New year is coming towards us! There are a bunch of constellations that you will see in January 2022! It will be great to see beautiful constellations of January with your family to start off the new year. These are constellations that you will likely see in January and interesting Greek myths behind these constellations.
1. Taurus
Taurus is a prominent and 17th largest of all constellations in the northern hemisphere’s winter sky lying north-west of Orion. Its name means “Bulls” in Latin. History of Taurus starts from the bronze age as it is one of the oldest constellations. It belongs to a zodiac family of constellations. Taurus is used to mark the Sun’s location during the spring equinox. From old cultures like Greek, Egyptian, even going back to Ancient Babylon, these cultures show that Taurus symbolized and associated with “bull” in many ways.
Greek mythology of Taurus:
Zeus fell madly in love with Europa, beautiful daughter of King of Phoenice. So, Zeus changed himself into a snow-white bull to attract Europa. Europa was charmed by the beauty of the white bull and when she climbed onto its back, the bull(Zeus) successfully kidnapped Europa, and Zeus showed his divine form in front of Europa. To commemorate his feat, he placed the picture of Taurus among the constellations.
2. Orion
Orion is one of the most recognizable constellations in the sky, located on the celestial equator. Seven highly luminous stars of Orion make it more prominent in the winter sky. Orion has been known since ancient times. Also, it symbolizes and represents the mythical hunter Orion from Greek Mythology.
Greek mythology of Orion:
Orion was a great skilled hunter, and he provided meat each day for the gods. One day, Orion enjoyed hunting with the moon goddess, Artemis. Orion’s hunting skills amused Artemis, and Artemis talked about how great Orion is to other gods. The next day, Orion tried to impress Artemis more, so he hunted every animal he could find, and put a large pile of dead animals in front of Artemis’ house. However, Artemis was horrified. She is the protector of animals and punished those who killed more than they could eat. Artemis stomped her foot on the ground, and a great scorpion appeared which stung Orion. Lastly, Orion died in great pain. However, in honor of his great service to the gods, Zeus placed his constellation in the sky.
3. Gemini
Gemini is one of the constellations of the zodiac that is located in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is described by the 2nd century AD astronomer Ptolemy. West side of the Taurus, and east side of Cancer is the location where Gemini lies. Gemini means “twins” in Latin. It is dominated by Castor and Pollux, two bright stars which form an O shape.
Greek mythology of Gemini:
Castor and Pollux were twin brothers, the sons of Zeus and Leda. They sailed to the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece. They were invincible and courageous fighters. These two fought their best when they were near each other and helped the ship. To commemorate their great feats and help they gave to the sailors and their love for each other, Zeus placed their constellation, Gemini, in the sky after their deaths.
Useful Links: Greek Mythology and January Constellations
