Aquarius Constellation

The sun passes through the zodiac constellation of Aquarius from mid February to mid March. This is different from the astrological sign Aquarius as according to astrology, the sun is this sign from mid January to mid February.

Constellation Aquarius
Aquarius is one of the 13 Zodiac constellations known to man, and is symbolized by the water carrier or the water bearer. It is visible between the latitudes +65 degrees and -90 degrees in the northern hemisphere. The Pisces and the Cetus are the neighboring constellations to Aquarius. The Aquarius constellation is of specific importance as it is the oldest constellation known to people. The references and information about this constellation can be found in the works of Ptolemy. The autumn or the month of October is considered as the best time in the year to view this constellation. The prominent stars present in the constellation Aquarius are Alpha Aquarii, Beta Aquarii, Gamma Aquarii, R Aquarii and Zeta Aquarii. The Saturn Nebula is one of the biggest planetary nebula observed in the sky. When viewed with a telescope, it can be clearly seen to resemble Saturn.

It is difficult to view the constellation of Aquarius with your naked eye as it is one of the faintest constellations in the sky. It can only be viewed with the help of a powerful horoscope. If you wish to spot this constellation in the sky, it is essential to locate any of the bright stars in it. Then you can join them in imaginary lines which can resemble a water bearer or a slanted 'Y'.

Mythology
The water bearer represented by Aquarius is the Ganymede, a Phrygian or Trojan youth. According to the Greek mythology, Ganymede was the most beautiful youth on the Earth. He was the son of Tros, the king of troy. According to the story, once Zeus, the king of Greek Gods spotted Ganymede while the latter was attending to his father's flocks (according to some myths, the Zeus is replaced by Jupiter, the king of roman Gods.) When Zeus saw the beautiful and handsome youth, he became enchanted with his looks. Therefore, he took a form of the bird and whisked the youth away, towards heaven. Zeus didn't want this beautiful youth to remain a mere mortal hence, took him to heaven and immortalized him. From then on, the Ganymede became the water bearer to the Gods in the heaven.

On the other hand, according to some myths, Aquarius represents great flood as it is located among other water constellations like the Pisces and the Capricorn. Also, the time in which this constellation is viewed coincides with the rainy season and hence, it is symbolized by the water bearer or the water carrier. The water bearer is also believed to be the one who provided water to the farmlands in Egypt. However, in spite of different cultures and theories, the one mentioned above (related to the Greek mythology) is the most popular and widely applicable.

Constellation Aquarius Facts

• Abbreviation: Aqr
• Genitive: Aquarii
• Area acquired by the constellation of Aquarius in sky: 980 square degrees
• Nearest star: EZ Aquarii (11.3 light years away)
• Brightest star: Beta Aquarii (magnitude of 2.90)
• Largest star: The Alpha Aquarii
• Other prominent deep sky objects: Messier 2, Messier 72, Messier 73

The Aquarius constellation is also one of the most beautiful constellation to view. If you ever get an opportunity to view this cluster of stars representing the water bearer, simply go for it, as it is a rare opportunity!