Aquarius

Aquarius one of the dimmest constellations in the night sky but is most visible in the northern hemisphere during October at 21:00.

In the Zodiac

The sun appears in Aquarius from late January to late February or from the middle of February to the middle of March, depending on the zodiac system used (wikipedia.org).

Image sources: www.allthesky.com and Stellarium

History

In Latin, "Aquarius" means "water-bearer," and that is the typical image of Aquarius. This relation to water is seen in Greek, Egyptian, and Babylonian culture. The Egyptians believed Aquarius brought the flooding of the Nile River.

Aquarius in Greek Mythology

Aquarius represents the Greek character Ganymede, who is the cup-bearer of the Greek gods. The story is that Zeus wanted a servant for pouring wine, so he sent his eagle known as Aquila today to pick up the boy he desired for the role. The role of pouring wine for the gods was derived from Babylonian culture (www.dibonsmith.com, en.wikipedia.org).

Location

Neighbors

Aquarius is south of Pegasus, Equuleus, and Delphinus; east of Aquila; northwest of Capricornus; north of Pisces, and Austrinus, and west of Cetus (www.daviddarling.info).

Numbers

Right Ascension: 23 hours
Declination: -15 degrees
Area: 979.9° squared / 2.375% of sky
Full range: 65°N – 86°S
Number of stars (below 6.5 magnitude): 172

(www.astro.wisc.edu)

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