Fact sheet
- Latin name
- Aquarius (Aqr)
- Brightest star
- Sadalsuud (β Aqr)
- Relative brightness
- 2.87 mag
- Hipparcos catalogue
- HIP 106278
- Area
- 980 deg² (rank: 10 out of 88)
- Right ascension
- 20h 38m 19s to 23h 56m 27s
- Declination
- -24° 54' 15'' to +3° 19' 32''
- Neighbouring constellations
- Pegasus, Equuleus, Delphinus, Aquila, Capricornus, Piscis Austrinus, Sculptor, Cetus, Pisces
Visibility
The constellation Aquarius
Aquarius is a constellation of the southern hemisphere. It lies on the ecliptic and is therefore one of the zodiac constellations. The ecliptic describes the apparent path of the sun over the course of a year. During this time, the sun passes through all the zodiac constellations. From 16 February to 11 March, the sun is in the constellation Aquarius. During this time, the constellation cannot be observed because it is in the daytime sky.
At the beginning of spring (20 or 21 March), the sun passes through the point where the ecliptic and the celestial equator intersect. This point of intersection is called the spring point in the northern hemisphere and the autumn point in the southern hemisphere. At present, the sun is in the constellation Pisces at this moment. Because of the movement of the Earth's axis, the constellation Aquarius will take its place in about 600 years. The spring point needs about 26,000 years to pass once through all the zodiac constellations.
Mythology
The Great Flood, which we know today from the Old Testament, was already understood in ancient Greece as a punishment for a humanity that was all too sinful. According to a Greek myth, it was Zeus who sent the flood to the earth. Prometheus, the creator of humans and animals, wanted to save his son Deucalion and ordered him to build a ship for himself and his wife Pyrrha. The two spent nine days and nights on the ship while the whole land was flooded. When the flood receded, Deucalion asked the oracle of Themis how he could populate the earth again. The oracle answered that he should throw the bones of his mother over his shoulder. After some initial doubt about this answer, Deucalion understood that he was to throw stones (bones) of the earth (Mother Earth) over his shoulder. New people arose from these stones. Since then, Deucalion has been regarded as the forefather of modern humanity. The gods are said to have later immortalised him in the sky as the constellation Aquarius. Other Greeks saw Aquarius as Ganymede, the cupbearer of the gods, whom Zeus had carried off to Olympus. The Babylonians already called the constellation “the Great One” (GU.LA).
Astrological significance
People who were born between 21 January and 19 February are born under the zodiac sign of Aquarius. They are born revolutionaries. They stand up to misery and are a great support to those who are less well off. Freedom and tolerance are what they value most. Aquarius has many friends but cannot subordinate himself to any other person.
