Recently under the topic “Cats in Space,” we posted about
nebulas named after cats (or, rather parts of cats). Today we’re tackling feline constellations. The first of these,
Leo, you’ve certainly heard of, especially if you were born between July 22 and
August 22. The other three you might only be aware of if you are really into
stars.
The constellation Leo. Note the "backwards question mark" formation on the right. Illustration by ad_hominem, via Adobe Stock. |
Leo
Herakles struggles with the Nemean Lion on this Greek postage stamp. Photo by Lefteris Papaulakis, via Adobe Stock. |
Leo, the Lion, is one of the largest constellations, and
also one of the most ancient. It was cataloged by the Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy
(c. AD 100–170) in the second century, but its origins stretch back much farther
than that. The Mesopotamians may have had a lion constellation way back in
4,000 BC. Other ancient peoples also had a lion constellation—notably the
Persians, who called it Shir or Ser, and the Babylonians, who called it UR.GU.LA
(“The Lion,” in case your Babylonian is rusty, and if you want to brush up even more, check out these posts on how to say "cat" in Old Babylonian and Neo-Babylonian). To the Babylonians, the Lion
marked the summer solstice.
This constellation is commonly associated with two mythological
beasts: the Nemean Lion and, somewhat less commonly, the Sphinx. The Nemean
Lion was a fearsome lion that terrorized the Valley of Nemea in Greece. Its
hide could not be penetrated by ordinary weapons, so ordinary men could not
kill it. Heracles (whom you may know as Hercules) killed this lion as the first
of his famous twelve labors. Thereafter, he wore its hide as a symbol. The Sphinx,
of course, was a beast with a lion’s body and a human head. We associate the sphinx
mostly with Egypt, but the creature was also known in Greek myth.
Leo is a constellation of the northern hemisphere. Its most
prominent feature is the “backwards question mark” formed by the stars that
outline the lion’s head. Its brightest star is Regulus, which is actually
a four-star system.
You can learn a lot more about Leo, including how to find it in the sky, from this video:
Leo Minor
A sphinx in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The sphinx is also sometimes associated with the constellation Leo. Photo by Юкатан [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
The brightest star in Leo Minor is Praecipua. Interestingly,
Leo Minor includes three stars that are known to have exoplanets: HD 87883, HD
82886, and Kelt-3.
Lynx
The Lynx was also created by Johannes Hevelius (1611–1687),
who wanted a little something to fill a gap between two other constellations.
He called the star formation the Lynx because he said it was so faint, you’d
need a lynx’s eyesight to find it. Lynxes were thought to have extraordinary,
even magical eyesight. Greek folklore held that they could see through walls,
and medieval Christians considered the lynx a symbol of Christ’s omniscience
because of its keen sight. Though the Lynx constellation isn’t commonly
associated with any myths, to some viewers it brings to mind an Argonaut (yes,
as in “Jason and the Argonauts”) named Lynceus, whose eyesight was so good he
could see through walls and even underground.
Felis
Some constellations endure, and some don’t. Felis (the Cat) didn’t. It was created in the 18th century by Joseph Jerome Le Francais de
Lalande (1732–1807). He liked cats, so he created a cat constellation for star charts
of the time. You won’t find Felis on modern star charts though.
The other three feline constellations can still be found, so next time you gaze up at the night sky, be sure to look for the cats!
The other three feline constellations can still be found, so next time you gaze up at the night sky, be sure to look for the cats!
Sources
Constellation Guide.
http://www.constellation-guide.com/
Mercatante, Anthony S., and James R. Dow. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World
Mythology and Legend, 2nd edition. New York: Facts on File: 2004.
Perhaps Felis is a Cheshire cat & will reappear when its ready to.
ReplyDeleteMy Mama has a TON of Leo in her chart....but...she is born on the cusp of Libra/Scorpio with Sagittarius rising........but at least Mom has SOME "cat" in her! Love, Cody catchatwithcarenandcody
ReplyDeleteVerrrrry interesting! Talk about something different! BTW I enjoy Leos! Courageous and fearless and usually the most popular kid on the block!
ReplyDeleteI'm a Leo!!! And so is my grandma! This is such an interesting post! --Mudpie
ReplyDeleteWe knew about Leo but not the rest!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post. I am a Leo :)
ReplyDelete