Transcript Constellations - Primary Grades Class Page

Constellations
HERACLES - The great
hero. He was the
strongest and bravest
man on earth. He killed
many monsters , some
of whom asdo became
constellations such as
Cancer, Draco, Hydra,
and Leo.
Canis major
Great Dog
-
He is one of the two
faithful hunting dogs of
Orion the hunter.
The dogs and the hare,
Lepus, were placed in
the sky after
Orion was accidentally
killed by Artemis.
Orion
Hunter
- the
A giant hunter who was
set amongst the
stars as the
constellation Orion.
Some say he chased
Lepus, the hare,
across the heavens with
his dog, the
constellation Canis.
Cygnus
- the Swan
Aeus, the king of the gods, sometimes
disguised himself as a swan.
Boötes -
the Herdsman
Bootes was pictured as a
mighty man.
In his right hand he holds
a spear, and with his left,
two hunting dogs.
he chases the Great Bear
(Ursa Major) and Little
Bear (Ursa Minor) around
the sky. Bootes was called
“The Bear Driver.”
Ursa Major -
the Great Bear
When Zeus fell in love with
Callisto, his jealous wife
changed Callisto into a bear.
Zeus threw both mother
and son into the sky as the Big
and Little Bears. The way
Zeus got the bears into the
sky explains why their tails are
so long, since Zeus grabbed
them by their tails and swung
them around over his headand
finally flung them into the sky,
and that is why these two
bears have long tails!
Pegasus - the Flying Horse
Pegasus sprang from the
spilled blood of the
Medusa, which dripped
into the ocean after she
was slain by Perseus.
This is the winged horse
that Perseus was riding
when he saved
Andromeda from the sea
monster Cetus.
Hydra ( the
Sea Serpent).
A manyheaded
monster killed
by Hercules.
Hydra is the
largest
constellation in
the sky.
Orion
• ORION A giant hunter
who was set amongst
the stars as the
constellation Orion.
Some say he chased
Lepus, the hare, across
the heavens with his
dog, the constellation
Canis, others that he
was in pursuit of Taurus
the bull, or even
chasing after the seven
beautiful Pleiad
nymphs.
Draco
DRAGON The
huge serpent
which guarded
the golden
apples of the
Hesperides.
After the
beast was slain
by Heracles,
Hera placed it
amongst the
stars as Draco.
Taurus (the Bull)
• BULL ZEUS When the
Phoenician princess Europa was
playing by the sea shore, Zeus
approached her in the guise of a
bull and, tempting her to climb
onto his back, carried her away to
the island of Crete.
KING LION
• KING LION The lion, king
of all the beasts, was set
amongst the stars as the
constellation Leo in
recognition of his
supremacy.
HERACLES DRAGON-SLAYER
• HERACLES DRAGON-SLAYER The great
hero was placed amongst the stars in the
form of a kneeling man with his club
poised to strike the Hesperian dragon, the
constellation Draco.
PERSEUS
• PERSEUS An Argive hero, the son of Zeus and
Danae. When he was returning on his quest for
the Gorgon's head, he spied the Ethiopian
princess Andromeda chained to the rocks as
sacrifice to a sea-monster. Perseus slew the
beast and saved the girl. In memorial of the
event Athena placed Perseus, Andromeda,
Cepheus and Cassiopea (the girl's parents) and
Cetus (the Sea Monster) amongst the stars.
LYRE OF ORPHEUS
• LYRE OF ORPHEUS The lyre of
the great bard Orpheus, who
could charm animals, trees and
rocks with his music.
PISCES
-
FISH
• FISHES OF APHRODITE When the
monster Typhon attacked Olympus, the
gods fled in a body to the south. Aphrodite
and her son Eros reached the river
Eridanus where they threw themselves in
the water and hid in the guise of fish. In
memory of the event a pair of fish were set
amongst the stars as the constellation
Pisces.
Scales of Justice
• SCALES OF JUSTICE The scales
of Astraea, the goddess of justice,
were placed beside her in the
heavens as the constellation
Libra. Astraea herself was Virgo.
Gemini
• DIOSCURI Twin sons of Zeus,
named Castor and Polydeuces.
The pair were famed horsemen
who were transferred to the
heavens at death to form the
constellation Gemini.