Main Constellations

Main constellations seen in Brazil

• Southern Cross

Also known as Crux, this constellation was discovered during the period of Great Navigations, when stars and constellations were of big importance in terms of orientation, serving as a guide for locating different maritime routes. It used to be part of the Centauri constellation, but was separated due to it’s own characteristics. It’s made up of the stars Rubídea (Gacrux), Mimosa, Magellan's Star (Acrux), Nosy (Epsilon Crucis) and Pale. To locate it, you must look towards the south, at an angle of 45 degrees in relation to the horizon.

• Orion (3 Maries)

Orion is a character from Greek mythology, there are several versions of his story, and one of them is about the hero's paternity. Son of Poseidon and the Cretan princess Euryale, Orion could walk on water and was skilled at hunting. He was so full of himself, that he raged that he would kill all the animals in the world, Gaia, goddess of the Earth, considered it a shame and sent a scorpion to kill him. At the time, the hunter loved Artemis, and was accidentally wounded by one of her arrows while running away from the animal and ended up dying. Zeus turned the man into a constellation. Orion is one of the most popular constellations in the world. It’s position is privileged in relation to the Equator and can be seen in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. To identify it, we must locate 3 stars close to each other, of the same brightness and aligned. They are called 3 Maries and form the belt of the constellation. Their names are Mintaka, Alnilan and Alnitaka, from the Arabic, respectively, the belt, the pearl and the rope.

• Scorpion

The scorpion constellation represents the animal that was sent to chase and kill Orion. When Orion sets in the west, Scorpio appears in the east. To locate it, during winter, preferably in August, look at the sky in search of a reddish star. It’s Antares, the brightest of the entire constellation.

• Southern Crown

It’s name means Crown of the South and is equivalent to the Corona Boreal, which is the Crown of the North, located in the Northern Hemisphere. This constellation is very old and there is data about it since the 2nd century. Despite having faint stars, the Southern Crown draws attention because it forms a small arc halfway across the sky. The best time to see this constellation is at the beginning of winter nights, it’s possible to identify it near the tail of the constellation Scorpio. Only one star has it’s own name, Feca Meridiano, which means "broken to the south", the other stars in the constellation are Beta Corona Australis and Gama Corona Australis.

• Canis Major

The Canis Major constellation features the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, which for the ancient Egyptians when it appeared in the sky meant the flooding of the Nile River. It can be observed in a southeast direction from 3 Marias.

That´s all folks!