＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・星座の名前はいつ誰がどのようにして付けたのか？また名前の由来は何か？
Lately, I rarely look up at the night sky. In my hometown of Takatsuki City, the only planets clearly visible are Venus and Jupiter; other than that, only a few faintly twinkling first-magnitude stars are discernible.
Autumn, in particular, sees fewer stars, with the only first-magnitude star being Fomalhaut in the constellation Pisces, shining brightly in the southern sky. Incidentally, Fomalhaut is also known as “Autumn’s Single Star” or “Southern Star.”
“Southern Star” is even mentioned in the lyrics of Miki Imai’s hit song “PRIDE.”
By the way, when, who, and how were the names of the constellations given? Also, what are the origins of these names?
1. When, who, and how were the names of constellations given? Also, what are the origins of these names?
People have been giving names to prominent stars and star patterns since ancient times, but the prototypes of the constellations used today are believed to have originated about 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia (near present-day Iraq), in the Tigris-Euphrates river basin, one of the cradles of ancient civilization. The Chaldean shepherds, living there, would gaze at the night sky and connect the brightly shining stars to depict the figures of animals and heroes.
Originally, in these desert regions, where seasonal changes were minimal, there was a need to use the movement of stars to determine the seasons. They were likely imaginative people.
These constellations were then spread to ancient Greece by the Phoenicians and others who traded along the eastern Mediterranean coast.
Then, ancient Greek poets incorporated these constellations into their stories, linking them to myths and legends, giving rise to new constellations representing beautiful princesses, brave young men, or animals transformed by gods.
Around the 2nd century, the Greek astronomer Ptolemy (c. 83–c. 168 AD), in his work *Almagest*, organized the previously known constellations into 48 constellations based on Greek mythology, almost identical to those we use today.
These 48 constellations of Ptolemy were used for approximately 1,500 years.
<Spring Constellations>
1. Boötes 2. Hydra 3. Lupus 4. Ursa Major 5. Virgo 6. Cancer 7. Corvus
8. Corona Borealis 9. Centaurus 10. Ursa Minor 11. Crater 12. Leo
<Summer Constellations>
13. Sagittarius 14. Lyra 15. Scorpio 16. Libra 17. Cygnus 18. Hercules
19. Aquila 20. Serpens 21. Ophiuchus 22. Delphinus 23. Corona Australis
24. Sagitta 25. Draco
<Autumn Constellations>
26. Andromeda 27. Pisces 28. Aries 29. Cassiopeia 30. Cepheus 31. Pegasus
32. Perseus 33. Aquarius 34. Capricorn 35. Cetus 36. Equuleus 37. Triangulum
38. Piscis Austrinus
<Winter Constellations>
39. Taurus 40. Canis Major 41. Orion 42. Auriga 43. Canis Minor 44. Gemini
45. Eridanus 46. Lepus 47. Argo Navis
(88 constellations: Carina, Vela, Puppis, Pyxis)
<Southern Constellations>
48. Ara
Around the 16th century, the invention of the telescope allowed for the observation of faint stars in the gaps between the 48 constellations. Furthermore, coinciding with the Age of Discovery, the southern hemisphere, previously unillustrated with constellations, became visible. Astronomers also created constellations based on unusual animals (chameleons, peacocks, Native Americans, etc.) and new tools (telescopes, compasses, etc.) seen by sailors who traveled to the Southern Hemisphere.
However, around this time, new constellations were added to honor kings and other figures, creating constellations in previously unrecognized areas. These varied from country to country, and astronomers independently created and named their own personal constellations, resulting in over 100 constellations and a cluttered, confusing night sky.
Therefore, a movement to unify constellations gained momentum among astronomers worldwide, and in 1930, the International Astronomical Union designated the entire sky as 88 constellations, a system still in use today. However, it is still called by various names depending on the country and region.