NE YORK – During this month of June three constellations bintang biggest in the sky will look clear and perfect. The three constellations are Hydra (water snake), Virgo (virgin), and Ursa Major (big bear).
As soon as darkness falls on these early June nights, these three largest constellations in the sky will come into full view. In all, the Hydra stretched more than 100 degrees from the sky and took nearly seven hours to become fully visible.
This extremely long constellation is not only the longest constellation but also the largest by area in square degrees. According to official data set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) the constellation Hydra covers 1,304 square degrees, or about 3% of the entire sky.
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The constellation Virgo is the second largest constellation, with an area of 1,294 square degrees, followed by Ursa Major, at 1,280 square degrees. Here’s a glimpse of the origins of the three largest constellations quoted by SINDOnews from the Space.com page, Thursday (9/6/2022).
1. Hydra (Ular Air)
The depiction of the constellation Hydra or water serpent dates back to 1200 BC, possibly related to a more important beast: the dragon Tiamat from the Euphrates epic about the hero Gilgamesh. Some also say, Hydra to remind the serpent with many heads in the fable of Hercules.
Hydra’s brightest star is second-magnitude Alphard, an orange giant about 177 light-years away and sometimes called The Solitary One. If the sky is clear, you can follow the rest of the snake’s body flow; its zigzagging procession of dim stars heads south and east more than 90 degrees across the sky.
2. Virgo (Virgin)
The constellation Virgo usually occupies most of the southern sky in the afternoon. Unlike most ancient constellations, Virgo doesn’t display a distinctive star pattern so it doesn’t attract attention.
Most of the constellation shapes resemble the letter Y written in cursive style. In Greek and Roman tradition, Virgo is identified with the goddess of justice, Astraea, who ruled the world during the fabled Golden Age. It has also been suggested that the Sphinx represents Leo and Virgo, each of which houses the sun during the important annual flood of the Nile.
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