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Caribbean Skies. Steven Dutch University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Green Flash. Directions in the Sky. Stars and Constellations. Many proper star names are Arabic Catalog labels also used (Alpha Centauri) Constellation names are Latin Ancient groups from Near Eastern myths via Greeks
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Caribbean Skies Steven Dutch University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Stars and Constellations • Many proper star names are Arabic • Catalog labels also used (Alpha Centauri) • Constellation names are Latin • Ancient groups from Near Eastern myths via Greeks • Numerous 17th-18th Century inventions • 89 Constellations • Fixed boundaries in sky • Every star is in one, and only one, constellation • There is no “official” way to draw constellations
About Constellation Names • Latin uses word endings where we often use prepositions • Possessive form different from normal form • Centaurusbut Alpha Centauri • Tucana but 47 Tucanae • Gemini – Geminorum • Virgo – Virginis • Orion – Orionis