Classical Constellations

The classical constellations are the ones that were recognized in ancient cultures and typically have a mythological significance (that varies from culture to culture).

Examples

In some cases one can see easily the supposed shape of a classical constellation; for example, the constellation Leo shown on the right might actually look like a lion with the dots connected as they are. In other cases the supposed shape is very much in the eye of the beholder, as the example of Canis Minor (The Little Dog) shown below indicates. This certainly could be a little dog, or a cow, or a submarine, or . . .

The Zodiac

The zodiac is an imaginary band on the celestial sphere that is eighteen degrees wide and centered on the ecliptic. The twelve constellations that lie in the zodiac are called the constellations of the zodiac. These constellations are listed in the right panel. They were once thought to have great mystical and astrological significance.

There isn't a shred of objective evidence supporting astrology, so the mythical aspects of the zodiac are not of interest to astronomy. However, the constellations of the zodiac are of practical importance because the planets, Sun, and Moon are always near or on the ecliptic. Therefore, they are always found within one of the zodiac constellations. The animation in the right panel illustrates the apparent motion of the Sun through the zodiac constellations over the course of a year.