Short description:

Every amateur astronomer can easily recognize most of the constellations, but how many of us know the story behind them? What myths did the Ancient Greeks weave around the mighty hunter Orion that places him so prominently in the sky? Did you know that this mythical being was said to have been killed by Diana, herself a hunter, while he was exhausted by his fight with Scorpius? The constellation of Scorpius, the giant scorpion, is dominated by the red supergiant Antares and hangs in the sky opposite Orion. Yet there is no constellation of Diana to be found!

The Mythology of the Night Sky strikes a balance between backyard astronomy and ancient mythology. Organized by seasons, this book describes Ptolemy's 48 constellations with location and description in detail, while also telling the mythological tales in full. Along with the named constellations, this title also incorporates the lore behind the christening of the planets and their satellites. Readers discover the importance of the ancient characters, why they were immortalized in the sky, how several constellations are all woven into the same story and how satellite names are related to their planets.

Long description:

The Mythology of the Night Sky is intended primarily for amateur astronomers who would like to know the mythology behind the names of constellations and planets. It deals with the 48 constellations identified by the ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy, as well as all the planets of our solar system and their moons, which are named after Roman gods.
To assist practical observers the book gives the location and description of each constellation, including named stars and deep-sky objects. Readers are encouraged to observe and image the constellations for themselves, and there is a lot of practical information in this book to help them along the way.
In addition to providing a detailed (and mostly Greek) mythology of the constellations and the vast soap opera that was part of the Ancient Greek pantheon, this book also addresses the planets of the Solar System, which are named after the Roman - not Greek - gods.


From the reviews:

"If you have ever wondered why exactly are there such oddly named constellations as Perseus and Cepheus or why are there several fishes and a sea-monster in the sky, then 'The Mythology of the Night Sky', is the book to turn to. ... there are also star charts, so you can find the constellations, also written instructions on how to find it, and also tables of named stars in the constellation and deep sky objects. ... I found this book quite interesting ... ." (Kadri Tinn, AstroMadness.com, September, 2013)

"Characters from ancient Greek mythology live on among the patterns of the constellations ... and many bright stars have names that originated with the Arabs over a millennium ago. Anyone who has ever wondered about the stories behind these names will want to take a look at this book by David Falkner ... . The myths and legends of the constellations are a good way to introduce newcomers to the sky. Falkner's book serves a useful purpose and I wish it success." (Ian Ridpath, The Observatory, Vol. 132 (1228), June, 2012)

"Organised by seasons, the book tackles each of Ptolemy's 48 constellations in turn, with individual chapters dedicated to the legends of Jason and the Argonauts, Hercules, Perseus and the planets. Each legend is preceded by a brief description of the constellation, a star chart and, in some cases, a photo taken by the author with imaging details should the reader wish to photograph the constellations using a digital camera. I enjoyed reading the book ... ." (Emily Baldwin, Astronomy Now, January, 2012)

Table of Contents:

Preface.
- Chapter 1: Astrophotography Using a Compact Digital Camera.
- Chapter 2: An Introduction to Greco
-Roman Mythology.
- Chapter 3: The Winter Constellations.
- Chapter 4: The Legend of Jason and the Argonauts.
- Chapter 5: The Spring Constellations.
- Chapter 6: The Summer Constellations.
- Chapter 7: The Legend of Hercules.
- Chapter 8: The Autumn Constellations.
- Chapter 9: The Legend of Perseus.
- Chapter 10: Planets and Satellites.
- Appendix A: Names of the Greek and Roman Gods.
- Appendix B: Ptolemy's Constellations.
- Appendix C: The Messier Objects.
- Appendix D: NGC/IC Objects by Constellation.
- Appendix E: The Greek Alphabet.
- Bibliography.