Chamaeleon,Fly ,Bird & Table of Lords in the sky

 

Chamaeleon constellation

Since Chamaeleon was unknown to the ancient Greeks and Romans, it has no mythology associated with it, but it’s not hard to understand how it came about its fanciful name. 

As exploration of the southern hemisphere began, what biological wonders were discovered! 

Can you imagine how odd a creature that could change its skin color to match its surroundings would be to someone who wasn’t familiar with lizards?

This constellation was appropriately named, given its ability to blend into the background! 

Small wonder that a constellation that blended right in with the background stars could be considered a “chamaeleon” or that it might be pictured sticking its long tongue out to capture its insectile constellation neighbor – Musca the “fly”!

Musca  constellation

The constellation name means The Fly . 

There are 6 stars that make up the main constellation.

 The hipparcos satellite scanned and detailed 604 stars. 

There are 66 stars that can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation on a very clear night sky.

While in Musca, take a look for the southern extension of the Coal Sack – a dark nebula. 

Located about 600 light years away, this obscuration cloud was  known to the people of the Southern Hemisphere in prehistoric times and has even been referred to historically as the “Black Magellanic Cloud”.

Apus constellation is located in the southern hemisphere.

 It is a small constellation that represents the bird of paradise.

 The name of the constellation is derived from the Greek word apous, which means “footless.” 

(Birds of paradise were at one point in history believed to lack feet.)

Ara constellation

Ara is a small constellation located in the southern sky.

 Its name means “the altar” in Latin. (Table of Lords)

The constellation represents the altar used by Zeus and other Greek gods to swear a oath of loyalty before they went to war against Cronus and the Titans. 

In another Greek myth, Ara represents the altar of King Lycaon of Arcadia.

There are several myths associated with the constellation.

 In one of them, Ara represents the altar on which Zeus and other gods vowed to defeat the Titans and overthrow Cronus, who ruled the universe. 

Cronus was one of the 12 Titans who had deposed his father Uranus, the previous ruler.

When a prophecy said that the same fate would befall Cronus and he would be defeated by one of his own children, 

to prevent it from happening, he swallowed all his children – Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon 

– all of them future gods and goddesses. 

When the youngest child, Zeus, was born, his mother Rhea hid him in Crete and gave Cronus a stone to swallow, telling him the stone was Zeus.

When Zeus grew up, he made Cronus vomit his brothers and sisters.

 Once freed, they swore to overthrow Cronus and the Titans. 

The war between the gods and the Titans lasted a decade and the gods won in the end.

 Zeus became the god of the sky, Poseidon became the god of the sea, and Hades the ruler of the underworld.

 Zeus placed the altar among the stars to commemorate the gods’ victory.

In another story, Ara represents the altar of Lycaon, the king of Arcadia who decided to test Zeus by serving him a meal of a dismembered child, and later tried to do away with the god while he slept.

 Zeus, enraged, transformed Lycaon into a wolf and struck down his 50 sons with lightning bolts. 

In one version of the tale, the sacrificed child was Arcas, the son of Zeus and Lycaon’s daughter Callisto.

Amazing  story na?

Keep commenting. 

We will  meet  soon  with  another  story next time. 

Till then  goodbye.....