Capricornus

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Capricornus

Capricornus is one of the constellation

Constellation

A constellation is a group of stars that appear to have a physical proximity in the sky. The stars in a constellation are often vastly distant from each other, but they appear close to each other from the perspective of Earth....
s of the zodiac

Zodiac

Zodiac denotes an annual cycle of twelve stations along the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the heavens through the constellations that divide the ecliptic into twelve equal zones of celestial longitude....
; it is often called Capricorn, especially when referring to the corresponding astrological sign

Capricorn (astrology)

Capricorn is the tenth astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the Capricornus. In western astrology, this sign is no longer aligned with the constellation as a result of the Precession ....
. Its name is Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
for "horned male goat

Goat

The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep: both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae....
" or "goat horn

Horn (anatomy)

A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various mammals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone....
", and it is commonly represented in the form of a sea-goat: a mythical creature that is half goat, half fish. Its symbol is .

Capricornus is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 constellations listed by the 1st century astronomer

Astronomer

An astronomer is a scientist who studies Celestial body such as planets, stars, and Galaxy.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using physical laws....
Ptolemy

Ptolemy

Claudius Ptolemaeus , known in English as Ptolemy , was a Roman Greek mathematics, Greek astronomy, geographer and astrologer. He lived in History of Roman Egypt, and was probably born there in a town in the Thebaid called Ptolemais Hermiou; he died in Alexandria around 168 AD....
.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Capricornus'

Start a new discussion about 'Capricornus'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

Capricornus is one of the constellation

Constellation

Zodiac

Capricorn (astrology)

Latin

Goat

Horn (anatomy)

.

Capricornus is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 constellations listed by the 1st century astronomer

Astronomer

Ptolemy

Aquila (constellation)

Aquila is a constellation. Its name is Latin for 'eagle' and it is commonly represented as such. It lies roughly at the celestial equator. The alpha star, Altair, is a vertex of the Summer Triangle asterism ....
, Sagittarius

Sagittarius (constellation)

Sagittarius is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow....
, Microscopium

Microscopium

Microscopium is a small constellation in the southern sky, created in the eighteenth century by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille. Its name is Latin for microscope....
, Piscis Austrinus

Piscis Austrinus

Piscis Austrinus , also known as Piscis Australis is a constellation. Its name is Latin for "the southern fish", contrasting with the larger Pisces, which also represents fish....
and Aquarius

Aquarius (constellation)

Aquarius Aquarius is one of the oldest of the recognized constellations along the zodiac . It is found in a region often called the Sea due to its profusion of constellations with watery associations such as Cetus the whale, Pisces the fish and Eridanus the river....
. The constellation is located in an area of sky called the Sea

Sea (astronomy)

The Sea or the Water is an area of the sky in which many water-related, and few land-related, constellations occur.Most of these constellations are named by Ptolemy:...
or Water, consisting of many water-related constellations such as Aquarius, Pisces and Eridanus.

Notable features

Capricornus is the faintest constellation in the zodiac besides Cancer

Cancer (constellation)

Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as such. Its symbol is . Cancer is small and its stars are faint....
. Its brighter stars are found on a triangle whose vertices are a² Capricorni

Alpha Capricorni

Alpha Capricorni is an double star star in the constellation Capricornus. It also has the traditional names Algiedi, Al Giedi, Algedi or Giedi; however, Giedi is sometimes also associated with Beta Capricorni....
(Giedi), d Capricorni

Delta Capricorni

Delta Capricorni , also traditionally named Deneb Algedi and or Scheddi, is a binary star system approximately 39 light-years away in the constellation of Capricornus ....
(Deneb Algiedi), and ? Capricorni

Omega Capricorni

Omega Capricorni is a star in the constellation Capricornus, with the traditional but seldom used name Baten Algiedi, which is Arabic language for "belly of the goat"....
.

Deep sky objects

Capricorn has several galaxies and clusters. Messier 30

Messier 30

Messier 30 is a globular cluster in the Capricornus constellation. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. M30 is at a distance of about 26,000 light-years away from Earth....
is a globular cluster located 1 degree south of the galaxy group NGC 7103. The constellation also harbors the wide spiral galaxy NGC 6907.

Named Stars

Bayer Bayer designation A Bayer designation is a stellar designation in which a specific star is identified by a Greek alphabet, followed by the genitive case form of its parent constellation's Latin language name....	Name	Origin	Meaning
a	Algiedi	Arabic
a1	Prima Giedi
a2	Secunda Giedi
ß	Dabih	Arabic
ß1	Dabih Major
ß2	Dabih Minor
?	Nashira	Arabic	bringer of news
d	Deneb Algiedi	Arabic	goat's tail
?	Yen	Chinese China China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
?	Chow	Chinese
?	Al Shat	Arabic	the sheep
?	Yue	Chinese	battle ax

'
History
Despite its faintness, Capricornus has one of the oldest mythological associations, having been consistently represented as a sea-goat for over three thousand years; its earliest representations are on tablets from ancient Babylon
Babylon

Babylon was a city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, sometimes considered an empire, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Governorate, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad....
. The constellation may owe its antiquity to the fact that at that time, the northern hemisphere's Winter Solstice
Solstice

A solstice is an astronomical event that occurs twice each year, when the tilt of the Earth's Rotation is most inclined toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun's apparent position in the sky to reach its north or south extreme....
occurred while the sun was in Capricorn. The concern for the sun's rebirth might have rendered astronomical and astrological observation of this region of space very important.

Due to the precession
Precession

Precession refers to a change in the direction of the axis of a rotation object. In physics, there are two types of precession, torque-free and torque-induced, the latter being discussed here in more detail....
of the equinoxes, the December solstice no longer takes place while the sun is in Capricorn, but the astrological period called Capricorn begins at approximately the same time as the solstice. The sun's most southerly position, which is attained at the northern hemisphere's winter solstice, is now called the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn

The Tropic of Capricorn, or Southern tropic, is one of the five major circle of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. It lies 23degree 26' 22? south of the Equator, and marks the most southerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon....
, a term which also applies to the line on earth where the sun is directly overhead at noon on that solstice.

The planet Neptune was discovered in this constellation by German astronomer Johann Galle, near Deneb Algedi (d Capricorni) on September 23, 1846, which is reasonable as Capricornus can be seen best at 4:00am in September.
'

Mythology
This constellation is sometimes identified as Amalthea
Amalthea (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Amalthea or Amaltheia is the most often mentioned among foster-mothers of Zeus. Her name in Greek is clearly an epithet, signifying the presence of an earlier nurturing goddess, whom the Hellenes, whose myths we know, knew to be located in Crete, where Minoan civilizations may have called her a version of "Dikte"...
, the goat that suckled the infant Zeus
Zeus

Zeus in Greek mythology is the king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky father and List of thunder gods. His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull , and oak....
after his mother Rhea
Rhea (mythology)

This page is about the Greek mythological figure. For the bird, see Rhea .Rhea was the Titan daughter of Ouranos , the sky, and Gaia , the earth, in Classical Greece mythology....
saved him from being devoured by his father Cronos in Greek mythology
Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the Ancient Greece concerning their List of Greek mythological figures#Immortals and Greek hero cult, Cosmology#Metaphysical cosmology, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices....
. The goat's broken horn was transformed into the cornucopia
Cornucopia

The cornucopia is a symbol of food and abundance dating back to the 5th century BC, also referred to as horn of plenty, Horn of Amalthea, and harvest cone....
or horn of plenty. Some ancient sources claim that this derives from the sun "taking nourishment" while in the constellation, in preparation for its climb back northward.

However, the constellation is more often depicted as a goat with a fish's tail. One myth says that when the goat-god Pan was attacked by the monster Typhon
Typhon

In Greek mythology, Typhon , also Typheus/Typhoeus , Typhaon or Typhos is the final son of Gaia , fathered by Tartarus, and is the god of wind....
, he dived into the Nile
Nile

The Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the List of rivers by length in the world.The Nile has two major tributary, the White Nile and Blue Nile, the latter being the source of most of the Nile's water and silt, but the former being the longer of the two....
; the parts above the water remained a goat, but those under the water transformed into a fish.

In Sumer
Sumer

Sumer was a civilization and a historical region located in Southern Iraq , known as the Cradle of civilization. It lasted from the first settlement of Eridu in the Ubaid period through the Uruk period and the Dynastic periods until the rise of Babylon in the early 2nd millennium BC....
, the constellation was associated with the god Enki
Enki

Enki was a deity in Mesopotamian mythology, later known as Ea in Babylonian mythology. He was originally chief god of the city of Eridu, but later the influence of his cult spread throughout Mesopotamia and also to Hittite and Hurrian areas....
(Babylonian
Babylonian mythology

Babylonian mythology is a set of stories depicting the activities of Babylonian deity, heroes, and mythological creatures. While these stories are in modern times usually considered a component of Babylonian religion, their purpose was not necessarily religious in nature....
Ea), who brought culture out of the sea to humankind.

The apparent paucity of stars within Capricornus, and the contrasting abundance within Sagittarius
Sagittarius

Sagittarius may refer to:Classical*Sagittarius , an astrological sign*Sagittarius , a constellation*Sagittarii , Roman mounted archers...
(which contains the brightest part of the Milky Way
Milky Way

The Milky Way, sometimes called simply the Galaxy, is the galaxy in which the Solar System is located. It is a barred spiral galaxy that is part of the Local Group of galaxies....
, was given a mythological explanation in Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece

The term Ancient Greece refers to the period of History of Greece lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman Republic conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth ....
: due to early Greek beliefs that sin
Sin

Sin is a term used mainly in a religion context to describe an act that violates a morality rule, or the state of having committed such a violation....
accumulated throughout the year, causing the darkness to increase, together with the sun's descent and pause at the Solstice, the ancient Greeks referred to this area of sky as the 'Augean Stable', where they considered the sun stabled during the year. The cause of the association with the location or name of Augeas
Augeas

In Greek mythology, Augeas , whose name means "bright", was king of Elis and husband of Epicaste. He is best known for his stables, which housed the single greatest number of cattle in the country and had never been cleaned ....
is not currently known.

Visualizations
Ptolemy's method of connecting the stars of Capricornus has been influential. .

H.A. Rey has suggested an alternative visualization, which graphically shows a goat
Goat

The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep: both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae....
. The goat's head is formed by the triangle of stars ? Cap
Iota Capricorni

Iota Capricorni is a star in the constellation Capricornus.? Capricorni is a yellow stellar classification giant star with a mean apparent magnitude of +4.28....
, ? Cap
Theta Capricorni

Theta Capricorni is a star in the constellation Capricornus. It is also called Dorsum , because of its position on the back of the Goat....
, and ? Cap
Zeta Capricorni

Zeta Capricorni, , is a fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Capricornus, with the traditional but seldom used name Marakk, which is Arabic language for "loins" ....
. The goat's horn sticks out with stars ? Cap
Gamma Capricorni

Gamma Capricorni is a giant star in the constellation Capricornus. It also has the traditional name Nashira, which comes from the Arabic language for "bearer of good news"....
and d Cap
Delta Capricorni

Delta Capricorni , also traditionally named Deneb Algedi and or Scheddi, is a binary star system approximately 39 light-years away in the constellation of Capricornus ....
. Star d Cap, at the tip of the horn, is of the third magnitude. The goat's tail consists of stars ß Cap
Beta Capricorni

Beta Capricorni is a star system in the constellation Capricornus. It also has the traditional name Dabih, which comes from the Arabic language, meaning "butchers"....
and a² Cap
Alpha Capricorni

Alpha Capricorni is an double star star in the constellation Capricornus. It also has the traditional names Algiedi, Al Giedi, Algedi or Giedi; however, Giedi is sometimes also associated with Beta Capricorni....
: star ß Cap being of the third magnitude. The goat's hind foot consists of stars ? Cap
Psi Capricorni

Psi Capricorni is a star in the constellation Capricornus, occasionally called by the traditional name Pazan or Pazhan , which is Persian language for "wild mountain goat"....
and ? Cap
Omega Capricorni

Omega Capricorni is a star in the constellation Capricornus, with the traditional but seldom used name Baten Algiedi, which is Arabic language for "belly of the goat"....
. Both of these stars are of the fourth magnitude.

Astrology

, the Sun appears in the constellation Capricornus from January 19 to February 15. In tropical astrology
Tropical Astrology

Tropical astrology is a type of astrology based on a zodiac whose points of reference are the tropics. The word tropic comes from the Greek for "turning point," and originally meant the point at which the sun at sunrise and sunset appears to turn, and to move north in the northern hemisphere and south in the southern hemisphere along the...
, the Sun is considered to be in the sign Capricornus from December 22 to January 19, and in sidereal astrology
Sidereal astrology

Sidereal astrology is the system of astrology used by some Western and all Jyotish astrology who base their interpretation around the use of the Sidereal time zodiac....
, from January 15 to February 14.

Citations

See also
IC 1337
IC 1337

IC 1337 is a galaxy in the constellation Capricornus.References...

External links