt, Amun-Ra, was depicted (for example, in Egyptian Thebes) with a ram's head, and on the sides of his road, to his temple at Lunsor, were sphinxes with ram's heads.
Slide 24. The constellations of the zodiac are certainly among the most ancient. Perhaps their roots go back to the times of totheism in the worship of animals in primitive society. Therefore, the name itself can mean not just a circle (or belt) of animals, but a circle of life. After all, the Sun and Moon, moving through these constellations, are the basis of all life on Earth. The patterns of coincidence of the relative positions of the Sun, Moon and planets in the zodiac with various events occurring on Earth, noticed already in ancient times, gave the constellations of the zodiac an exceptional, and subsequently mystical, meaning.
The belt of the sphere, limited by small circles parallel to the ecliptic and distant from it by 8° in either direction; On the surface of the planetary zone, visible proper movement of the main planets occurs. Samoilov K.I. Marine dictionary. M.L.:... ...Marine Dictionary
See Zodiac. * * * ZODIAC BELT ZODIAC BELT, see Zodiac (see ZODIAC) ... Encyclopedic Dictionary
See Zodiac... Natural science. Encyclopedic Dictionary
BELT, a, pl. a, ov, husband. 1. Ribbon, cord, belt or stitched strip of fabric for tying or fastening at the waist. Leather p.p. skirt. To put someone in the belt and behind the belt. (certainly surpass someone in nothing; colloquial). Plug the ax into step 2. transfer... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
This article is about a non-academic area of research. Please edit the article so that this is clear both from its first sentences and from the subsequent text. Details in the article and on the talk page... Wikipedia
Astronomical Dictionary
A; m. [from Greek. zōdiakos animal circle] Astron. The belt of the sky along which the Sun makes its apparent annual movement. Z. was invented by the Chaldeans. Signs of the zodiac (designation of 12 constellations, called mainly by the names of animals, through which ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary
Zodiac- (from the Greek zodiakos kyklos animal circle, comes from zoon animal) (in astronomy) the zodiac belt, a belt about 15 degrees wide on the celestial sphere along the ecliptic, in which the Sun, Moon, major planets and most of the minor planets move; With… … The beginnings of modern natural science
- (Greek zodiakos from zoon animal) (zodiac belt), a set of zodiacal constellations located along the ecliptic of the great circle of the celestial sphere along which the Sun makes its visible path throughout the year. Number of zodiac constellations (12)… … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (zodiac belt), a set of constellations located along the ecliptic (the so-called zodiacal constellations) of the large circle of the celestial sphere along which the Sun makes its visible path throughout the year. The number of zodiac constellations (12) is… … Modern encyclopedia
Books
- Zodiac, planets, space. Spiritual Hierarchies, Rudolf Steiner. In a series of ten lectures, the founder of anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner, tells what actions of the highest hierarchies of spiritual beings led to the formation of the physical cosmos, the zodiac and planets...
- Zodiac planets cosmos Spiritual hierarchies and their reflection in the physical world, Steiner R.. In a series of ten lectures, the founder of anthroposophy Rudolf Steiner tells what actions of the highest hierarchies of spiritual beings led to the formation of the physical cosmos, the zodiac and planets...
- ZODIAC BELT
cm. … - BELT
ARMORS - a belt completely armored with plates of hard materials (metal, wood, bone, horn, etc.... - BELT in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons:
HUNTING - a belt worn on the belt or over the shoulder, with special pockets or hanging pouches for bullets, flints, gunpowder, weapons... - BELT in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons:
SET-ON - see belt... - BELT in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons:
PROTECTIVE - see belt... - BELT in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons:
COMBAT - see belt... - BELT in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons:
- an element of armor in the form of a leather, fabric, felt belt, varying in width, sometimes armored with metal, bone and other plates. Intended... - BELT in the Dictionary of Church Terms:
- BELT in Orthodox Church terms:
1. Part of the liturgical vestments of a priest and bishop, serves to tighten the epitrachelion and cassock or cassock. When putting on the belt, a prayer is said... - BELT in the Bible Encyclopedia of Nikephoros:
see Clothes... - BELT
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "TREE". Belt Part of the liturgical vestment of a priest and bishop, used to tighten the epitrachelion and cassock or cassock... - BELT in the Dictionary of Heraldic Terms:
- an honorary heraldic figure in the form of a strip 2/7 wide of the width of the shield, running horizontally in the middle... - BELT in Medical terms:
(cingulum, pna, bna, jna; synonym cingulum) associative nerve pathway passing in the cingulate gyrus and connecting the frontal lobe cortex with ... - THE BELT IS BUILDING.
the upper and lower horizontal parts of a beam or building truss. According to the bending conditions of both solid and through beams supporting any ... - BELT OLD. in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
The frames were silk, decorated with gold and silver, velvet and leather, with forged metal plaques, links, jingles, etc. Metal frames... - BELT LIVICAL CLOTHING in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
(in Greek ????) - priestly and bishop's liturgical clothing. Its liturgical use in the Christian church is based on the example of the Old Testament church (Ex. ... - BELT in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
, -a, pl. -a, -ov, m. 1. Ribbon, cord, belt or stitched strip of fabric for tying, fastening at the waist. Leather... - BELT in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
ZODIAC BELT, see Zodiac... - BELT in the Complete Accented Paradigm according to Zaliznyak:
according to "yas, belts", according to "yas, belts" in, according to "yas, belts" m, according to "yas, belts", according to "yas, belts" mi, according to "yas, ... - BELT in the Dictionary for solving and composing scanwords:
Black sash... - BELT in the Thesaurus of Russian Business Vocabulary:
Syn: zone, ... - BELT in the Russian Language Thesaurus:
Syn: zone, ... - BELT in Abramov's Dictionary of Synonyms:
|| shut up for... - BELT in the Russian Synonyms dictionary:
armored belt, bandage, velvet, velhout, brestrop, waterways, grace, edge, vest, zodiac, zone, corsage, corset, sash, sash, ENT, obi, girdle, interception, stripe, ... - BELT in the New Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
1. m. 1) a) A long narrow strip of fabric, cord, belt, etc. for girdling clothes at the waist. b) Strip... - BELT in Lopatin's Dictionary of the Russian Language:
p`oyas, -a, pl. -`a,... - BELT in the Complete Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language:
belt, -a, pl. -A, … - BELT in the Spelling Dictionary:
p`oyas, -a, pl. -`a,... - BELT in Ozhegov’s Dictionary of the Russian Language:
part of the skeleton that serves to attach to the body and support the limbs Spec Shoulder section Pelvic section belt tape, cord, belt or ... - BELT in Dahl's Dictionary:
husband. (from sing, hug, as if understood), strapping, strip around something; what they tie across the waist, they tie up their clothes; girdle, girdle, ... - BELT in Ushakov’s Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language:
belts, plural belts, m. 1. A long narrow strip of fabric, cord or belt, used for circular coverage, tying at the waist. ... - BELT in Ephraim's Explanatory Dictionary:
belt 1. m. 1) a) A long narrow strip of fabric, cord, belt, etc. for girdling clothes at the waist. b) ... - BELT in the New Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
I m. 1. A long narrow strip of fabric, cord, belt, etc. for girdling clothes at the waist. Ott. A strip of fabric... - TAURUS, ZODIAC SIGN in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
the second sign of the zodiac from 30° to 60° longitude, indicated by the symbol _ ... - SAGITTARIUS, ZODIAC SIGN in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
9th sign of the zodiac, from 240° to 270° longitude; denoted by the symbol f... - PISCES, ZODIAC SIGN in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
last zodiac sign from 330° to 0° longitude. Denoted by i. The Sun is in this sign from February 19 to 20... - CANCER, ZODIAC SIGN in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
The fourth sign of the zodiac (q.v.), from 90° to 120° longitude, is designated a. The entry of the Sun into this sign is called the beginning... - TAURUS, ZODIAC SIGN
? the second sign of the zodiac from 30¦ to 60¦ longitude, indicated by the symbol ... - SAGITTARIUS, ZODIAC SIGN in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia:
? 9th sign of the zodiac, from 240¦ to 270¦ longitude; is indicated by the symbol... - PISCES, ZODIAC SIGN in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia:
? the last sign of the zodiac from 330¦ to 0¦ longitude. Denoted by i. The Sun is in this sign from February 19 to... - CANCER, ZODIAC SIGN in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia:
? the fourth sign of the zodiac (q.v.), from 90¦ to 120¦ longitude, is designated a. The entry of the Sun into this sign is called the beginning... - DIVINATION in the Dictionary of Rites and Sacraments:
Once on Epiphany evening the girls wondered: They took a shoe out of the gate, took it off their foot, and threw it... V. A. Zhukovsky or divination, bewitchment - ... - MOON
- The earth's satellite was very widely used as a symbol in ancient religions; and in most cases was presented in female... - CAPRICORN in the Dictionary Index of Theosophical Concepts to the Secret Doctrine, Theosophical Dictionary:
(Lat.) 10th sign of the Zodiac (Makara in Sanskrit); due to its hidden meaning, it is considered the most important among the constellations of the mysterious Zodiac. He is exhaustively... - ZODIAC in the Dictionary Index of Theosophical Concepts to the Secret Doctrine, Theosophical Dictionary:
(Greek) From the word zodion, a diminutive of zun, animal. This word is used in a double sense; it may refer to the established and... - ALPHABET in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "TREE". This article contains incomplete markup. Alphabet, from the names of the first 2 letters of the Greek. alphabet - "alphas" ... - ASTRAL MYTHS in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
myths about constellations, stars, planets (in a broader sense - also lunar myths and solar myths). In the typologically early group... - ZODIAC in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
(Greek zodiakos from zoon - animal) (zodiac belt), a set of zodiacal constellations located along the ecliptic - a large circle of the celestial sphere, along ... - CONSTELLATIONS in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
arbitrarily taken star groups, as they are visible from the earth and completely independent of the actual distances and possible mutual connections of the stars. ... - SCORPION in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron.
- PTOLEMY in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
(Claudius) - Greek geometer, astronomer and physicist. Lived and acted in Alexandria in the first half of the 2nd century. after R.H....
The zodiac belt, which is the basis of the zodiac horoscope, is a band on the celestial sphere, extending approximately 8 degrees to the sides of the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the apparent path of the Sun. The zodiac belt is the area of movement of all the planets of the solar system, satellites, including the Moon, and other cosmic bodies. The history of the zodiac signs that underlie the thousand-year-old horoscope is directly related to the zodiac itself and its introduction into astrology.
The zodiac belt is the basis of the horoscope.
The history of the invention of the zodiac goes through several states and centuries. Your name zodiac belt received due to the fact that the path of the Sun across the sky passes through all the constellations of the horoscope, of which there are 13 in total and which in ancient Greek mythology personified 13 magical creatures that were symbols of the development of life. The primary source of this type of mythology was ancient Babylon, it was there that the history of the zodiac began, images, names and images of the constellations known to us all began to appear, which later gave names to the zodiac signs.
Interestingly, the formation of the zodiac belt took place in stages. Initially, the zodiac in the form of a circle was divided into 4 regions, each of which corresponded to a specific season - spring, summer, autumn or winter. This division is logical in combination with the mythology of the ancient interfluve, according to which the visible region of the heavens was divided into certain spheres.
The first sphere, the future zodiac belt, or rather part of it, extended from the northern celestial pole to the 17th degree of northern latitude of the sky. This sphere was associated with Enil, who was one of the most important gods of the Akkadian and Sumerian pantheons. Enil is also better known by many other mythological names: “Great Mountain”, “Mighty Rock”. “Lord of Light” and others. It is noteworthy that its sign in the Sumerian letter coincides with the designation of the word god, “father of the gods,” “lord of fate.” In ancient myths, which to some extent tell the history of the origins of the zodiac signs, Enil is mentioned as the deity of fertility and vitality, as well as the patron of all the elements. Legends also say that Enil was the god who created the Earth and life on it.
The second, which is the central sphere zodiac belts, extends from the 17th degree north latitude of the sky to the 17th degree south latitude of the sky. This sphere was the territory of Anu. Also one of the main deities of the Akkadian-Sumerian version of Olympus, known as the god of the heavens or the father of the gods. According to mythology, it was Anu who created the heavens, where the zodiac belt is located, and ordered the birth of the Anunnaki, the gods of the Sumerians. In the images, Anu appeared in the form of a rider sitting on a heavenly horse or simply located in heaven. By the way, the history of the zodiac sign Libra is largely connected with this god. This god is characterized by lack of ideas, passivity and indifference; in almost none of the legends he does not appear as the main character. In most stories it is mentioned as a symbol of power and divine power, but nothing more.
The lowest, third sphere, forming the zodiac belt, was located at the turn of the 17th degree south latitude and was associated with the image of the Akkadian god Ea and the Sumerian god Enki. Ea or Enki was the master of the Abzu, the local version of the underworld, the underworld. He was the god of wisdom and knowledge, subject only to the gods. In myths, he often acted as a defender who stood in the way of divine wrath. More than once or twice he rescued heroes of myths from troubles.
The history of the zodiac signs, which are the basis of the horoscope.
The division of these spheres into the signs of the zodiac and their transformation into a belt occurred in the Neo-Babylonian era, however, elements of the reformation were visible already in the Persian period of history. When the zodiac, its concept and zodiac were formed, ancient scientists followed certain rules: all signs, their territories, had to be equal in length, in their area there had to be large constellations, which later served as the name for the zodiac signs. The history of the appearance of zodiac signs is difficult, as a result of this reform in mythology, 12 zodiac signs were born, which included: Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Aries, Leo, Virgo, Libra, which at first were called Scorpio claws, Scorpio, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Pisces and Aquarius.
This division, which damaged the zodiac and the history of the zodiac signs, was carried out despite the fact that not 12, but 13 constellations pass through the ecliptic. However, the 13th constellation, which few people know about today, called Ophiuchus, does not have a corresponding zodiac sign. Because of this, confusion often arises in numerous disputes on astronomical and astrological topics. The history of the zodiac sign Leo or any other sign is being questioned. As a result, articles regularly appear in the media under the heading “sensation”, exposing ignorant astronomers of antiquity and astrologers of modern times, allegedly mistakenly ignoring or simply being unaware of the existence of the 13th zodiac sign. The history of the zodiac signs has been exposed more than once or twice. It is worth emphasizing here that there are 13 constellations in the zodiac belt, but there are only 12 zodiac signs.
As an example, we can give a table that shows the dates of entry of the star of our system, the Sun, into sectors of the zodiac signs.
Libra - from September 23 to October 22. In 2012, the Sun entered the sign of Libra on September 22 at 18:49;
Scorpio - from October 23 to November 22. In 2012, the Sun entered the sign of Scorpio on October 23 at 4:14;
Sagittarius - from November 23 to December 21. In 2012, the Sun entered the sign of Sagittarius on November 22 at 1:50;
Capricorn - from December 22 to January 20. In 2012, the Sun entered the sign of Capricorn on December 21 at 15:12;
Aquarius - from January 21 to February 19. In 2012, the Sun entered the sign of Aquarius on January 20 at 21:11;
The history of the zodiac signs is formed precisely according to these dates. Actually, this table clearly demonstrates why there are only 12 signs, and not 13, in accordance with the constellations on the path of the Sun.
Zodiac belt and its history.
This division of the zodiac belt was carried out in accordance with Babylonian mythological beliefs, according to which each of the celestial spheres that were described earlier was further divided into 2 parts. Moreover, control of five of the six resulting spheres was given to five planets, and the sixth sphere was controlled by the Sun and Moon. As a result, 7 heavens appeared that divided the ecliptic, zodiac belt for 12 plots.
Here it is worth clarifying that there are two types of main zodiacs - tropical and sidereal, i.e. star. Their main difference is that completely different methods were used to calculate the starting points, the start. Thus, the most ancient is the sidereal zodiac, the zodiac belt, the beginning of which is tied to the fixed stars in the sky. This version of the zodiac originated there, in ancient Babylon, and is still used in the modern world, for example, in Indian astrological science.
The second type of zodiac (zodiac belt), i.e. tropical, was formed in Greece. It was the result of the work of the Athenian scientist Euctemon, who introduced the division of the zodiac based on the days of the equinoxes. Those. In ancient Greece, the method of dividing the zodiac belt was introduced, which was used in most countries of the ancient world. The history of the zodiac signs extraordinary, the ancient astronomer divided the solar year into 12 equal months, which were determined by the signs of the Zodiac, originating in mythology. According to Euctemon, the year began on the summer solstice.
At the end of the 4th century BC, the Chaldean Kidinnu proposed another system of the tropical zodiacal zone, in which the equinoxes and solstices were located in the eighth degree of the cardinal signs. This system has been used for several centuries. Even at the beginning of our era in Rome, the spring equinox continued to correspond to the eighth degree of the sign of Aries.
The father of the modern method of dividing the zodiac, since the zodiac is now divided, was the ancient Greek scientist Hipparchus, who discovered the phenomenon of precession. It was he who, looking at the zodiac belt, discovered the displacement effect. Precession is the process of gradual displacement of the equinox and solstice points relative to the fixed stars in the sky. It was they who correlated the day of the vernal equinox with the zero degree of Aries. Its version of the zodiac belt is used today in most countries of the world, including the CIS countries.
Rice. 29. Zodiac belt.
Let us highlight those constellations along which the path of the Sun passes - the ecliptic, and the constellations located near the plane of the Milky Way.
The ecliptic passes through the constellations that form the Zodiac belt.
These constellations in their order are: Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius.
The names of a number of zodiac constellations have preserved to this day traces of the ancient hunting and agricultural period in human history. The constellations Aquarius and Pisces symbolize the period of river flooding and fishing. The constellations of Taurus and Aries are the period of pastures. The constellations Virgo and Libra are the period of harvesting and weighing the harvest.
We see in Fig. 29 the entire belt of these constellations, depicted on one map. The ecliptic on this map looks like a sinusoid curve. Half of the Sun's annual path passes among the northern constellations and half among the southern ones.
The ecliptic reaches its northernmost point in the constellation Gemini, and its southernmost point in the constellation Sagittarius.
Milky Way is not completely visible to us. Its richest part in stars and star clouds is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. At the same time, most of the Milky Way is accessible to our observations.
The Milky Way passes through the constellations: Sagittarius, Scutum, Aquila, Sagittarius, Chanterelle, Cygnus, Lizard, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Auriga, Gemini, Unicorn and Puppis.
The center of the Milky Way is located in the constellation Sagittarius, and the point opposite the center - the anticenter - is on the border of the constellations Gemini and Auriga.
STARS. MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF STARS.
The stars are located at enormous distances from each other, and thus are practically isolated.
In particular, this means that stars almost never collide with each other, although the motion of each of them is determined by the gravitational field created by all the stars in the Galaxy.
If we consider the Galaxy as a certain region filled with gas, and the role of gas molecules and atoms is played by stars, then we must consider this gas to be extremely rarefied. In the vicinity of the Sun, the average distance between stars is approximately 10 million times greater than the average diameter of stars. Meanwhile, under normal conditions in ordinary air, the average distance between molecules is only several tens of times greater than the size of the latter.
To achieve the same degree of relative rarefaction, the air density would have to be reduced by at least 10 18 times!
Note that in the central region of the Galaxy, where stellar density is relatively high, collisions between stars will occur from time to time. Here we should expect approximately one collision every million years, while in the “normal” regions of the Galaxy there have been virtually no collisions between stars in the entire history of the evolution of our stellar system, which is at least 10 billion years old.
We can determine Metagalaxy as a collection of star systems - galaxies, moving in the vast spaces of the part of the Universe we observe.
The galaxies closest to our star system are the famous Magellanic Clouds, clearly visible in the sky of the southern hemisphere as two large spots of approximately the same surface brightness as the Milky Way. The distance to the Magellanic Clouds is “only” about 200 thousand light years, which is quite comparable to the total extent of our Galaxy.
Another galaxy “close” to us is the nebula in the constellation Andromeda. It is visible to the naked eye as a faint speck of light of 5th magnitude. In fact, this is a huge star world, in terms of the number of stars and total mass three times greater than our Galaxy, which in turn is a giant among galaxies. The distance to the Andromeda nebula is about 1800 thousand light years, which is about 20 times the size of the Galaxy. The nebula has a clearly defined spiral structure and in many of its characteristics is very similar to our Galaxy. Next to it are its small ellipsoidal satellites (Fig. 5).
Rice. 5. Andromeda nebula with satellites.
