Navajo: Ursa Major
Lakota: Constellation of the Hand
Hindu: Rishis
Greek: Scorpius
Greek: Draco
Greek: Heracles
The Nemean Lion
The Lernaean Hydra
Greek: Cancer
Greek: Orion
Greek: Taurus
Greek: Aquila
Greek: Andromeda
Greek: Cassiopeia
Greek: Cepheus
Greek: Pegasus
Greek: Perseus
The Big Dipper and Bootes
Greek: Cygnus
Renaissance panel ceiling by Baldassare Peruzzi entitled "The Rape of Ganymede." ( c. 1509-14). Villa Farnesina, Rome, Italy.
Image courtesy of PhotoDisc, Inc. All rights reserved. Images provided by (c) 1995 Fototeca Storica Nazionale.
The constellation Aquarius, the waterbearer.
Ganymede was a son of Tros, who was the ruler of the city of Troy. One day, Jupiter saw Ganymede as he guarded his sheep, and wanted to make the young man the servant of the gods at Olympus. Jupiter changed his shape into that of an eagle, swooped down and carried the boy off to Mount Olympus.
Ganymede became Jupiter's favorite companion. Jupiter placed the eagle into the heavens as the constellation Aquila (eagle), and then Ganymede as the constellation Aquarius (water bearer). One of Jupiter's moons is also named after Ganymede.
In Roman mythology, Jupiter (Zeus in Greek mythology) was the king of heaven and Earth and of all the Olympian gods. He was also known as the god of justice. He was named king of the gods in the special...more
Ahsonnutli
Ahsonnutli was the sky father and chief god of the Navajo. He created heaven, Earth, and the sky. The four main directions are believed to be supported by giants. Each direction has a specific color: white-east;...more
Amphitrite
In Roman and Greek mythology, Amphitrite was a beautiful sea nymph. Poseidon (Neptune), who was the god of the sea and earthquakes, fell in love with her at first sight. Amphitrite did not respond to his...more
Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was known to the Romans as Venus. To the perfection of her figure and the purity of her features she added an innocent grace. On her sweet face she...more
In Greek mythology, Apollo was the son of Jupiter(in Greek Zeus) and Leto (Letona). He was the god of the Sun, logic, and reason, and was also a fine musician and healer. He was known as the god who could...more
According to an ancient Greek legend, the figure of a gigantic crab was placed in the nighttime sky by the goddess Hera to form the constellation Cancer. Hera swore to kill Heracles, the most famous Greek...more
In the Northern Hemisphere sky is the constellation Cepheus, king of Ethiopia. His wife was Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia claimed that she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than the sea nymphs, the...more