Winter Constellations
Visible constellations in the Northern Hemisphere during winter are, Canis Major, Cetus, Eridanus, Gemini, Orion, Perseus, and Taurus. In this article you will read short stories/descriptions behind these constellations. To begin let’s start with the first one listed; Canis Major.
Canis Major is known as the Great Dog. In Greek myth, it is said that this constellation, along with Canis Minor, are Orion's hunting dogs. Canis Major was one of the most important constellations in ancient times because the brightest star in the sky is part of it. Sirius, the Dog Star, is one of the brightest objects in the night sky. Only the Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Mars are brighter. Those that lived near the Nile River used the star to signal the flooding of the Nile. This special occasion represented the return from the dead of the Sun god Osiris. Canis Major is very easy to find during the months of November through March. First locate Orion the Hunter, and imagine a straight line through his belt. Follow the line to the southeast, and you will see Sirius perched right below it. Sirius is the nose of the dog. His body stretches to the southeast, and his front leg is to the west of Sirius.
Cetus. The constellation Cetus represents the Sea Monster. It is one of the largest constellations known. In classical civilizations, the figure was the giant sea monster that almost ate Andromeda. King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia were forced leave their daughter chained to a cliff. When the monster came up to eat her, the hero Perseus defeated him and later married Andromeda. Because Cetus is so large, there are only a few months that the complete figure is visible in the sky. Look for Cetus from October through January. His head is a circle near the constellation Taurus. His long body stretches towards the southwest. The larger circle in the constellation is the tail, not the body!
Eridanus. Eridanus is known as the Celestial River. It most often related to the Nile or Euphrates Rivers because they were so important to ancient civilizations. Eridanus is the second longest constellation in the night sky. The brightest star is called Achernar. This star is at the southern end of the constellation, and is rarely seen in the Northern Hemisphere. The other tip is held by Cursa. It sets next to the bright star Rigel in the constellation Orion. With some difficulty Eridanus can be traced through the sky. Once you find Cursa, follow the stars east and south. Most of the Northern Hemisphere can only see the top half of this long figure. Those living below the Equator can continue through the strands of lights until they reach Achernar. There are over three dozen faint galaxies within Eridanus.
Gemini. Gemini is one of the more famous constellations. The Twins are best seen during the winter and spring in the Northern Hemisphere. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, look for Gemini in the summer. Gemini is a part of the Zodiac, which is a group of stars which the Sun travels through each year. Gemini is very easy to find, just look for the two bright stars called Castor and Pollux. They represent the heads of the twins, while fainter stars sketch out two bodies. Gemini is right between Cancer and Taurus. Gemini is one of the few constellations that actually looks like the figure it represents. Many different civilizations saw this pair in the sky. Ancient Greeks saw the twins Castor and Pollux, sons of Leda and Zeus. The Romans saw the brothers Romulus and Remus, two heroes that founded Rome. Both the Greeks and the Romans believed the twins were raised by the centaur, Chiron.
Orion. Orion, the Hunter, is by far the most famous seasonal constellation. No other is more distinct or bright as this northern winter constellation. The famous Orion's Belt makes the hunter easy to find in the night sky. Orion looks very much like a person. First, you should spot Orion's Belt, which is made of three bright stars in a straight line. One of Orion's legs is represented by the bright star Rigel, one of the brightest stars in the night sky. His two shoulders are made of the stars Bellatrix and Betelgeuse. You can see Betelgeuse's reddish color without a telescope. Other bright stars make up the two arms, one which holds a shield, and another that carries a club. Many different civilizations saw this constellation in the sky. The most famous stories come from Greek and Roman myths. Orion was a famed hunter, and in one story boasted that no creature could kill him. Hera then sent a scorpion to sting the hunter. Orion smashed the animal with his club, but not before he was poisoned. Both are now on opposite sides of the sky. They cannot be seen at the same time.
Perseus. Perseus, the Hero, can be found in the sky during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere. With a little imagination, you can see the image of a man in the stars. He has a sort of triangular body, with two legs and feet that look like they are curling up towards the head. There are also two arms stretching out, possibly carrying some sort of weapon or the head of Medusa. Perseus was a Greek hero most famous for his slaying of Medusa. If anyone looked at Medusa's face they would turn to stone. With the help of Hermes' wings and Athena's shield, Perseus killed Medusa without looking at her. On his way home, Perseus came across the monster, Cetus, getting ready to eat Andromeda. Perseus used Medusa's head to turn Cetus into stone and saved the princess.
Taurus. Taurus is commonly known as The Bull. It passes through the sky from November through March. Taurus was a very popular constellation in ancient times, so there are many myths about it. The Greeks thought the stars represented Zeus in disguise as a white bull. He tricked Europa into climbing on his back. He then swam out to sea and carried her to Crete. In Egypt, the constellation was a reminder of Apis, the Bull of Memphis. He served as a servant to Osiris, god of the Sun. Just as famous as Taurus is the group of stars within it. The Pleiades are a group of seven stars that lie on the Bull's shoulder. The Greeks believed these were the Seven Sisters, daughters of Atlas and Pleione. It was told that they asked Zeus to place them in the sky to escape Orion, who was desperately pursuing them. Little did they know that Orion would be placed right next to Taurus in the night sky! The brightest star in Taurus is Aldebaran. It serves as the eye of the bull and is near the Hyades, a lesser known but still visible group of stars. The beautiful Crab Nebula is located above the tip of the bottom horn.
(Source) http://www.windows2universe.org/the_universe/Constellations/taurus.html
