Capricornus

Capricornus

Constellation
List of stars in Capricornus
Abbreviation	Cap
Genitive	Capricorni
Right ascension	21
Declination	−20
Area	414 sq. deg. (40th)
Meteor showers	Alpha Capricornids Chi Capricornids Sigma Capricornids Tau Capricornids Capricorniden-Sagittariids
Bordering constellations	Aquarius Aquila Sagittarius Microscopium Piscis Austrinus
Visible at latitudes between +60° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of September.

For the astrological sign see Capricorn.

Capricornus ( or , Unicode: ♑), a name meaning "Horned Goat" or "That which has horns like a goat's" in Latin, is one of the constellations of the zodiac. It is commonly called Capricorn, especially in astrology. It is commonly called the sea-goat, as it is in an area of the sky known as the Sea. Capricornus is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy. Under its modern boundaries it is bordered by Aquila, Sagittarius, Microscopium, Piscis Austrinus and Aquarius.

Notable features

This constellation is the dimmest in the zodiac besides Cancer. Its brighter stars are found on a triangle whose vertices are α Cap (Giedi), δ Cap (Deneb Algiedi), and ω Cap.

History

This constellation is one of the oldest to have been identified, possibly the oldest, despite its dimness. Since it falls in an area of the sky known as the sea, it became considered a sea-goat (in the same sense as a sea-maiden). Depictions of a goat or goat-fish have been found on Babylonian tablets dating back three thousand years. The constellation may owe its antiquity to the fact that at that time, the northern hemisphere's Winter Solstice occurred while the sun was in Capricorn. The concern for the sun's rebirth might have rendered astronomical and astrological observation of this region of space very important.

For the same reason, the sun's most southerly position, which is attained at the northern hemisphere's winter solstice, is now called the Tropic of Capricorn, a term which also applies to the line on earth where the sun is directly overhead at noon on that solstice.

Due to early Greek beliefs that sin accumulated throughout the year, causing the darkness to increase, together with the sun's descent and pause at the Solstice, the ancient Greeks referred to this area of sky as the Augean Stable, where they considered the sun stabled during the year. The cause of the association with the location or name of Augeas is not currently known. However, during the classical period of Greek history, this name gradually fell out of use.

Due to the precession of the equinoxes, the December solstice no longer takes place while the sun is in Capricorn, but the astrological period called Capricorn begins at approximately the same time as the solstice.

The planet Neptune was discovered in this constellation by German astronomer Johann Galle, near Deneb Algedi (δ Capricorni) on September 23, 1846, which is reasonable as Capricornus can be seen best at 9:00 in September.

Mythology

This constellation is sometimes identified as Amalthea, the goat that suckled the infant Zeus after his mother Rhea saved him from being devoured by his father Cronos in Greek mythology. The goat's broken horn was transformed into the cornucopia or horn of plenty. Some ancient sources claim that this derives from the sun "taking nourishment" while in the constellation, in preparation for its climb back northward.

However, the constellation is often depicted as a sea-goat, a goat with a fish's tail. One myth that deals with this says that when the goat-god Pan was attacked by the monster Typhon, he dove into the Nile; the parts above the water remained a goat, but those under the water transformed into a fish.

In Sumeria, the constellation was associated with the god Ea or Enki, who brought culture out of the sea to humankind.

The constellation, together with its early Greek name, associated ideas about sin, and the constellation of Aquarius, who was said to have poured out a river, may represent the origin of the myth of the Augean Stable, which forms one of The Twelve Labours of Herakles.

The constellation is located in an area of sky called the Sea or Water, consisting of many watery constellations such as Aquarius, Pisces, and Eridanus.

Astrology

The Western astrological sign Capricorn of the tropical zodiac (December 22 - January 19) differs from the astronomical constellation and the Hindu astrological sign of the sidereal zodiac (January 19 - February 15).

In some cosmologies, Capricorn is associated with the classical element Earth, and thus called an Earth Sign (with Taurus and Virgo). It is also one of the four Cardinal signs (along with Aries, Cancer, and Libra). It is the domicile of Saturn and the exaltation of Mars. Its polar opposite is Cancer. Each astrological sign is assigned a part of the body, viewed as the seat of its power. Capricorn rules the knees, bones, and skin. The ancient symbol of this sign is the sea monster, which harks back to the time in antiquity when Capricorn was considered a water sign and not an earth sign. The symbol for this eventually changed to that of a seagoat, which is a mythological creature that has the head and upper body of a goat and the lower body of a fish, and this was an attempt to meld the watery qualities that this sign originally possessed with the earthly qualities that astrologers wanted it to acquire. In modern times the symbolism for this sign has evolved once again, with astrologers doing away with the figure of the seagoat altogether in favour of the mountain goat, which has almost eradicated the watery themes that once encompassed this sign.

Graphic visualization

Diagram of an alternative way to connect the stars of the Capricornus constellation: it is depicted as a goat.

The stars of the constellation Capricorn can be connected in an alternative way, which graphically shows a goat.

The goat's head is formed by the triangle of stars ι Capricorni, θ Capricorni, and ζ Capricorni. The goat's horn sticks out with stars γ Capricorni and δ Capricorni. Star δ Capricorni, at the tip of the horn, is of the third magnitude.

The goat's tail consists of stars β Capricorni and α Capricorni: star β Capricorni being of the third magnitude.

The goat's hind foot consists of stars ψ Capricorni and ω Capricorni. Both of these stars are of the fourth magnitude.

Reference

• H. A. Rey, The Stars — A New Way To See Them. Enlarged World-Wide Edition. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1997. ISBN 0-395-24830-2.

Notable and named stars

BD	F	Names and other designations	Mag.	Ly away	Comments
δ	49	Delta Capricorni, Deneb Algiedi, Scheddi	2.87	38.6	< ذنب الجدي ðanab[u] al-jadiyy Tail of the goat
β1,2	9	Beta Capricorni, Dabih	2.99	328	< سعد الذابح sacd að-ðābiħ Luck of the slaughterer/sacrificer multiple star system; brightest components: Dabih Major (β¹ Cap) +3.05 Dabih Minor (β² Cap) +6.09
α²	6	Alpha2 Capricorni, Algedi Secunda, Secunda Giedi	3.56	109	< الجديّ al-jadiyy The billy goat + secunda second
γ	40	Gamma Capricorni, Nashira	3.68	139	< السعد الناشرة as-sacd an-nāšira[h] The bringer of good news Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum variable
ζ	34	Zeta Capricorni	3.77	398	has a white dwarf companion
θ	23	Theta Capricorni	4.08	158
ω	18	Omega Capricorni	4.12	630
ψ	16	Psi Capricorni	4.13	47.9
α¹	5	Alpha1 Capricorni, Algedi Prima, Prima Giedi	4.24	690	< الجديّ al-jadiyy The billy goat + prima first
ι	32	Iota Capricorni	4.28	216	BY Draconis variable
A	24	24 Capricorni	4.49	523
b	36	36 Capricorni	4.50	179
ε	39	Epsilon Capricorni, Kastra	4.51	660	triple star system Gamma Cassiopeiae variable
κ	43	Kappa Capricorni	4.72	291
ν	8	Nu Capricorni, Alshat	4.75	272	< الشاة aš-šā[t] The (she) camel
ρ	11	Rho Capricorni	4.77	98.7
η	22	Eta Capricorni, Arm	4.82	158
μ	51	Mu Capricorni	5.08	90.2
π	10	Pi Capricorni, Okul	5.08	670	triple star system
c	46	46 Capricorni	5.10	800
υ	15	Upsilon Capricorni	5.15	760
	42	42 Capricorni, BY Capricorni	5.16	106	RS Canum Venaticorum variable
φ	28	Phi Capricorni	5.17	690
τ²	14	Tau2 Capricorni	5.24	1750
	41	41 Capricorni	5.24	247
σ	7	Sigma Capricorni	5.28	700
χ	25	Chi Capricorni	5.30	191
	29	29 Capricorni	5.31
	33	33 Capricorni	5.38
	30	30 Capricorni	5.40
ο	12	Omicron Capricorni	5.57	137	double star, component magnitudes 5.94, 6.74
λ	48	Lambda Capricorni	5.57	294
	37	37 Capricorni	5.70
	19	19 Capricorni	5.78
	35	35 Capricorni	5.78
ξ²	2	Xi2 Capricorni	5.84	91.5
	4	4 Capricorni	5.86
	44	44 Capricorni	5.88
	17	17 Capricorni	5.91
	45	45 Capricorni	5.96
	47	47 Capricorni	6.00
	27	27 Capricorni	6.25
	20	20 Capricorni	6.26
	3	3 Capricorni	6.30
ξ¹	1	Xi1 Capricorni	6.34	483
τ¹	13	Tau1 Capricorni	6.76	880
	31	31 Capricorni	7.18
		HD 202206	8.08		circumbinary planet

Source: The Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed., The Hipparcos Catalogue, ESA SP-1200

Stars with planets

Star	Planet	Distance (ly)	Discovered
HD 202206	HD 202206 b	151.14	2000
	HD 202206 c	151.14	2004

External links

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Capricornus