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Encyclopedia Definition of: Monoceros Monoceros Monoceros Abbreviation Mon Genitive Monocerotis Meaning in English the Unicorn Right ascension 7.15 h Declination -5.74� Visible to latitude Between 75� and -85� On meridian 9 p.m., February 20 Area - Total Ranked 35th 482 sq. deg. No. of stars with apparent magnitude < 3 0 Brightest star - Apparent magnitude ? Monocerotis 3.93 Meteor showers * December Monocerids * Alpha Monocerids Bordering constellations * Canis Major * Canis Minor * Gemini * Hydra * Lepus * Orion * Puppis Monoceros is a faint constellation on the winter night sky, surrounded by Orion to the west, Gemini to the north, Canis Major to the south and Hydra to the east. Other bordering constellations includes Canis Minor, Lepus and Puppis. Contents [showhide] 1 Notable features 2 Notable deep sky objects 3 History 4 Mythology 5 External Links Notable features Monoceros is an almost invisible constellation, with only a few fourth magnitude stars. Alpha Monocerotis has a visual magnitude of 3.93, slightly brighter than Gamma Monocerotis, which has a visual magnitude of 3.98. But Monoceros do have something interesting with the aid of a small telescope. Beta Monocerotis is an impressive triple star system, the three stars form a triangle which seems to be fixed. The visual magnitudes of the stars are 4.7, 5.2 and 6.1. William Herschel discovered it in 1781 and commented it as 'one of the most beautiful sights in the heavens'. Epsilon Monocerotis is a fixed binary, with visual magnitudes of 4.5 and 6.5. S Monocerotis, or 15 Monocerotis, is a bluish white variable star and is located at the center of NGC 2264. However the variation of its magnitude is not too great. It has a companion star of visual magnitude 8. V838 Monocerotis had an outburst starting on January 6, 2002. Notable deep sky objects * M50, open cluster * The Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237-9,46), diffuse nebula * NGC 2244, open cluster History Monoceros is a modern constellation, generally supposed to be named by the Dutch astronomer and theologian Petrus Plancius in 1613 and have been charted by Jakob Bartsch as Unicornus in his star chart of 1624; but Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers and Ludwig Ideler indicate the constellation is actually much older, with it appearing in works as early at 1564, and Joseph Scaliger is reported to have found it on an ancient Persian sphere. Mythology Since Monoceros is a modern constellation, it has no classical mythology associated to it. The unicorn is a mythical animal, which resembles a horse but bears a single, spiral horn on its forehead. Its horn is commonly believed to be able to cure poison. This animal is often a symbol of chastity and purity. Winter Winter is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. Astronomically, it begins with the winter solstice (around 21 December in the Northern hemisphere (except in the Irish Calendar where it is counted as the full months of November, December and January), and 21 June in the Southern hemisphere), and ends with the spring equinox (around 21 March in the Northern hemisphere and 21 September in the Southern hemisphere). However, sometimes it is counted instead as the whole months of June, July and August in the Southern hemisphere and December, January and February in the Northern hemisphere. See List of winter festivals. Wintering is a term used to refer to seasonal climate-related migrations, such as those of migratory birds or Monarch butterflies. By extension, it is also refers to seasonal agricultural practices, such as transferring beehives to warmer locations. Winter is also a book by Morley Callaghan, first published in 1974 with photographs by John de Visser of the New York Graphic Society. There is also the Village of Winter and the Town of Winter in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Orion (constellation) Orion Abbreviation Ori Genitive Orionis Meaning in English the Great Hunter Right ascension 5 h Declination 5� Visible to latitude Between 85� and -75� Best visible January Area - Total Ranked 26th 594 sq. deg. Number of stars with apparent magnitude < 3 6 Brightest star - Apparent magnitude Rigel (? Orionis) 0.12 Meteor showers * Orionids * Chi Orionids Bordering constellations * Gemini * Taurus * Eridanus * Lepus * Monoceros Orion, the Hunter, is a prominent constellation, perhaps the best-known in the sky. Its brilliant stars, on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world, make this constellation universally recognized. Orion is standing next to the river Eridanus with his two hunting dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor, fighting Taurus the bull. Other prey of his like Lepus the hare, is also nearby. Contents [showhide] 1 Notable features 2 Notable deep sky objects 3 History 4 Mythology 5 See also 6 External link Notable features The constellation is extremely rich in bright stars and in deep-sky objects. Here are some of its stars: * Heka is Orion's head. * Betelgeuse (?), at its right shoulder, is a red star, larger than the orbit of Venus. The title of ?-star was falsely awarded to this star; it should have been given to Rigel instead, which is somewhat brighter. Betelgeuse is actually a sextuple star, but its companions are too small to be easily seen. It forms a point of the Winter Triangle. * Bellatrix (?), "warrior woman," is at Orion's left shoulder. * Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka (?, ? and ?) make up the asterism known as Orion's Belt: three bright stars in a row; even from these alone one can recognize Orion. * Saiph is at Orion's right knee. * Rigel (?), at the constellation's left knee, is a large white star, among the brightest in the sky. It has three companions, also difficult to see. * Hatsya (?) is at the tip of Orion's sword. Guide to Orion The major stars of Orion are all very similar in age and physical characteristics, suggesting that they may have a common origin. Betelgeuse is the single exception to this. Orion is very useful in locating other stars. By extending the line of the Belt southwestward, Sirius (? Canis Majoris) can be found; northeastward, Aldebaran, ? Tauri. A line eastward across the two shoulders indicates the direction of Procyon, ? Canis Minoris. A line from Rigel through Betelgeuse points to Castor and Pollux, ? and ? Geminorum. Notable deep sky objects Hanging from Orion's belt is his sword, consisting of the multiple stars ?1 and ?2 Orionis, called Trapezium and the nearby Orion Nebula (M42). This is a spectacular object which can clearly identified with the naked eye as being something other than a star; using a pair of binoculars, its swirling clouds of nascent stars, luminous gas, and dust can be observed. Another famous nebula is IC 434, the Horsehead Nebula, near ? Orionis. It contains a dark dust cloud whose shape gives the nebula its name. Besides these nebulae, surveying Orion with a small telescope will reveal a wealth of interesting deep-sky objects. History Great Nebula Orion Being such a brilliant pattern of stars, Orion was recognized by many ancient civilizations, though with different images. The ancient Sumerians saw this star pattern as a sheep. The name Betelgeuse literally means "the armpit"; in the case of the Sumerians it meant "the armpit of the sheep". In ancient China, Orion is one of the 28 zodiac Xiu (?). Known as Shen (?), literally meaning "three", it is probably so named because of the three stars on Orion's belt. See Chinese constellation. The stars were considered to be a tribute to the god of light, Osiris by the ancient Egyptians. The "belt and sword" of Orion are frequently referred to in ancient and modern literature, and even found recognition as the shoulder insignia of the 27th Infantry Division of the United States Army during both World Wars, probably because the division's first commander was Major General John F. O'Ryan. Mythology Main article: Orion (mythology) It is not very surprising to see such a prominent constellation to have more than one version of a story surrounding it in Greek mythology. In one version, Orion claims himself to be the greatest hunter in the world. This is heard by Hera, the wife of Zeus, and she decided to send a scorpion after Orion. Orion is stung to death by the scorpion. Zeus felt sorry for Orion and put him onto the sky. The scorpion is also taken up to the sky, becoming the constellation Scorpius. It is an interesting fact that when one of the two constellations rises from the horizon, the other would have already set. So the two rival can never see each other again. It may be that the naming of the constellation precedes the mythology in this case. it has been suggested that Orion is named from the Akkadian Uru-anna, the light of heaven, the name then passing into Greek mythology. The constellation is mentioned in Horace's Odes, Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, and Virgil's Aeneid. |
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