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The Lost Constellations

A History of Obsolete, Extinct, or Forgotten Star Lore

  • Book
  • © 2016

Overview

Authors:
  1. John C. Barentine

    1. TUCSON, USA

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  • Summarizes the history of the major discarded Western constellation of which a written record remains
  • Extensively illustrated with figures drawn from classic works of celestial cartography from the 17th-19th centuries
  • Allows star gazers to pick out constellations from distant times in today's night sky

Part of the book series: Springer Praxis Books (PRAXIS)

Part of the book sub series: Popular Astronomy (POPULAR)

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Table of contents (30 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xx
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Toward the Modern Night Sky

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. What Is a Constellation?

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 3-10

    3. The Contemporary Sky Emerges

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 11-31

  3. The Lost Constellations

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 33-33
      Download chapter PDF

    2. Anser

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 35-45

    3. Antinoüs

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 47-63

    4. Argo Navis

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 65-88

    5. Cancer Minor

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 89-97

    6. Cerberus et Ramus Pomifer

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 99-117

    7. Custos Messium

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 119-137

    8. Felis

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 139-151

    9. Gallus

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 153-161

    10. Globus Aerostaticus

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 163-176

    11. Honores Frederici

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 177-200

    12. Jordanis

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 201-216

    13. Machina Electrica

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 217-226

    14. Mons Maenalus

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 227-238

    15. Musca Borealis

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 239-255

    16. Officina Typographica

      • John C. Barentine
      Pages 257-272
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Keywords

About this book

Casual stargazers are familiar with many classical figures and asterisms composed of bright stars (e.g., Orion and the Plough), but this book reveals not just the constellations of today but those of yesteryear. The history of the human identification of constellations among the stars is explored through the stories of some influential celestial cartographers whose works determined whether new inventions survived. The history of how the modern set of 88 constellations was defined by the professional astronomy community is recounted, explaining how the constellations described in the book became permanently “extinct.”  Dr. Barentine addresses why some figures were tried and discarded, and also directs observers to how those figures can still be picked out on a clear night if one knows where to look. These lost constellations are described in great detail using historical references, enabling observers to rediscover them on their own surveys of the sky. Treatment of the obsolete constellations as extant features of the night sky adds a new dimension to stargazing that merges history with the accessibility and immediacy of the night sky.

Authors and Affiliations

  • TUCSON, USA

    John C. Barentine

About the author

John Barentine is a lifelong amateur astronomer, with formal education and experience in academic astronomy. He holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in physics and astronomy, and received his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin in 2013. His dissertation work followed the path of atomic and molecular gas from star formation through the evolution of galaxies. Most of his doctoral research was published in the Astrophysical Journal, and in previously published articles in other academic outlets such as the Astronomical Journal and Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series volumes.

Previously, he was at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico, where he was a staff scientist working on the Astrophysical Research Consortium 3.5-meter telescope and as an Observer for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For that work, John was honored in 2007 by the International Astronomical Union, which named the asteroid (14505) Barentine his honor. Now, he is the Program Manager for the International Dark-Sky Association. This work brings him into frequent contact with journalists and includes writing press releases. In 2006, he wrote a press release for an archaeoastronomy poster presented at a meeting of the AAS that went viral and resulted in worldwide media coverage as the “Barentine petroglyph”. In addition to John’s professional work, he writes an astronomy blog on Tumblr (strictlyastronomy.tumblr.com) and maintains an active presence on Twitter.

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