Cancer Constellation

From LoveToKnow Horoscopes

The Cancer constellation, Latin for the word "crab", lies in the night sky with Gemini to its west and Leo to its east.

The Cancer Constellation

The sun passes through the Cancer constellation from late June into early July, and one of the brightest stars within Cancer’s sphere is Al Tarf, Arabic for "the end". Additionally, this constellation may be best known for its deep sky object and open cluster with two names; the Beehive Cluster and the Gate of Men.

Stars and Location

The following information should help when locating Cancer:

Abbreviation: Cnc

Right Ascension: 9 Hours

Declination: +20 Degrees

Covers an Area of: 506 square degrees

Bordering Constellations Include: Lynx, Gemini, Canis Minor, Hydra, Leo, Leo Minor

Inside the Constellation

Inside the constellation itself, one can find several named stars:

Acubens: Arabic for "the claws"

Asellus Borealis: Latin for "northern donkey"

Praesepe or the Beehive Cluster: Latin for "manger"

Tegmine: Greek for "skin"

Kwan Kei: Chinese for "bright fire"

Nahn: Persian for "nose"

Additionally, the meteor shower associated with Cancer is called Delta Cancrids and lasts from December 14 to February 14. The main shower occurrs between January 1 to January 24, and the peak of the shower falls on January 17.

Traits Associated with Cancer

The moon is Cancer’s ruling planetary body, and the myths and legends that surround it are numerous. When it comes to Cancer’s traits, the moon lends the following qualities.

Nurture: Few astrological signs are as nurturing as Cancer. Cancers love and truly shine best when they can freely "take care" of someone. This nurturing nature is not only reserved for people; it extends to pets and animals as well.

Shy: Even though Cancers are very loving, they can be very shy when it comes to expressing their feelings. That’s because Cancer’s symbol, the crab, provides these people with a tough outer shell that’s designed to protect their soft underbellies. However, once Cancer gets to know you and feels safe, he or she will express more and more of that nurturing side.

Secretive: Did you know that here on Earth, people only get to see one side of the moon? That’s because the moon doesn’t revolve the way Earth does. This means that you only see one side, or face, of the moon. This may help explain why Cancers can sometimes be so secretive; they feel safest when they can keep something hidden from everyone else. This makes that object or feeling special.

Myths Associated with the Constellation of Cancer

Perhaps the most famous myth associated with Cancer is the one of Hercules and Hydra. This story explains how Cancer became one of the twelve constellations.

This myth is full of high flying action, and it involves Hercules and the two Earth Mother goddesses, Hera and Hydra. According to legend, Hercules had to perform twelve labors assigned to him by Eurystheus, the king of Mycena. If Hercules succeeded in these tasks, he would be assured a place among the gods and would be immortalized for all time.

The fly in the ointment arrives when he has to face the dreaded sea serpent, Hydra. Hydra is no ordinary monster. In fact, she has multiple dog-like heads (the number varies from as few as seven to as many as ten thousand), and Hercules knows that one of those heads is immortal. He has to cut that head to succeed. Unfortunately, all of Hydra’s heads are identical!

To continue, the battle begins with Hercules valiantly slashing and hacking away at Hydra’s heads, but to his dismay, they keep growing back! It’s during this time that an enormous crab emergences from the sea ready to defend his mother-figure, Hydra. The crab is determined, but he is no match for Hercules, and he soon loses his battle. Hercules then enlists the help of his friend, Iphicles, to burn each of Hydra’s wounds. This stops the heads from growing back, and Hercules wins.

What does this have to do with the Cancer constellation? Earth Mother Hera was Hercules' sworn enemy, and since she was impressed with the crab’s heroic and determined efforts to defend his "mother", she made an outline of the crab in the sky and proclaimed it the fourth constellation.

The myth of Hercules and Hydra, combined with Cancer’s actual symbol, the crab, really come together to present a comprehensive view of this particular constellation. If you happen to be a Cancer, be proud of your sign. According to legend, the Cancer constellation is up there in the night sky because of the crab's determined and dogged efforts to defend that which he loved.

Retrieved from "http://horoscopes.lovetoknow.com/Cancer_Constellation"