Great secrets guarded by the universe lie suspended over us. Before science evolved, some stories sought to reveal the origins of the constellations, the changing of the seasons, and astronomical phenomena.
The study of the heavens is as old as the human curiosity to understand the universe, and thanks to this constant concern, extraordinary legends have arisen about the origin of some stars and constellations. Many of the best stories are based on myths from Greek culture, and here we will tell you about some of them.
Image: The Map House
Big Dipper: Hera’s Punishment
Let’s start with the most famous constellation, the Big Dipper. Although known elsewhere as the Frying Pan or the Great Dipper, this set of stars is accompanied by another smaller bright cluster known as the Little Dipper.
The history of these stars is born of a betrayal. Zeus, Hera’s husband, one day conceived Arcade with the nymph Callisto. When the goddess Hera found out about Zeus’s deceit, she decided to transform Callisto into a bear (Big Dipper).
One day, while hunting in the forest, Arcade came across Callisto in the form of an animal and tried to shoot an arrow at him. Before they could harm each other, Zeus decided to intervene and turned Arcade into another bear (Usa Minor).
Zeus took the two bears by the tail and threw them into the sky, to turn them into one of the most beautiful constellations in the cosmos. Hera, seeing what had happened, looked furiously at her brother Poseidon, god of the seas, and asked him that no one could be submerged in celestial waters. For this reason, the two constellations never disappear below the horizon line.
Image: Enrico Finotto
Andromeda, the guardian of a galaxy
When looking at the horizon, you can see the constellation of Andromeda, which shelters an entire galaxy inside. For the human eye it is almost impossible to capture Andromeda, because its light is of low intensity. However, its history is just as fascinating as this far-off set in the universe.
Andromeda’s mother, Cassiopeia, once offended Poseidon. Furious, he requested that the queen’s daughter be given as a sacrifice to a sea monster. That was the only way to get the god to calm down.
Fortunately, overshadowed by the beauty of Andromeda, the hero Perseus offered to kill the monster. After achieving her goal, he asked for the girl’s hand in order to marry her.
Orion, the belt of stars in the sky
The story tells that Orion was a beautiful giant, son of Poseidon and Euryale, who stood out for his strength and size. Turned into a hunter, he chased beasts in the underworld and in the sky accompanied by his Sirius his dog.
In time, his abilities would be recognized by joining the retinue of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, who would eventually fall in love with him. It is said that Apollo, the goddess’s twin brother, outraged by her fervor towards Orion, deceived her deceitfully: he was to shoot an arrow and stick it into a small figure that jutted out in a distant place in the sea.
Artemis, excited by the challenge, took her bow and pointed towards the island of Ortigia without knowing that the target was Orion. Heartbroken by the death of the hunter, the goddess asked Zeus to move the giant to heaven, turning him into a constellation.
It might interest you