You don't have to search long for your next tale around the campfire. You need to look up.
The constellations, also called asterisms, are a 5000-year-old saga of epic story-telling. While constellation stories vary between cultures and centuries, they share great heroes, troublesome gods, and powerful lessons.
These are some of my favorite tales to tell on a star-filled night. Share these during your next Astronomy class and see what stories your students can spin from the stars!
URSA MAJOR (THE BIG DIPPER) and URSA MINOR (THE LITTLE DIPPER)
In the classic shenanigans of Greek mythology, Zeus pursues a wood nymph named Callisto. The two have a son together named Arcas.
Zeus's wife, Hera, doesn't trust her husband as far as she can throw him. When she discovers this love affair she becomes overwhelmed with jealousy and angrily turns Callisto into a bear. As you might expect, it's kind of tough to raise a kid as a bear. So the poor Callisto has no choice but to disappear into the woods to live out her days alone.
Fast-forward many years later. Arcas is now a grown man and, as fate would have it, has an incredible talent for hunting. As he roams the woods for his next kill, he stumbles upon the ultimate prize- a bear!
Unfortunately, Arcas does not recognize his long-suffering mother and draws back an arrow, ready to shoot the creature. But wait! The absentee Zeus, who created this mess in the first place, finally steps in. With a snap of his fingers, he turns Arcas into a bear. He then picks up Arcas and Callisto by their tails and tosses them into the sky. It is there where they remain, safe and together forever.
Look for The North Star (Polaris). This is the end handle of The Little Dipper (Ursa Minor).
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PEGASUS
Do you know Medusa, the snake-headed Gorgon whose gaze turned people to stone? Well, something extraordinary happened when she was killed... a winged horse sprang from her body! This beautiful flying creature was called Pegasus.
Pegasus was a wild animal that no person could safely approach. That was until a hero, named Bellerophon, tamed Pegasus with a golden bridle. The pair went on to defeat the fearsome Chimera- a beast with a head of a lion, a head of a goat, and a head of a dragon.
However, it was Bellerohpon's greed that was his undoing. The taming of Pegasus and the death of Chimea made him feel divine, and he decided to fly on Pegasus up to Mount Olympus to join the gods. With one more flap of Pegasus's wings, Bellerophon would've made it.... except he accidentally tumbled off the creature's back. Zeus's love for Pegasus turned the horse into a constellation, soaring the skies for eternity.
Look for The Great Square, four bright stars that make up the body of Pegasus
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Cassiopeia
There is only one husband-wife duo in the sky. That is King Cepheus of Ethiopia and the famous Queen Cassiopeia.
What was Cassiopeia famous for? Unfortunately, her vanity! One day, while brushing her golden locks, Cassiopeia dared to say that she was more beautiful than the sea nymphs, the Nereids. The irritated Nereids went to their father, Poseidon, and asked him to punish Cassiopeia for her pride. The sea god could not say no to his pleading daughters. He released a terrible sea monster upon the Ethiopian kingdom.
Cassiopeia could not take back her words but to appease Posiden, she could sacrifice what she loved the most: her daughter Andromeda. Chained to a rock, a tearful Andromeda was offered to the sea monster who loomed over the city.
A stroke of luck would save the day. Perseus, the hero who had killed Medusa, was traveling nearby. Using the Gorgon's head, he turned the sea monster into stone and saved Andromeda and the kingdom. The boastful queen, Cassiopeia, was cemented in the night sky as a reminder of the consequences of pride.
Look for 5 stars that form a "M" or "W" shape in the sky |
ORION
Some stories say he was part-god. In others, a skilled mortal. Either way, Orion was an exceptionally talented hunter and his abilities did not go unnoticed. He became a favorite companion of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.
Artemis and Orion enjoyed the art of hunting: tracking, killing, and honoring what they caught. It seemed the two of them could spend simple days in the woods forever. That was until Orion began to dare for more. "Show me the deadliest creature on the planet," he bragged "and I'll kill it." Artemis warned him of his ambition but Orion would not be silenced. He demanded the gods challenge him with the mightiest of foes. Gaia, the Earth goddess, heard enough.
She sent her fiercest creature, a giant scorpion, to battle Orion. The two were evenly matched and the earth shook as hunter and scorpion clashed. At long last Orion's arrow hit the scorpion's heart just as the scorpion's tail struck Orion to the ground. Artemis watched, heartbroken, as Orion drew his final breath. The goddess asked Zeus to make a place for her beloved companion in the stars where she could remember him forever.
Look for Orion's Belt, three stars that form a line
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THE ZODIAC
No examination of the night sky would be complete without The Zodiac! These renowned constellations date back to 5 B.C. when Babylonian astronomers divided the sky into 12 sections. While the Zodiac today is more prominent in astrology, it is still used to navigate and map the celestial world.
Do you know the story behind your star sign?
CONSTELLATION | SIGN | Story |
Aries | Ram | In the story of Jason and the Argonauts, Jason is sent to retrieve the Golden Fleece, a sought-after treasure protected by a giant serpent. |
Taurus | Bull | Poseidon gifted the King of Crete, Minos, a white bull. This bull would later become the father of the Minotaur, a half-man half-bull creature that roams The Labyrinth. |
Gemini | Twins | There lived two twins named Castor and Pollux. Castor was born mortal but his brother Pollux was born immortal. When Castor eventually died, Pollux begged Zeus to kill him and give his immortality to his brother. Moved by this kindness, Zeus gave both brothers immortality and a place to live in the stars. |
Leo | Lion | Hercules was tasked with killing the Neman Lion, a beast with impenetrable skin and razor-sharp claws. Although Hercules defeated the lion with a swing of his club, the big cat continues to live amongst the cosmos. |
Virgo | Maiden | When Pandora opened a box that released misery upon the world, the gods left for the safety of the heavens. The last god to leave was Astraea, the goddess of purity. She is the inspiration for Virgo. |
Libra | Scales | The scales of Libra are the possession of Themis, the goddess of justice. |
Scorpio | Scorpion | A giant scorpion was sent by the Earth Goddess to defeat Orion, a boastful hunter. Both are immortalized as constellations for their skill shown in battle. |
Sagittarius | Archer | Crotus was a half-goat half-man (a satyr) who was extremely skilled in music and archery. He is attributed to having invented the bow. |
Capricorn | Goat | Pan was half-goat half-god. Due to his association with nature and fertility, he was the patron god of shepherds. |
Aquarius | Waterbearer | Ganymede was a prince of Troy who became the cupbearer to Zeus. He asked Zeus to send rain to Earth whenever there was drought to relieve people. |
Pisces | Fish | Typhon, a fearsome dragon with 100 heads, attacked the goddess Venus and her son, Cupid. Venus prayed for the help of the water nymphs. The nymphs transformed Venus and Cupid into koi fish to hide from the dragon. Their tails were bound so they wouldn't lose track of each other. |
Create a New Constellation!
Now that you've shared the stories behind classic constellations, challenge students by having them create a constellation of their own! Give them a piece of paper, a hole puncher, and a pinch of glitter to create a constellation (and origin story) that's meaningful to them. Share those stories under the canopy of the night sky.
Happy Stargazing!
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