The brightest star in the constellation Aquarius. Aquarius Zodiac Sign - Sun and Moon in Aquarius

The last post in the series about the signs of the zodiac is about the constellation Aquarius.
12 signs of the zodiac circle - 12 sectors of 30 °, into which the zodiac belt is divided in astrology
The division of the ecliptic into twelve parts goes back to the sexagesimal number system and astronomy of ancient Babylon, which served as the basis for dividing the year into twelve months, similarly - as the division of the celestial circle into 360 angular fractions adopted there (approximately in accordance with the number of days in a year) was source for dividing a circle by 360 degrees in geometry.

The names of the signs of the zodiac correspond to the zodiac constellations in which the Sun alternately resides in its annual movement. In fact, these concepts differ significantly, because the Constellation is an astronomical concept, meaning a section of the celestial sphere with boundaries established by virtue of historical tradition.
For modern astronomy, the signs of the zodiac, as an element of astrology, are interpreted by modern scientists most likely as a strange and unnecessary misunderstanding that does not belong to true science. But historical meaning Zodiac signs are not to be ignored.
Although simple admirers of the zodiac constellations are the least concerned about historical significance, give us something practical! After all, they were called upon to reveal the most intimate and secret - the fate of people.

Zodiac clock of the Clock Tower in St. Mark's Square, Venice, 15th century

Constellation Aquarius in astronomy

Aquarius is listed starry sky Claudius Ptolemy "Almagest".

The constellation Aquarius is located in the southern hemisphere of the starry sky, where it is surrounded by a variety of water inhabitants - the constellations of Cetus, Dolphin, Eridanus and others, due to which the area it occupies is often called the sea. Aquarius, as the ancient Greeks called it, is one of the oldest and largest constellations. To be precise, according to the area occupied in the starry sky, namely 980 square degrees.

The Sun is in the constellation from February 16 to March 11. The Sun enters Aquarius exactly at the moment when spring comes to replace winter, and the season of regular light spring rains begins outside the window.
Unfortunately, there are not many stars in the constellation that can be seen with an ordinary telescope.
Three stars can be called the most significant in this constellation - these are alpha, beta and delta Aquarius - Sadalmelik, Sadalsuud, and Skat, respectively.

Sadalsuud is a star of the third magnitude - its apparent magnitude is 2.91m. This celestial body is quite rare, because it belongs to the hot supergiants.

Sadalmelik- the second brightest star in Aquarius after Sadalsuud. Its light is only marginally weaker than that of Beta Aquarius. As usual, the name of the star is rooted in Arabic. Alpha Aquarius' name means "the king's lucky star." Sadalmelik is 750 light years away from Earth. From here, thanks to simple calculations, we can conclude that its luminosity is 3000 times greater than the Sun's, but its diameter is only 60 times greater than the Sun's.

stingray is a white-blue star, its mass is approximately twice the mass of Skat's Sun.

In addition to stars and meteor showers, globular clusters and nebulae can be recognized in Aquarius. For example, the planetary nebula Helix, whose common designation is NGC 7293

Pictures of the Helix Nebula

The constellation Aquarius within its boundaries also "contains" a beautiful globular cluster M2, which is larger than many similar objects. Is here and open cluster.

Cluster NGC 7089

Although Aquarius is a dim celestial drawing, it is worthy of the significance that astronomy gives it. Constellations like him are not easy to see in the sky, but when they are studied through a telescope, amazing secrets and beauties of the Universe are revealed.

Aquarius in mythology

Among the ancient Sumerians, Aquarius was one of the most important constellations, since it personified the sky god Ana, who gives life-giving water to the earth. According to the Greeks, Aquarius depicts several mythical characters at once, for example, Ganymede, a Trojan youth who became a butler on Olympus; Deucalion - the hero of the Flood; Kekrop - the ancient king of Attica.

Ganymede by Benedetto Gennari The Younger (1633-1715, Italy)

Ganymede(dr. Greek “starting fun”) - in Greek mythology, a beautiful young man, the son of the Trojan king Tros (after whom Troy was named) and the nymph Kalliroi
Because of his extraordinary beauty, Ganymede was abducted by Zeus and transferred by the eagle of Zeus to Olympus (according to another version, Zeus himself turned into an eagle),
On Olympus, he was granted immortality, and Zeus appointed him the heavenly cupbearer. Ganymede during the festivities offered nectar pouring from a jug like water to the Olympian deities.
Whether Ganymede was Zeus's lover is a debatable question, and different authors have answered it differently.

Throughout the Middle Ages, Ganymede symbolizes homosexuality, and the "pro" and "contra" of the two types of love is discussed in the frivolous Latin poem "The Dispute between Helena and Ganymede." Only the Neoplatonic allegorists of the Renaissance read something more spiritual in the myth and found in it a symbol of the ascent of the soul to the absolute, and there were even theologians who compared the ascending Christ with Ganymede. Similarly, Goethe's Ganymede ascends into the ethereal embrace of the all-loving Father.

Peter Paul Rubens The Abduction of Ganymede

Deucalion is considered an Aquarius son of Prometheus. On the advice of his father Prometheus, Deucalion built a huge box, put food in it, and entered it with his wife. For nine days and nights, the box of Deucalion was carried along the waves of the sea, which covered the whole land. Finally, the waves drove him to the two-headed peak of Parnassus. The downpour sent by Zeus stopped. Deucalion and Pyrrha came out of the box and made a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Zeus, who kept them amid the stormy waves. The water subsided

Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich global flood

Aquarius in astrology

The ancients assigned a very large place to astrology. The signs of the zodiac were even used in medicine.

Illustration from the Hours of the Duke of Berry of the 15th century, showing the relationship of the signs of the zodiac with Hippocratic temperaments in accordance with the "hot-coldness" and "humidity-dryness" of the zodiac constellations
In the 20th and 21st centuries, not far from the ancients. We continue to check health, characters, and even fate with horoscopes.

AQUARIUS
January 21 - February 18
the pictographic symbol is two wavy lines that represent the serpent of wisdom.
This zodiac sign represents change and testing.

Element: air

Planet: Saturn, Uranus

Stone: obsidian, sapphire

Talisman: icon, key

Color: silver, blue

Since Aquarius is ruled by two planets at once, its character is ambiguous.
Uranus is the main ruler of Aquarius. It is he who stirs up interest in various kinds of innovations and gives strength to make radical changes in one's own life.
Saturn is the junior ruler of Aquarius. It can balance the unpredictability of Uranus and deprive the representative of this sign of formalism. It is manifested by the rigor of thinking, the ability to clearly formulate and observe traditions that feed their creativity.

The favorite activities of a representative of this zodiac sign are gaining new knowledge and traveling. He tends to analyze everything that happens around him. He never changes his principles and boldly enters the fight if he encounters obstacles.

Aquarius is the sociable sign of the zodiac. He has many friends, but he can only name one or two people as a friend. People are attracted by his benevolence and ability to come to the rescue at any moment. However, others consider him tactless because he often directly asks personal questions. Such accusations are false. Aquarius does not seek to offend the interlocutor, but wants to solve the complex riddle of human relations.

Aquarians are attractive, energetic and sociable people. They are endowed with strong intuition. These signs know how to be friends, it is always interesting to communicate with them. They are excellent organizers. Aquarians love risk, so they boldly take on promising projects. They know how to make money.

Representatives of the sign love to receive guests. They organize leisure activities in an interesting way. Therefore, their house is always full of friends. Well versed in people. Aquarius bear full responsibility for themselves and their loved ones. They are wonderful parents. Their children grow up surrounded by love and affection.

Aquarians are avid realists, despite the fact that their address is tomorrow. You must always be ready for all sorts of surprises with this sign. Generally kind and calm by nature, they take great pleasure in challenging public opinion and secretly they like to shock conservative people with their unusual behavior.

Constellation Aquarius

Aquarius(Aquarius) - large zodiac constellation located between Capricorn and Pisces. In Aquarius lies the radiant of the Delta Aquarid meteor shower, which is active in late July.

As a rule, the Sun is in the constellation from February 16 to March 11. The most favorable visibility conditions are in August-September. The constellation is best seen in the central and southern regions of Russia.

First classification - Yerk classification with allowance for luminosity (MCC). An additional factor affecting the shape of the spectrum is the density of the outer layers of the star, which in turn depends on its mass and density, that is, ultimately, on the luminosity. SrII, BaII, FeII, TiII depend especially strongly on the luminosity, which leads to a difference in the spectra of giant stars and dwarfs of the same Harvard spectral types. The dependence of the type of spectrum on luminosity is reflected in the newer Yerkes classification developed at the Yerkes Observatory by W. Morgan, F. Keenan and E. Kelman, also called the ICC after the initials of its authors. In accordance with this classification, the star is assigned the Harvard spectral type and luminosity class:

Second classification - Main (Harvard) spectral classification, developed at the Harvard Observatory in 1890-1924, is a temperature classification based on the shape and relative intensity of absorption and emission lines in the spectra of stars. Within a class, stars are divided into subclasses from 0 (hottest) to 9 (coldest). The Sun has a spectral type of G2 and an equivalent photosphere temperature of 5780 K.

Aquarius constellation stars

Sadalsuud\ Beta (β Aquarii) is the brightest star in the constellation. The star is a hot yellow supergiant G0 Ib. Its temperature is about 5400K. It is located at a distance of 611.2 light years from Earth. And it shines 2,200 times more than the Sun. Its diameter is 50 times larger than the Sun. It is believed that the stars Enif, Sadalsuud and Sadalmelik were born together in a stellar association as class B stars, they all have the same age, mass and they all produced carbon from helium nuclei. These stars move almost perpendicular to the plane of our galaxy. Sadalsuud consists of three optical components, but they may be related to each other.

Sadalmelik\ Alpha (α Aquarii) - the second brightest in the constellation. The star is a yellow supergiant G2Ib. Its temperature is 5,400 K. Its luminosity is 3,000 times that of the sun. And the diameter is 60 times greater than the sun. The star is at the last stage of its evolution. Sadalmelik is a hybrid star. The star has an optical companion CCDM J22058-0019B. The star is at a distance of 757.6 sv. years. from U.S. This star is 53 million years old.

stingray\ Delta (δ Aquarii) is the third brightest star in the constellation. The stingray is a white star main sequence A3V. The star is at a distance of 159.4 sv. years from us. The star is 2 times larger in mass, 2.4 times larger in radius and 26 times the luminosity of the Sun. Its temperature is about 8700K. Its age is estimated from 500 to 600 million years. Skat may have a companion with an orbital period of about 483 days.

Hydor\Lambda (λ Aquarii) is a red giant M2.5IIIa. It is located at a distance of 391.1 St. years from us. It is classified as an irregular LB variable star. Its temperature is 3300K. Its radius is 100 times larger than the Sun. A star emits most of its energy in the infrared region of the spectrum.

Albali\ Epsilon (ε Aquarii) - A1.5V white star. The star is at a distance of about 229.3 sv. years from Earth. The star is 3 times larger in mass, 2 times in radius and luminosity 40 times brighter than the Sun. Its temperature is 9400 K.

Sadachbia\ Gamma (γ Aquarii) - A0V white star. The star is at a distance of 157.6 sv. years from us. The star is 3 times larger in mass, 3 times in radius and luminosity 62 times brighter than the Sun. Its temperature is 9800K. The star has a companion with an orbital period of 58 days.

Hydria\Eta (η Aquarii) - blue-white subgiant B9IV-Vn. It is located at a distance of 183.3 St. years from Earth. The star is 3 times larger in mass, 2.6 times in radius and luminosity 104 times brighter than the Sun. Its temperature is 11,400 K. And its age is 175 million years. Rotation speed - 245 km / s.

Tau1 Aquarii - (τ1 Aquarii) - a system of stars from 4 components. Main star- blue-white star B9V. Located at a distance of 259.6 St. years from Earth. It is 18 times larger than the Sun in mass, 7 times in radius and 20,000 times in luminosity. Its temperature is 11000K.

Tau²(τ² Aquarii) - orange giant K5III. The star is at a distance of about 229.3 sv. years from Earth. Its temperature is 9400 K.

Ancha\ Theta (θ Aquarii) - yellow giant G8III. It is located at a distance of 191.2 St. years from Earth. Its temperature is 4900K. The star is 2.8 times larger in mass, 15.4 times in radius and luminosity 83 times brighter than the Sun.

91 ψ1\ Psi1 (ψ1 Aquarii) is an orange K0III giant in a triple star system. Its companions are HD 219430 B and C. Companion B is the orange star K3V. Star 91 is 2.5 times larger in mass, 8.5 times larger in radius, and 33 times larger in luminosity than the Sun. Its temperature is 4700 K. It is located at a distance of 148.3 St. years from Earth.

Psi²(ψ² Aquarii) is a blue-white B5V star. It is located at a distance of 321.6 St. years away from us. Its radius is 4.6 times that of the sun. Its temperature is 15,000K.

Psi3(ψ³ Aquarii) is a binary star system. The main star is A0V. The star is at a distance of 248.7 sv. years from us. The star is 3.1 times larger in mass, 2.1 times in radius and luminosity 40 times brighter than the Sun. Its temperature is 9800 K.

Iota(ι Aquarii) - blue-white star B8V. The star is at a distance of 173 sv. years away from us. Its age is estimated at 30 - 60 million years. Its temperature is 11300K. The star is larger in radius by 2.7 times the Sun.

99 b² Aquarii is an orange giant K4III. The star is at a distance of 310 sv. years from us. Its temperature is 3500 - 5000K. Its radius is 0.9 solar, its mass is 0.8 solar, and its luminosity is 0.4 solar.

Omega1(ω1 Aquarii) - white star A7IV (F0IV). The star is at a distance of 134 sv. years away from us. Its temperature is 7500 - 10000K. The star is 3.1 times larger in mass, 2.1 times larger in radius and 40 times more luminous than the Sun.

Omega²(ω² Aquarii) is a white-blue star B9 V. It is located at a distance of 154 sv. years away from us. Its temperature is 10500K. The star is 2 times larger in mass, 4.2 times the radius of the Sun.

101 b3 Aquarii is a double star. The main star is A0V. It is located at a distance of 320 St. years from us. Its temperature is about 9000K. The star is 2.7 times larger in mass, 4.2 times larger in radius of the Sun.

88 c2 Aquarii is an orange giant K1III. It is located at a distance of 234 St. years from us.

Bunda\ Xi (ξ Aquarii) is a spectroscopic binary. The main star is the white main sequence star A7V. It is located at a distance of about 179 St. years from Earth. Its radius is 2.1 solar, its mass is 3.1 solar, and its luminosity is 40 solar. Its temperature is 7500 - 10 000K.

seat\Pi (π Aquarii) is a blue-white B1Ve star. It is classified as a Gamma Cassiopeia variable star. It is located at a distance of about 1100 St. years from Earth. Its radius is 6 solar, its mass is 13 solar and the luminosity is 15,000 - 17,500 solar. Its temperature is 26,500K.

Deep space objects in the constellation Aquarius

star clusters

M2(NGC 7089) is a globular star cluster. Diameter M2 about 174 St. years, contains about 150,000 stars. The first discoverer - Jean Dominique Maraldi 09/11/1746. Class - II. Distance from Earth - 37,474 sv. years.

M72(NGC 6981) is a globular cluster. First discoverer Pierre Mechain 08/29/1780 The faintest globular cluster in Messier's catalog. The distance from the Earth is 55,362 light years and lies at a considerable distance beyond the center of the Galaxy. The size in diameter is 106 St. years.

M73(NGC 6994) is an open cluster. M73 contains four stars of magnitude 10-12. The first discoverer was Charles Messier 04.10.1780. Distance from Earth - 2498 sv. years. Size in diameter - 1, 02 St. year.

Nebulae

NGC 7009(Saturn Nebula) is a planetary nebula. The first discoverer was William Herschel on 09/07/1782. Distance from the Earth - 2000-4000 St. years. Photographic magnitude (B) 8.3.

NGC 7293(Snail Nebula) is a planetary nebula. The first discoverer was Carl Ludwig Harding in 1824. The predecessor star was a "main sequence" star similar to the Sun. It is located at a distance of 650 St. years from Earth. One of the closest nebulae to Earth. Its size is 2.5 St. d. The speed of expansion of the nebula into space is 31 km/s. The age of the nebula is 10,600 years.

galaxies

NGC 7252- lenticular galaxy (SB0). The first discoverer was William Herschel on October 26, 1785. Photographic magnitude mB 12.1. These are two galaxies that started interacting a billion years ago. An X-ray study revealed that there is an active black hole in the center of the galaxy. The galaxy is located at a distance of 220 million light years from Earth. years.

NGC 7257- barred spiral galaxy (SBBC). The first discoverer - Albert Martha 01.10.1864. Photographic magnitude mB 13.7.

NGC 7600- elliptical galaxy E-S0. The first discoverer - William Herschel 09/10/1785. Located at a distance of about 160 million sv. years from Earth. Photographic magnitude mB 12.9. Redshift +0.011541 ± 0.000267.

NGC 7723- barred spiral galaxy (SBb). The first discoverer - William Herschel 11/27/1785. Redshift +0.006261 ± 0.000163. The galaxy is located from the Earth at a distance of 79.86 million sv. years. Size in diameter - 81 400 St. years.

NGC 7727- barred spiral galaxy SBa/P. Perhaps the galaxy NGC 7727 is a merger of two galaxies. The first discoverer - William Herschel 11/27/1785. located at a distance of 76 million sv. years. Photographic magnitude mB 11.6. Redshift +0.006131 ± 0.000073.

Compatibility horoscope: zodiac sign Aquarius constellation - the most Full description, only proven theories based on astrological observations of several millennia.

Aquarius is the last air sign of the zodiac. Aquarians are concerned about the fate of the world, they are owned by the ideas of improving society. Aquarians are extremely inventive: under this constellation, the most famous inventors and daring innovators were born. Aquarians are characterized by a certain idealism, so they readily donate money to public needs, without themselves having sufficient funds. The sign of Aquarius is ruled by the planet Uranus, which determines unexpected turns in the life and fate of Aquarius. So, people of this sign are subject to instant and completely unexpected changes in life.

Physiological processes, such as aging, also take Aquarius by surprise, and then the destructive effect is already unstoppable. Aquarians are well versed in people, penetrating into their innermost thoughts, they guess and decipher the secret plans and intentions of even an unfamiliar person. The symbol of the sign of Aquarius is a man kneeling on the ground and holding a vessel from which water pours out. Aquarians are ready for self-sacrifice, giving part of their lives and themselves to the service of faith, ideals, public benefit and loved ones.

ruling planet— Uranus

Colors- gray, purple, blue-green, purple (black is unsuccessful)

stones- garnet, zirconium, light sapphire, opal, amethyst, lapis lazuli

Flowers- violet, myrtle, daffodil

Favorable numbers- 2, 4 (all numbers divisible by 4), 8, 9, 11, 13

Happy Days- Wednesday Saturday

bad days- Sunday

Climate- Aquarians do not tolerate tropical climates well and prefer to live in warm, mild climates.

Professions— medicine, philosophy, archeology, psychology, social work.

Famous people born under the sign of Aquarius: F. Bacon, Swedenborg, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, J. Heifetz, Byron, Jules Bern, Schubert.

Physical features: Aquarius - people of attractive appearance, medium height, with a prominent large head and high forehead. They have a fast gait, although coordination of movements is often disturbed.

Aquarians are people of an original way of thinking, full of new ideas, designs and projects. Their creative impulses are spontaneous and unexpected. These are trendsetters and trendsetters in design, interior design, clothing, music and plastic arts. Sometimes the innovative ideas of Aquarius are ahead of their time, and fate will not grant them fame and success during their lifetime. But more than glory, they are pleased with the feeling that they are paving the way for the next generation.

Aquarians most fully show their talents when they have the opportunity to work independently, without outside help and interference.

These people have a scientific mindset, the ability to mathematical and exact sciences. Nuclear physics, theoretical mathematics, medicine are areas of possible application of the scientific talents of Aquarius. They are occupied with people and social life, therefore their desire for the benefit and the establishment of goodness and mercy in the world find application in social work and psychology.

Aquarius is the most generous of the zodiac signs, especially when it comes to charitable needs. Aquarians are happy to spend money on exotic purchases or luxury items. Aquarians are lucky in business, but sometimes they prefer to invest in other people's ideas and inventions, neglecting their own. Aquarians are famous as inventors, and the most offensive thing is that it is not they themselves, but other people who usually invest capital in their ideas, thereby raking in the lion's share of the profits.

Aquarians are often tormented by insomnia, overwork, depressive states. The most vulnerable part of the body is the muscles. Muscle spasms and high blood pressure disturb people of this sign in adulthood and old age. They often fall ill with strange, unforeseen diseases that baffle even physicians. The transience and unpredictability inherent in the planet Uranus, which rules the sign of Aquarius, lead to the fact that, having fallen ill with a mysterious illness, the children of Aquarius either die suddenly or recover instantly from the disease.

Aquarians don't like to get sick. They get out of bed ahead of time and, fearing to fail for a long time, immediately set to work interrupted by illness.

These people do not like to be a burden to others, which also often prevents them from recovering and recovering completely. Migraine and ear diseases often disrupt the normal rhythm of Aquarian life.

Aquarians are freedom-loving, independent individuals, and their behavior in love is sometimes unpredictable. Aquarians can quite suddenly, for no apparent reason, break off a romantic relationship. Aquarians are characterized by extremes in sexual behavior: either they stand up for free love, recognize group sex, or, on the contrary, they sexual life characterized by purism. In any case, they see a meaningful goal in their sexual life: the extension of a kind.

People born under the constellations of Aquarius are happy with people born under the constellation of Aries, Gemini, Pisces and Libra. They usually do not get along well with those born under the constellation of Taurus, Leo and Scorpio.

Aquarians are not distinguished by jealousy and tend to be condescending towards the adultery of their partners. The most important thing for them is spiritual intimacy, understanding, similar intellectual interests. Aquarians are truly happy in marriage only when together they can develop new theories of nuclear physics or solve complex mathematical problems.

Aquarius with Aries- easy, good relations, joint plans, hopes and mutual participation.
Aquarius with Taurus- usually their relationship is limited to friendship, cooperation in work, spiritual intimacy.
Aquarius with Cancer- kind, friendly relations, they are united by a tendency to reflection and liveliness of the imagination.
Aquarius with Leo- with opposite characters - mutual understanding.
Aquarius with Virgo— intellectual cooperation in science, research, cultural projects.
Aquarius with Libra- mutual understanding, especially in public life and in organizational matters.
Aquarius with Gemini- closeness and mutual understanding.
Aquarius with Scorpio- a complete lack of understanding.
Aquarius with Sagittarius- a commonality of views, a common craving for abstract ideals, the assertion of humanity and goodness.
Aquarius with Capricorn- mutual understanding and spiritual rapprochement.
Aquarius with Aquarius- sympathy, but they remain indifferent to each other.
Aquarius with Pisces- mutual understanding, a common craving for ideals. apparent reasons for terminating a romantic relationship. Aquarians are characterized by extremes in sexual behavior: either they stand up for free love, recognize group sex, or, on the contrary, their sexual life is characterized by purism. In any case, they see a meaningful goal in their sexual life: the extension of a kind.

Zodiac sign Aquarius

Sun and Moon in Aquarius. Sign history, description, characteristics.

The sign of Aquarius is generally cold and watery; however, the leading part of it is humid, the middle part is moderate, and the last part is windy. Its northern parts generate hot weather, southern - clouds.

Claudius Ptolemy - On the weather - "A mathematical treatise in four parts"

Aquarius zodiac sign ♒ - denotes the eleventh 30-degree segment of the zodiac belt, when counted from the vernal equinox (Fig. 2 and 3), with ecliptic coordinates 300°, ±5°19′; 330°, ±5°19'.

In 2017, the Sun is in the sign of Aquarius with January 20, 2017 00:23 By 18 February 2017 14:31 MSK ( Moscow time). The average dates when the Sun is in this zodiac sector are January 21 - February 19.

This sign got its name in connection with the climatic phenomenon that annually manifested itself in Ancient Mesopotamia. During the passage of the Sun through the eleventh sign of the zodiac, there were heavy rains, often accompanied by floods - the water was "at least flooded" and Aquarius was called both the sign and the constellation (Fig. 4), located at that time in the 11th zodiac sector.

In our time, due to precession * - a cyclic change in the direction of the earth's axis relative to the stars, the Sun is simultaneously in the constellation of Aquarius and in the sign of Aquarius for only 4 days: from February 16 to February 19 (Fig. 2):

Rice. 2 The zodiac sign Aquarius, the constellation Aquarius and their mutual arrangement in a spherical projection (in the ancient view, the heavens consisted of several nested spheres surrounding the Earth).

The section of the sky corresponding to the zodiac sign Aquarius in our astronomical era looks like this:

Rice. 3. Zodiac sign Aquarius - a section of the starry sky corresponding to the sign of Aquarius

Some of the brightest stars in the constellation Capricorn fall into the region of Aquarius.

The philosophers of antiquity endowed the sign of Aquarius with the following properties:

- The zodiac sign Aquarius, (lat. Aquarius), which got its name from the constellation Aquarius, is a male sign (according to the rules of alternation, as well as in accordance with the very ancient legend constellations), and also Aquarius is the second, "air", the abode of Saturn.

- The sign of Aquarius - personifies the maturity, perfection of the element (element) Air and, accordingly, gravitates towards the entities that make up Air - humidity and heat. The embodiment of the properties of these primary elements in a person born under this sign is from time to time a clearly manifested sanguine type of temperament (as dominant among other components).

- In ancient times, Aquarius was also distinguished by such characteristics and properties: on the basis of the location of the constellation Aquarius relative to the plane of the celestial equator - southern; seasonally - winter; in harmony with the sign of Aquarius: metals - lead (from Saturn) and the most precious metal in antiquity - gold; precious stones - sapphire, amethyst, other transparent and blue stones are also suitable.

And at the sign Aquarius there is one important feature- V this sign the fateful influence of the Sun on earthly processes is close to a minimum, and cannot play a decisive role in shaping the temperament of people born during the stay of the daylight in this sign, and Saturn and the "combination games" of other planets take on the leading role (according to the beliefs of the philosophers of antiquity).

Aquarius sign, sun and planets

The Sun, Moon and other planets, according to the ideas of ancient philosophers, in the zodiacal sector of Aquarius acquired approximately the following possibilities of influencing earthly processes:

☉ Sun. Aquarius is a winter sign and the power of the Sun's influence on the course of earthly life in this sign is close to a minimum (from 1/3 of a conditional point - the power of influence on earthly processes at the moment of exaltation or fall is taken as 1 point), but in Aquarius the influence of the Sun begins to grow;

☽ Moon. In Aquarius, the influence of the Moon on earthly processes is minimal, its conditional "strength" is 0 points);

♀ Venus in the sign of Aquarius enhances its influence (from 1/3 to 2/3 points);

♃ Jupiter- In Aquarius, the influence of Jupiter continues to fall (strength from 1 to 2 / 3 points);

☿ Mercury in the sign of Aquarius, it is still in the top three most influential planets (strength from 1 1/3 to 1 point);

♂ Mars. In Aquarius - the "influence of Mars" is greater than one, its influence is noticeable (from 1 to 1 1/3 points);

♄ Saturn in Aquarius at home, his influence is really already weaker than in Capricorn, but very strong, and he continues to show his cold essence (from 3 to 2 2/3 points).

The most influential planet in the winter of 2016-2017, Saturn, will be in the sign of Sagittarius until January 2018, thereby creating the prerequisites (according to Ptolemy) for the winters to be cold, and the “winter children” (children born in winter) for the most part were "Archers".

Aquarius sign, nature, weather and plants

In the second millennium BC in ancient Mesopotamia (later in Babylon), the most accurate calculation of time was associated with the signs of the zodiac. In winter, when the Sun entered the eleventh sign in northern Mesopotamia, a period of rains set in, the Tigris and Euphrates filled with water. Therefore, the eleventh zodiac sector was considered there as a sign of “heavenly water”, and the constellation that was then in this sector was dedicated to the deity of the water elements.

The ancient Greeks, who inherited the zodiac system of Babylon, supplemented the properties of the signs of the zodiac, based on their perception of the world, and called the eleventh of them Aquarius. Already in ancient times, Ptolemy ascribes weather properties to the sign of Aquarius. characteristic of February in ancient Alexandria (page caption).

The right choice of the timing of work with plants was vital for the ancient farmers, since their well-being, and life itself, depended on the harvest. When drawing up recommendations for farmers on favorable terms of work, in addition to the Sun, very great importance given to the Moon, its phases and the "interaction" of the Moon with the signs of the zodiac. The ancient Greeks knew quite a lot about this - observations had accumulated thousands of years before them, and a separate article will be devoted to this topic: Moon in Aquarius - Zodiac sign Aquarius, the Moon and plants. For those in this moment has no desire to delve into agricultural issues related to this sign, I will tell you the main thing: Aquarius, in terms of crop prospects, is the most infertile sign.

Aquarius and people

"Aquarians are characterized by a high plasticity of interests and moods, they quickly get used to a new environment, easily converge with new people and have a wide circle of acquaintances.".

In our time, a person born under the Sun in the sign of Aquarius is called "Aquarius" and endowed with the character traits traditionally attributed to this sign. But in reality it may not be so. The ancient Greeks believed that the Sun was "not yet strong" in this sign, and other planets, most often Saturn, point to the patron sign of the newborn.

Ancient philosophers for the most part believed that the character of a person is formed under the influence of his life experience, and the sign of the zodiac determines, for those born under it, only the dominant temperament and fortitude (according to Ptolemy: "resistance to fate"):

The dominant type of temperament born under the sign of Aquarius is sanguine **, fortitude is high, but the dictates of the mind are in harmony with emotions, as a result of which most of them succeed in many achievements in life, especially in the field of science and art. Aquarius is the most ambitious sign. Ancient Greek medicine recommended that people “overshadowed” by the sign of Aquarius take special care of the musculoskeletal system and protect nervous system from overload. A sedentary lifestyle is simply contraindicated for Aquarius.

The question of compatibility of Aquarius in relations with each other and with people born under other signs of the zodiac, which is of interest to many, is discussed in an article specially devoted to this issue: Compatibility by zodiac sign and temperament. Types of temperament according to Hippocrates.

Zodiac sign Aquarius and Russia

Significant events that unfolded in the history of Russia when the Sun was under the sign of Aquarius

February 19, 1651- The Church Council of 1651 approved the obligatory "unanimity", the beginning of the split of the church;

February 8, 1724- by decree of Peter I, St. Petersburg University and the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences were founded;

January 23, 1755- Elizabeth I signed a decree on the establishment of Moscow University;

February 8, 1834- Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev, an outstanding Russian chemist who discovered the periodic law of chemical elements, was born;

February 13, 1842- Nicholas I signed a decree on the construction railway Saint Petersburg - Moscow;

February 2, 1904- Valery Chkalov, Soviet test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, was born;

February 8, 1904- Japan's perfidious attack on Russian ships off Port Arthur. Beginning of the Russo-Japanese War;

February 2, 1943- The defeat of the Nazi troops near Stalingrad. End of the Battle of Stalingrad;

February 15, 1957- Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR.

Following the sign of Aquarius, the twelfth sector of the zodiac is called zodiac sign Pisces.

Work on the article "Zodiac Sign Aquarius" will be continued.

Abstracts: Zodiac sign Aquarius and people: Zodiac sign Aquarius, temperament. Compatibility issues. – now covered in a separate article

* Constellation Aquarius

"The stars on the shoulders of Aquarius act like Saturn and Mercury, the same applies to the stars located on the left arm and cloak; the stars on the hips - like Mercury and Saturn, respectively, to a greater and lesser extent; the stars on the stream of water - Saturn and, to some extent, Jupiter."(fig.9)

Claudius Ptolemy - On the Influence of the Stars - "A Mathematical Treatise in Four Parts"

Currently, the Sun passes through the constellation Aquarius 24-25 days (25 days sometimes due to the annual shift of a quarter of a day): from February 16 to March 12. Due to the precession of the earth's axis *** the constellations shift with time relative to the vernal equinox and the apparent movement of the Sun through them occurs with increasing delay. The constellations, gradually shifting counterclockwise, bypassing the entire zodiac circle, return to their original places after 25,776 years.

Rice. 4 Constellation Aquarius ( ♒ Aquarius - lat.), the brightest stars.

Asterism "Jug" (purple lines). One of the options for the contour drawing of Aquarius.

The Aquarius constellation is most convenient to observe from the second half of August until the beginning of February. Aquarius culminates at midnight in early September. The constellation does not shine with bright stars - the brightest star is β Aqr, Sadalsuud, the visible brightness is only slightly higher than the third magnitude (2.9).

Stars that have their own name are arranged in descending order of brightness (apparent magnitude) as follows: Sadalsuud (β Aqr, 2.9); Sadalmelik (α Aqr, 2.95); Skat (δ Aqr, 3.27); Hydor (λ Aqr); Albali (ε Aqr); Sadakhbiya (γ Aqr); Hydria (η Aqr, 4.04).

Since the Aquarius constellation contains a large number of stars close in brightness, they allow you to create many options for visualization schemes. (You can practice finding these options by hovering over Figure 4, or on an even larger picture by clicking on the picture.)

In the northernmost part of the constellation, a group of five relatively bright stars form a contour that creates the asterism **** "Jug", however, the Sumerians saw a duck instead of a jug, which is an attribute ancient god Enki (Fig. 8). It was the Sumerians who approved the belonging of the constellation to the elements of "heavenly water". By the way, the asterism "Jug", in our time has a very useful feature: its axial stars trace the line of the celestial equator.

The most interesting ancient Greek myth associated with the constellation Aquarius dates back to the time of Homer and tells how Zeus, admiring the cheerful disposition and beauty of the young Ganymede, the son of the Trojan king, succumbed to an impulse, took him with him to Olympus, turning into an eagle. But from Olympus "just like that" it is no longer possible for a mortal to return. And Zeus had to negotiate with the father of Ganymede and promise him the immortality of his son, and for Ganymede himself to look for an eternal job. This was found on Olympus - Ganymede became the most cheerful cupbearer and water carrier of Olympus. Vessels with liquids in those days were worn on the shoulder, a visualization of the constellation c is shown in Fig. 5: Ganymede tripped and spilled water.

Rice. 5 Another way to visualize the constellation Aquarius - a man (Ganymede), carrying a container of water on his shoulder, stumbled, fell and spilled water. Children can tell a story about the Tin Woodman (cap exactly the same)

But the ancient Egyptians, connecting the constellation of Aquarius with the Nile, probably imagined the contour of the constellation as it is shown in Fig. 6., thanks to him, the Aquarius badge appeared ♒ .

Constellation Aquarius. Contour "Sign of Aquarius" - scheme. Chart author Sergey Ov

Constellation Aquarius. Contour ‘Sign of Aquarius’. Chart author Sergey Ov” width=”687″ />

Constellation Aquarius. Contour "Sign of Aquarius" - scheme. The author of the diagram is Sergey Ov Fig.6 Constellation Aquarius. Circuit ♒ “Sign of Aquarius” - scheme (charts by stars)

The astronomers of ancient civilizations, who passed on to us the modern contours of the constellations, observed the stars of the zodiacal belt in a completely different way than we see them in our middle latitudes. At the latitude of Babylon, Athens, and even more so Alexandria, they pass near the zenith, and the ecliptic line is almost perpendicular to the horizon and the stars are so bright that it seems you can reach them with your hand. And on warm southern nights, looking at the constellations, ancient thinkers could give free rein to their imagination:

Constellation Aquarius. Contour drawing "Aquarius" - scheme. Chart author Sergey Ov

Fig. 7 Constellation Aquarius (above East). The contours of one of the incarnations of Aquarius or an alien - a diagram (chart by stars).

Rice. 8 Sumerian god of water elements Enki (Ea).

Ptolemy's epigraph to the section on the constellation is well illustrated by a collage created on the basis of a picture from the atlas of Jan Hevelius, probably ancient and medieval astronomers could literally perceive the starry sky as a living panorama of legends:

Rice. 9 The constellation Aquarius is a collage based on a drawing in the atlas of Jan Hevelius (only those stars that were listed by Hevelius himself in the atlas are highlighted.

** Currently, there are several similar definitions of the sanguine type of temperament, and the behavioral characteristics of its owner:

"Sanguine (from Latin sanguis, genus case sanguinis [sanguinis] - blood, vitality), the designation of one of the four types temperament (along with melancholic, phlegmatic, choleric), characterized by liveliness, rapid excitability and easy change of emotions.

Big Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd ed. 1969 - 1978

"Sanguine - temperament in the classification of HIPPOCRATES. A person of sanguine temperament can be described as lively, mobile, quickly responding to surrounding events, relatively easily experiencing failures and troubles."

Glossary of psychological terms. Under. ed. N. Gubina.

"A sanguine person is a subject who has one of the four main types of temperament (in the classification of Hippocrates). A person of sanguine temperament can be described as a lively, mobile, quickly responding to surrounding events, relatively easily and quickly experiencing failures and troubles. He is marked by high mental activity, energy , efficiency, speed and liveliness of movements, variety and richness of facial expressions, fast pace of speech. Strives for frequent changes of impressions, easily and quickly responds to external events, sociable. Emotions - mostly positive - quickly arise and quickly change. "

S.Yu. Golovin. Dictionary of practical psychologist.

Generalizing and somewhat "revitalizing" these definitions, in accordance with our topic, we obtain:

A sanguine person as a carrier of temperament associated with air signs is, in general, a mobile, sociable, hard-working person, he vividly responds to everything that attracts his attention. Sanguine Aquarians are characterized by a high plasticity of interests and moods, they quickly get used to a new environment, easily converge with new people and have a wide circle of acquaintances. They easily fit into any company and adapt to any changes in life.

At any life situation a sanguine person seeks to maintain an active and efficient state and can work for a long time without getting tired. First of all, he is active in the field of contacts and communication.

Sanguine people do not strive for a creative transformation of the world around them, they do not bring anything of their own and, as a rule, are highly dependent on the psychological environment and behavioral stereotypes of the environment.

Zodiac signs

✔ About me ✉ Feedback

Aquarius(lat. Aquarius) - a large, zodiac constellation located between Capricorn and Pisces. A well-known asterism in Aquarius is the "Pitcher", a small Y-shaped group of five stars that "saddles" the celestial equator. The central of these stars, ζ Aquarius, is a double. Also of interest are the globular cluster M2 and the planetary nebulae Saturn and Snail (NGC 7009 and NGC 7293). In Aquarius lies the radiant of the Delta Aquarid meteor shower, which is active in late July.

As a rule, the Sun is in the constellation from February 17 to March 11. The most favorable visibility conditions are in August - September.

click on the image to enlarge it

Aquarius
Lat. Name	Aquarius (genus n. Aquarii)
Reduction	Aqr
Symbol	water carrier
right ascension	from 20 h 32 m to 23 h 50 m
declination	-25° 30' to +2° 45'
Square	980 sq. degrees (10th place)
brightest stars (value< 3 m)	Sadalsuud (β Aqr) - 2.9 m Sadalmelik (α Aqr) - 2.96 m
meteor showers	March Aquarids Eta Aquarids Delta Aquarids Iota Aquarids
neighboring constellations	Pegasus Small Horse Dolphin Capricorn Southern Fish Sculptor
The constellation is visible at latitudes from +65° to -87°. Best time for observation - August - September.

Story

Notable objects:

* The constellation contains the red dwarf Gliese 876 with three discovered exoplanets.
* In 2008, astronomers discovered BD -22 5866, a multiple star with four components.

Page 2 of 2

Aquarius is a large and dim zodiac constellation located between Capricorn and Pisces. The brightest star has a magnitude of 2.9 "" - this is Beta Aquarius Sadalsuud, translated from Arabic means "the happiest of the happy."

In the constellation is the red dwarf Gliese 876, which has three planets. Red dwarfs are small (in size and mass no more than a third of the Sun) and relatively cold stars, the most numerous in our Galaxy. Of interest is the globular cluster M2 (NGC 7089) with a total magnitude of 6.3. The distance to it is 11.2 kpc. The planetary nebula "Snail" (NGC 7293) is visible through a telescope or binoculars on moonless nights. It is the brightest and largest nebula in the sky, with a magnitude of 6.8. The central star with a surface temperature of more than 60,000 K, which illuminates this grand system of stars, has a magnitude of only 13. The distance to it is about 200 pc.
In Aquarius lies the radiant of the Delta Aquarids meteor shower, the maximum activity of which occurs at the end of July. Among different peoples, the constellation Aquarius was associated with one image - water, the source of all life on earth. Among the ancient Sumerians, Aquarius is one of the most important constellations. It personified the sky god An, who gave life-giving water to the earth. This god was especially important for the people living in the desert, where water was equated with life. The ancient Greeks associated several mythical characters with Aquarius at once. One of them is the young man Ganymede, the son of the Trojan king Tros and the nymph Calliroi. Zeus, admiring his beauty, reincarnated as an Eagle, stole him and carried him to Olympus, where Ganymede became the butler and served the gods. Another character - Deucalion was the king of the Thessalian city of Phthia, the son of Prometheus and Clymene, the husband of Pyrrha. According to legend, for the numerous sins of people, Zeus decided to send a heavy downpour to the earth in order to flood the earth and destroy the entire human race. Prometheus, having learned about this, ordered Deucalion to build a ship so that he could escape on it with his wife. In the Bible, a similar story formed the basis of the legend of Noah and his ark. On old maps he is depicted as a man pouring water.

Looking for a constellation in the sky

The constellation is visible in latitudes from -90° to +65° The constellation is clearly visible in the central and southern regions of Russia. Best conditions for observations in August and September. The sun enters the constellation on January 19th. Neighboring constellations: Pegasus, Little Horse, Dolphin, Eagle, Capricorn, Southern Fish, Sculptor, Whale, Pisces. Autumn is the best time to observe Aquarius. The constellation is visible low on the southern side of the sky just after sunset. By midnight, it moves to the southwestern part of the sky. The star Altair (alpha Eagle) will help you find the constellation, to the left of which is Aquarius.

In winter, Aquarius is not visible, as it moves across the sky along with the Sun. At the end of spring, the star begins to appear above the horizon with its northern edge at about three in the morning. You can find Aquarius exactly in the east, where Pegasus points to it with its right angle. At the end of summer, the period of good visibility of Aquarius begins. By midnight, the constellation is in a position due south and is at its highest point above the horizon. Pegasus is located above and to the left, and Altair is approximately at the same height with him - to the right of Aquarius.

The brightest star in the constellation Aquarius. Aquarius Zodiac Sign - Sun and Moon in Aquarius