In 1922 the International Astronomical Union(Mas) defined all visible constellations located in the celestial sphere. All star clusters were systematized, a catalog of the Northern and Southern hemispheres of the star sky was created. In all, there are at present 88 constellations, and only 47 of them are the most ancient, whose existence is determined by time intervals of several millennia. A separate list indicates 12 zodiacal constellations through which the Sun passes through the year.
Almost all constellations of the Southern Hemisphere, andalso asterisms, have their own names, the source of which is the mythology of Ancient Greece. For example, the myth of how the goddess of hunting Artemis killed the young Orion and in a fit of repentance placed him among the stars. So there was the constellation Orion. And the constellation of the Great Dog, located at the feet of Orion, is nothing but a hunting dog that followed the sky behind its master. The arrangement of the stars in each constellation forms an approximately contingent contour of a mythological creature, Taurus or Scorpio, Virgo or Centaur.
The star map of the Southern Hemisphere contains manyfrom known constellations. Among them there are so-called useful asterisms. Similar to Ursa Major, located in the Northern Hemisphere and pointing to the North Star, in Southern there is a Southern Cross constellation, with which you can trace the direction to the pole of the south. Both constellations of the Southern Hemisphere are of great importance for naval orientation, when the captain of the ship at night must lay a course. The stars provide significant assistance in navigation and lead ocean vessels to the right path.
The stars are bright and weak. The degree of luminescence depends on several factors. Constellations of the Southern Hemisphere include stars of both intense and muted luminescence. The brightest star in the night sky is Sirius, which enters the constellation of the Great Dog. Its age is about 235 million years, and its mass is more than twice the size of the Sun. The star has always been an idol in the night sky for people, it was worshiped, sacrificed, and expected from Sirius of auspiciousness, good harvest and help in worldly affairs. Halo of the deity was marked by many other stars of the Southern Hemisphere, people believed in the wonderful abilities of the night lights. And some constellations are even described in church books.
The zodiacal constellation of the southern hemisphere of the sky,a constellation of Taurus, is located between Aries and Gemini. Taurus includes a bright star - Aldebaran, but especially noteworthy is the location in it of two star clusters - the Pleiades and the Hyades. The Pleiad consists of more than 500 stars, and there are 130 in the Hyades. Taurus is one of the constellations, rich in astrophysical processes throughout its history. In the 11th century AD. the constellation of Taurus was shocked by the explosion of a supernova, resulting in the formation of the so-called Crab nebula with a pulsar, which is the source of the most powerful X-ray radiation and sends radiomagnetic pulses. Many constellations of the Southern Hemisphere have the potential of stellar transformations. As a result, cosmic shocks are unavoidable.
Another constellation of the Southern Hemisphere - Pisces,located between Aries and Aquarius. Fish are noteworthy that through them passes the point of the spring equinox. The constellation includes two large asterisms, the Northern Fish consisting of three stars, and the Crown of the seven stars. The constellation of Pisces also contains a story from ancient Greek mythology. When the mythical monster Typhon drove the frightened gods from Olympus into Egypt, Aphrodite, fleeing from horror, turned into a fish, and then turned into a fish and her son, Eros.</ p>
