Remember to look up at the stars”, said Stephen Hawking. So we did. As we continue to take the natural world as our primary inspiration, we angled our heads up to the sky; it was hard not to be fascinated by what we saw. Gatherings of bright little spots looked back down at us, whilst making us the lucky viewers of a magnificent spectacle. Constellations guide us through our latest designs
Leo
It is house to many bright galaxies, and the origin to meteor shower that awe the sky twice every year. The mythical lion is still a symbol of strength and bravery, and it was placed in the night sky as the “king of all beasts” to watch over its creatures.
Virgo
The maiden of our night sky is said to contain the brightest star in the airspace. The constellation is a shining symbol of fairness and order, as it is associated with the Greek goddess of justice. Everyone is able to admire its grandiosity from the Earth, thanks to its vastness.
Libra
Meant to be the symbol of balance, it is represented as two weighing scales. It is said it contained the Moon when Rome was first founded, and it still indicates the equality of seasons and the equilibrium between night and day.
Scorpius
It was sent by an angry goddess to stop the giant huntsman Orion from killing every animal on Earth. Its tail still straddles the Milky Way in a loop, just like the mythical creature did with its victim.
Sagittarius
The asterism in Sagittarius is commonly known as “The Teapot”, with the Milky Way being the steam coming out of its spout. It keeps its uniqueness with its traditional image too, portraying an archer centaur drawing its bow.
Capricornus
The sea goat residing in the southern hemisphere, this constellation cannot but bring us back to the Greek tradition. It is linked to the forest deity Pan, with horns of a goat, who turned his lower body into a tail to cross a river and escape a monster.
Aquarius
The water-bearer of the night sky, was associated by Greeks and Egyptians with floods. Holding the 10th position within the largest constellations in the sky, it contains some of the brightest supergiant stars of the whole zodiac.
Pisces
It’s one of the few constellations to be of Babylonian origin. They named it, after recognising the outline of two fish joined by a cord. Some say it represents the connection between a mother and her son, some see the relationship between two people who love each other. In both cases, it is the image of unity.
Aries
This constellation had its name changed to Ram by the Babylonians, which associated it with the definition of “agrarian worker”. More imposing than we might think, it is one of the few zodiac constellations, which is home to deep sky objects, including a spiral galaxy.
Taurus
The “Bull” is formed by stars known as the Seven Sisters, which mark the Sun’s location during the spring equinox. Its name is due to the shape the god Zeus took when he seduced the beautiful Europa, the daughter of a human king.
Gemini
Like two inseparable immortal brothers, the twins Castor and Pollux shine together in the sky. The sons of Zeus look over the sailors, helping the shipwrecked to find the shore.
Cancer
Originating from the Latin term for “crab”, it was mythologically put in the dimmest region of the sky by the goddess Hera, after it failed the given mission of stopping Hercules from completing his Twelve Labours. We have a magnificent view of it since it is one of the closest open clusters of stars to Earth.
Aquila
Latins called it Acuila, we would call it eagle. With mighty wings, the creature who crossed the skies to carry thunderbolts to Zeus now resides along the Milky Way, visible by the naked eye from Earth.
Cygnus
The elegant figure of the “swan” represents a prominent star in the Northern sky. Cygnus gets its name from the myth of Zeus and Leda. The god turned himself into this amazing creature to seduce the woman.
Draco
“The Dragon” has always been a monstrous creature guarding gates and gardens of heavenly places in Greek mythology. Given its status of a circumpolar constellation, it never sets below the horizon, constantly patrolling the skies.
Hercules
The hero of godly strength rules in the Northern Sky. It resides close to the constellation Draco, the final monster the hero defeated during his famous twelve labours. Its stars shine brighter than most constellations, just like Hercules did in his life.
Hydra
It is the largest of the constellations known to men. In Greek mythology, the giant multi-headed water snake was defeated by Heracles; now it crosses the sky with its sinuous lines, surrounded by millions of other stars.
Pegasus
Pegasus was believed to be the loyal adventure companion of many heroes in the Greek traditional culture. The winged horse now spreads its wings in the night, shining above the Earth, from its home above mount Olympus.
Triangulum
An important marker of the Sun’s path, the Triangle appears in the pre-dawn sky, saluting the day to come. Its contours remind of the Greek letter Delta, which now displays a perfect geometrical shape in the night.
