Constellation Aquarius

From LoveToKnow Horoscopes

The constellation Aquarius is one of the oldest and represents the water-bearer or cup-bearer of the gods.

Aquarius is difficult to see without a telescope.

Aquarius: Zodiac Symbolism

Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the zodiac wheel and rules the period of January 20 through February 18. Its symbol is two wavy lines stacked on top of each other representing water.

Aquarian Traits And Influences

The influence of your sun sign can determine some of your personality traits. Some Aquarius traits include being:

Open-minded
A humanitarian
Friendly
Inventive
An original thinker

Constellation Aquarius: How To Find It

Constellation Aquarius is difficult to locate in the sky because its stars are very dim. You’ll need a telescope to find it. The constellation was assigned to the bearer of life-giving water because the sun moves through this sector during the winter and summer solstices. These two seasons mark a weather change with either snow or rain.

Viewing Aquarius

The Southern sky is the best place to view constellation Aquarius during the fall season. If you’re in the Northern hemisphere your best viewing season will be in the Spring.

Aquarius is found in the area of the sky known as the Sea because there are so many constellations located in this region that are associated with water:

Cetus- whale
Pisces- fish
Delphinus- dolphin
Eridanus- river, spills from the water-bearer’s bucket
Piscis Austrinus- original Pisces fish that drinks from Aqaurius’s jar
Pegasus- A spring welled up through the earth whenever the winged horse’s hooves hit the ground.

Connecting The Stars

To find the constellation Aquarius, you need to locate the brightest star in the constellation by looking at the upper middle section of the chart. This star is called Sadalmelek and is positioned south of the Pegasus constellation and best seen in the fall.

If looking in the sky, search for the prominent Y shape formed by four stars which lie to the left of Sadalmelek.

Another interesting aspect of the constellation is the Helix planetary nebula. It's said to be the brightest known planetary nebula; this is a result of the gases coming from the dying star.

Once you’ve located Sadalmelek, you can draw an imaginary line as though connecting dots in a game between the stars that make up the constellation of Aquarius. The line will create the figure of a man holding a tilted bucket or vase with water streaming from it.

You can also connect the stars to reveal a running water-bearer holding a vessel with water sloshing over its sides.

Locating With Astronomical Calculations

It’s easy to locate Aquarius if you are familiar with astronomy terms and have the necessary equipment to be able to see the dim stars. The first thing to find is the:

Water Bearer’s Head

Find the quadrangle of:

a Aqr
y Aqr
n Aqr
p Aqr

View Aquarius Meteor Showers

There are four known meteor showers that occur each year within the constellation of Aquarius.

The Southern Iota Aquarids: Occurs from July 1 - September 18 with the highlight happening near the August 6. This shower typically produces seven to eight meteors per hour.
Delta Aquarids: Two showers
- Southern Delta Aquarids: July 14 – August 18; maximum hourly rate 15-20 meteors
- Northern Delta Aquarids: July 16 – September 10; maximum rate 10 per hour.
March Aquarids: March 11 – 16; discovered in 1961 and only viewable during daylight hours
Eta Aquarids: April 21 – May 12; maximum hourly rate 20 viewed from Northern hemisphere and 50 from Southern hemisphere.

Greek Mythology: The Story of Aquarius

In Greek Mythology, Zeus wanted Ganyded and kidnapped the young man by shape-shifting into a giant eagle (constellation Aquila). He carried Ganyded to Mt. Olympus. Ganyded ended up becoming the cup-bearer or water-bearer to the gods. Another version states Zeus sent his eagle to bring the youth to him.

In Homer’s Iliad, the gods took Ganyded because he was too beautiful to remain a mortal. They presented him to Zeus to be his personal wine-pourer. Zeus sent the young man’s father, Tros, king of Troy, a pair of horses with the message that his son had been made immortal and now lived with the gods. Other versions state it wasn't a pair of horses, but a gold vine that grew golden leaves and grapes.

Other Myths

Babylon: Aquarius was viewed as a vengeful and punishing god who brought the annual rains for the month when the sun was located in the Aquarius constellation, known as the time of the curse of the rain.

Roman: The name used by the Romans for Aquarius or Ganyded was Catamitus. Jupiter (Zeus) desired the youth, took him for his own and turned him into an immortal.

Egypt: The god Aquarius provides the annual flood waters to the Nile to help the parched farmlands.

Great Flood: Zeus destroyed the wickedness of mankind in a great flood that came from the water-bearer’s water vessel. The constellation Eridanus is the river Aquarius created that flowed to cover the earth.

Age of Aquarius

Tropical astrologers maintain the Age of Aquarius began with the ending of the 20th century. Tropical astrologers use the points (tropics) where the sun rises and sets during the winter and summer solstices for reference points.

This Age of Aquarius declaration created a great controversy among astrologers. Many believe the Age of Aquarius won’t begin until 2,200 AD and some state it’ll be 2,600 AD. These astrologers argue that we’re still in the Age of Pisces since an age lasts 2,200 years and is calculated by the equinox precessions.

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