| Aries (The Ram) |
|
A small zodiacal constellation,
listed by Ptolemy (c. AD 140). Two thousand years ago it was recognized that the Sun's
position in the sky at the vernal equinox
was in Aries, though the effects of precession
have since moved this position into Pisces.
The constellation is said to represent the ram of the golden fleece sought by Jason
in classical mythology. Its brightest star is the second magnitude Hamal. See also: Table 4. |