The Astrology of Space - Matrix Software

The Astrology of Space
Chapter 9: The Constellations
The constellations are as old as time. Coma
Berenices was added to the ancient list around 200
BC. No further additions were made until the 17th
century, when some constellations were formed in the
hitherto uncharted southern sky.
Since the middle of the 18th century, when 13 names
were added in the southern hemisphere (and the old
constellation Argo or Argo Navis was sub-divided into
Carinai Malus [now Pyxis], Puppis and Vela), no new
constellations have been recognized.
The star names listed below have, for the most part,
been handed down from classical or early mediaeval
times – most are Arabic. In 1603, a system was
devised that designated the bright stars of each
constellation by the small letters of the Greek
alphabet, the brightest star usually designated as
alpha, the second brightest beta, etc. --although, in
some cases, the sequence or position in the
constellation figure was preferred. When the Greek
letters were exhausted, the small Roman letters a, b,
c, etc., were employed, and after these the capitals,
A, B, etc. (mostly in southern constellations). The
capitals after Q were not required, from R, S, etc,
have been used to denote variable stars .(which see).
The fainter stars have been designated by their
numbers in some star catalog. The numbers of
Flamsteed have been adopted for stars to which no
Greek letter has been assigned, while for stars not
appearing in that catalog, the numbers of some other
catalog are used. The standard method of denoting
any lettered or numbered star in a constellation is to
give the letter or Flamsteed number, followed by the
genitive case of the Latin name of the constellation.
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