The sky inhabitants - the constellations.

In ancient times constellations were the piculiar bright star groups, named by the mithological characters (Andromeda, Hercules) or by the common life (Scales, Cart). These names were very conditional and the constellation figures rarely corresponded them. But the names of constellations helped to be oriented as among the celestial objects and during the travelling along the Earth.

The description of some constellations.

The constellations of Zodiac.

The constellations of Zodiac are very popular. They have an ancient astrology histiry. Every the constellation has its own sign (a symbol). Ecliptic was divided into 12 equal parts, which was also called Zodiac signs. They were counted from the point of vernal equinox.

But the time is flying away. The slow conical motion of the Earth's axis makes the point of vernal equinox move along the ecliptic to the West. This is called the preliminary of vernal equinox. During the last several thousand years the poin of a vernal equinox displaced from the constellation Calf to the Fish. As a result all the Zodiac row of constellations as if displaced in the two positions the count traditionally begings from the constellation where the point of a vernal equinox is.