Constellations
I am a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and currently sit on the council. I presented a series of astronomy talks on YouTube called ‘The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Cosmos. I also present lectures on cruise ships all over the world, and to various clubs and societies at home. I have a monthly astronomy feature on BBC Radio York and my own weekly Astronomy Show on a community radio station called Drystone Radio, which can be heard on line. I also write a monthly ‘What’s in the night sky?’ feature for the Craven Herald newspaper which covers the Yorkshire Dales.
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 5 minutes
- Episodes
- 89
- Years Active
- 2021
Corvus the Crow
The origin of this faint constellation dates back at least to the ancient Greeks who called it the Raven. In legend,Corvus is associated with the neighbouring constellations of Crater the Cup and Hyd…
00:02:51 |
Tue 09 Feb 2021
Corona Borealis the Northern Crown
An ancient constellation representing the jewelled crown given as a wedding present by Bacchus to Ariadne, and cast by him into the sky when she died.
00:04:45 |
Mon 08 Feb 2021
Corona Australis the Southern Crown
The southern conterpart to the Northern Crown (Corona Borealis). Corona Australis has been known since the times of the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century CE.
00:02:11 |
Mon 08 Feb 2021
Coma Berenices, Berenice's Hair
This faint constellation represents the flowing locks of Queen Berenice of Egypt, who cut off her hair in gratitude to the gods for the safe return from battle of her husband Ptolemy Euergetes.
00:06:09 |
Mon 08 Feb 2021
Columba the Dove
A constellation adjoining Puppis, representing the dove that followed Noah's Ark, or the dove that the Argonauts sent ahead to help them pass safely between the Symplegades, the clashing rocks, at th…
00:02:13 |
Wed 03 Feb 2021
Circinus the Compasses
Another of the small and obscure southern constellations introduced by the French astronomer \nicolas Louis de Lacaille.
00:01:57 |
Tue 02 Feb 2021
Chamaeleon the Chamaeleon
A faint and undistinguished constellation. It was introduced into the southern skies by Johann Bayer in 1603.
00:02:04 |
Mon 01 Feb 2021
Cetus the Whale
An ancient constellation depicting the sea monster that threatened to devour Andromeda before she was rescued by Perseus
00:06:24 |
Sun 31 Jan 2021
Cepheus the King
An ancient constellation representing KIng Cepheus of Ethiopia, husband of Cassiopeia and father of Andromeda, themselves represented by nearby constellations.
00:05:55 |
Sat 30 Jan 2021
Centaurus the Centaur
A large and rich constellation representing a centaur in Greek mythology, reputedly the scholarly centaur Chiron who was the tutuor of many Greek heroes, and who according to legend invented the main…
00:08:53 |
Fri 29 Jan 2021
cassiopeia the Queen
In legend, Cassiopeia was the beautiful but boastful Queen of Ethiopia, wife of King Cepheus and mother of Andromeda.
00:11:44 |
Thu 28 Jan 2021
Carina the Keel
This constellation was orginally part of the extensive Argo Navis, the ship of the Argonauts, until subdivided in the 1750s by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille. As part of Argo Navis, …
00:10:25 |
Wed 27 Jan 2021
Capricornus the Sea Goat
Capricornus is depicted as a goat with a fish tail. Amphibious creatures feature prominently in ancient legends, and the origin of Capricornus certainly dates back to ancient times.
00:08:17 |
Tue 26 Jan 2021
Canis Minor the Lesser Dog
The second of the two dogs of Orion, the other being Canis Major.
00:02:51 |
Mon 25 Jan 2021
Canis Major the Greater Dog
An ancient constellation, representing one of the two dogs (the other being Canis Minor) following at the heels of Orion the Hunter
00:11:12 |
Sun 24 Jan 2021
Canes Venatici the Hunting Dogs
A constellation introduced by the Polish astronomer Hevelius in the 1680s, consisiting of some faint stars below the tail of Ursa Major the Great Bear
00:08:42 |
Sat 23 Jan 2021
Cancer the Crab
Cancer represents the crab which attacked Hercules when he was fighting with the Hydra; the luckless crab was crushed underfoot by the mighty Hercules, but was subsequently placed in the heavens.
00:07:02 |
Thu 21 Jan 2021
Camelopardalis the Giraffe
Camelopardalis is without doubt one of the dullest of the northern constellations. It was drawn on a map in 1624 by the German astronomer Jakob Bartsch. It has been said that if you come across an ar…
00:02:28 |
Wed 20 Jan 2021
Caelum the Chisel
An obscure, almost irrelevant constellation at the foot of Eridanus, introduced in the 1750s by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille during his mapping of the southern sky.
00:02:33 |
Tue 19 Jan 2021
Bootes the Herdsman
An ancient constellation, representing a herdsman driving a bear(Ursa Major) around the sky; he is often depicted holding the leash of the Hunting dogs Canes Venatici.
00:08:10 |
Mon 18 Jan 2021
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