Aries constellation
Latin Aries, genitive Arietis, abbreviation Ari
North up, east to the left, as you see the sky. The lines are a common figure; the stars are from the catalogue.
The myth
The ram with the golden fleece that carried Phrixus and Helle across the sea; its fleece was the Golden Fleece that Jason later sought. A little over 2000 years ago the vernal equinox lay here, which is why the zodiac still begins with Aries, although the point has long since moved into Pisces. In the sky a short arc of three or four stars.
When can Aries be seen?
It stands highest around 10 pm in November. It can be seen from everywhere north of 57°S, and it never sets north of 71°N.
The brightest stars
| Star | Designation | Magnitude | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamal | α Ari | 2.00 | orange |
| Sheratan | β Ari | 2.64 | white |
| Bharani | 41 Ari | 3.63 | bluish |
| Botein | δ Ari | 4.35 | orange |
| Lilii Borea | 39 Ari | 4.51 | orange |
| – | ε Ari | 4.63 | white |
| – | ε Ari | 4.63 | white |
| – | 35 Ari | 4.66 | bluish |
The smaller the number, the brighter: below 1 are the brightest stars of the sky, 4 is hard to see under a city sky. Greek letters after Johann Bayer (1603).
Constellation and zodiac sign
The constellation Aries and the zodiac sign of the same name are not the same. The signs divide the Sun's path into twelve equal parts of 30 degrees, counted from the vernal equinox; the constellations differ in size, and because the Earth's axis slowly wobbles, they now lie almost one sign further on.