You can’t see the stars in everyday life. Which is an absolute travesty. Every human being has the right to watch the stars and enjoy their fancy, yet we are unable to in our cities and towns. The light pollution prevents us from gazing up at the stars. Our ancestors were free to gaze up at them whenever they wished. This is why they made so many of them, especially the Greeks. Their Gods were not myths to them, but real, standing, lying, running, jumping and sitting in the night sky. Nowadays we call their interpretations constellations. We’re going to cover 3 of them, showcasing where you can find them, what they are about and what they mean.
Aries the ram
Aries is the Greek God of war. He is often associated with powerful animals and chief among them is the ram. This fighting herbivore is known to have incredible butting bouts, whereby the males will crash into each other head first. Aries is the Latin word for ram and the constellation of Aries is of a Ram’s horn. If you venture outside, you might be able to see it with the naked eye. It’s the 39th largest constellation in the sky. It’s 441 square degrees. It’s latitudes are plus-90 degrees, minus-60 degrees. You will find that Taurus, Pisces and Cetus will be close by. The horn hitches up and then elongates out into 4 other sources of light.
Leo the lion
For this one you may need to venture into a place where there is very little urban light. So take with you a flashlight that can light your way into the nearby forest or hills. Household flashlights are no good, they only have about 100 lumens, while the ECOGEAR FX flashlights have upwards of 300 lumens. You’ll need this kind of flashlight when there is next to zero light pollution because you won’t be able to see your hand in front of your face. Leo the lion is often seen best in April at around 9 or 10pm. His latitudes are plus-90 degrees, minus-65 degrees. His ascension is to the right, for about 11 hours.
Orion the hunter
Orion is a Greek hunter, who can be seen in the night sky without any equipment. He usually appears between November and February. He’s in the southwestern sky, in the Northern Hemisphere. His latitudes are plus-85 degrees, minus-75 degrees. So as you can see, many of the best constellations are closely grouped together so you may often find that you spot another constellation just by spotting the first. He is seen hunting with his shield, although some say he is picking up a young lion. He is a symbol of heroism, strength and undaunting will.
Enjoy the night sky like never before. When you find these constellations you can truly admire not just the universe, but the cultures that thought and saw these constellations before us. Once you find one, you’re very likely to find others.