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Where Tales Began

Where stories come from, and where they went.

Section IV of 5

Star Lore

Constellations: the myths attached to them, how they came by their names, and what the naked eye can see of them. Astronomy and myth only, never astrology.

3 entries

Image credit
Illustration: Where Tales Began. Generated stylized illustration — not a photograph, historical artifact or record. © Where Tales Began, all rights reserved.

All 88 Constellations: 38 Were Added After 1500

The IAU fixed 88 constellations in 1922. Fifty descend from Ptolemy's 48, and 38 were added between 1536 and 1756. A dated index, myth sources and a border map.

Comparison table or list · October 20, 2026
Image credit
Illustration: Where Tales Began. Generated stylized illustration — not a photograph, historical artifact or record. © Where Tales Began, all rights reserved.

Pleiades: The Seven Sisters Aratus Said Show Only Six

Aratus called the Pleiades seven but said only six are seen. Ovid's two candidates for the hidden sister, Galileo's 1610 count, and the nine IAU star names.

Catalogue entry · October 20, 2026
Image credit
"F19.v. Cassiopeia NLW MS 735C" by Unknown artist, National Library of Wales MS 735C, folio 19v — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F19.v._Cassiopeia_NLW_MS_735C.png — CC0 1.0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

Cassiopeia: Why the Myth Says the Queen Turns Upside Down

In Aratus's poem, written after about 276 BC, Cassiopeia sinks head first. Why the myth tilts the queen, what each ancient text says, and how to find her W.

Catalogue entry · October 20, 2026