Do you know about Asterion?
April 2013: This heavenly hound’s stars may not be very bright, but the constellation has a shining history.
Contributed by Stephen James O'Meara
By Adrian L. Melott
Published:
February 25, 2013
This month, I take you on a search for the most understated of all the official 88 constellations. Many of us have hunted popular deep-sky objects among its stars. I’m talking about Asterion, the northern animal of Canes Venatici the Hunting Dogs.
Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius invented Canes Venatici in 1687 to honor the two hounds of Boötes the Herdsman, which he uses to drive Ursa Major the Great Bear away from his flock.
Astronomy magazine subscribers can read the full column for free. Just make sure you're registered with the website.
|
You are currently not logged in. This article is only available to Astronomy magazine subscribers.
Already a subscriber to Astronomy magazine?
If you are already a subscriber to Astronomy magazine you must log into your account to view this article. If you do not have an account you will
need to regsiter for one. Registration is FREE and only takes a couple minutes.
Non-subscribers, Subscribe TODAY and save!
|
|
Get instant access to subscriber content on Astronomy.com!
- Access our interactive Atlas of the Stars
- Get full access to StarDome PLUS
- Columnist articles
- Search and view our equipment review archive
- Receive full access to our Ask Astro answers
- BONUS web extras not included in the magazine
- Much more!
|