Mythology and Contemporary Astronomy of Ursa Major
Fiori - Anastasia Metallinou |
TEDxAUEB
• March 2018
UrsaMajor is one of the brightest and most impressive constellations in the night sky. As it is continuously visible from the northen hemisphere of our planet, it is characterized as a circumpolar constellation and it is also associated with the Greek mythology of nymph Calisto. From antiquity, Ursa Major along with Ursa Minor were observed from the travelers and especially the sailors for their orientation during their journeys. These constellations have been mentioned in Homer’s epics, in posterior poetry for the description of Greek mythology, as well as in astronomy for the understanding of our orientation on the Earth.
Based on Ptolemy's astronomical work "Almagest", which describes 48 constellations’ names from the Greek mythology, contemporary maps of the sky have been created, which include 88 constellations’ formations in both North and South hemispheres.
References of both Ursa Minor and Ursa Major can be also used in astronomy and astrophysics for the observation of double star systems, supernovae stars, spiral and elliptical galaxies, active galaxy centers and exoplanets, whose research is of great importance for astrophysicists.