Aries (constellation)

zodiac constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere

Aries is one of the constellations of the zodiac.[2] It is in the Northern Hemisphere. Aries is Latin for ram - a male sheep. Its symbol is (Unicode ♈), which represents a ram's horns. Aries had the meaning of a ram four thousand years ago in Babylonia. It represents the ram whose fleece (hair) became the Golden Fleece in Ancient Greek Mythology. The astronomer Ptolemy listed Aries when he made a list of 48 constellations.[3]

Aries
Constellation
Aries
AbbreviationAri
GenitiveArietis
Pronunciation/ˈɛərz/, formally /ˈɛərɪz/; genitive /əˈrɪtɪs/, /ˌærɪˈɛtɪs/
Symbolismthe Ram
Right ascension3
Declination+20
QuadrantNQ1
Area441 sq. deg. (39th)
Main stars4, 9
Bayer/Flamsteed
stars
67
Stars with planets6
Stars brighter than 3.00m2
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)2[a]
Brightest starα Ari (Hamal) (2.01m)
Messier objectsNone
Meteor showers
Bordering
constellations
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −60°.
Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of December.

References change

  1. Thompson & Thompson 2007, pp. 90–91.
  2. Kaler, Jim. "THE CONSTELLATIONS". Stars. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  3. "Aries Constellation". Constellation Guide. Retrieved 27 January 2013.

Notes change

  1. The nearby stars that are named or otherwise known are Teegarden's star and TZ Arietis. The distance can be calculated from their parallax, listed in SIMBAD, by taking the inverse of the parallax and multiplying by 3.26.