Capricornus

Cap star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).

One of the 88 IAU constellations.

Etymology and History

The Greek constellation ...

Origin of Constellation

Greco-Roman

Aratos

[290?] Grievous then is the crashing swoop of the South winds when the Sun joins Aegoceros, and then is the frost from heaven hard on the benumbed sailor. Not but that throughout the year’s length the sea ever grows dark beneath the keels, and, like to diving seagulls, we often sit, spying out the deep from our ship with faces turned to the shore; but ever farther back the shores are swept by the waves and only a thin plank staves off Death.

[683] His head, hand and waist set at the rising of Aegoceros [Capricorn]; from waist to foot he sets at the rising of the Archer. Nor do Perseus and the end of the stern of jeweled Argo remain on high, but Perseus sets all save his knee and right foot and Argo is gone save her curved stern. She sinks wholly at the rising of Aegoceros, when Procyon sets too, and there rise the Bird and the Eagle and the gems of the winged Arrow and the sacred Altar, that is established in the South.

[700] Yet many a coil of the Hydra remains, but Night engulfs her wholly with the Centaur, when the Fishes [Pisces] rise; with the Fishes the Fish which is placed beneath azure Aegoceros rises – not completely but par awaits another sign of the Zodiac.

(Kidd 1997)

Ovid, Fasti 1

[651] When that is over, thou wilt quit Capricorn, O Phoebus, and wilt take thy course through the sign of the youth who carries water (Aquarius).

Ovid. Fasti. Translated by Frazer, James George. Loeb Classical Library Volume. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1931.

Almagest Αἰγόκερως.

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Αἰγόκερω ἀστερισμός.	Constellation of Capricornus
1	ὁ τῶν ἐν τῷ ἐπομένῳ κέρατι γ’ ὁ βόρειος.	The northernmost of' the 3 stars in the rear horn	alf1 + alf2 Cap
2	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	The middle one of these	nu Cap
3	ὁ νότιος τῶν τριῶη.	The southernmost of the three	bet Cap
4	ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ ἠγουμένου κέρατος	The star on the tip of the advance horn	xi1 + xi2 Cap
5	τῶν ἐν τῷ ῥόγχει γ' ὁ φότιος.	The star on the tip of the advance horn	omi Cap
6	τῶν λοιπῶν β’ ὁ ἠχούμενος.	The more advanced of the other two	pi Cap
	ὁ ἑπόμενος αὐτῶν.	The rearmost of these	rho Cap
	ὁ τῶν ἡ προηγούμενος ὑπὸ τὸν δεξιὸυ ὀφθαλμόν.	The star in advance of the [above] 3, under the right eye	sig Cap
	τῶν ἐν τῷ τραχήλῳ β ὁ βορειότερος	The northernmost of the 2 stars in the neck	tau Cap
	ὁ νοτιώτερος αὐτῶν	The southernmost of them	ups Cap
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ κεκαμμένον γόνατος.	The star on the left, doubled-up knee	ome Cap
	ὁ ὑπὸ τὸ δεξιὸν γονάτιοη.	The star under the right knee	psi Cap
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ὅμου.	The star on the left shoulder	24 Cap
	τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν κοιλίαυ συνεχῶν β’ ὁ ἠγούμενος	The more advanced of the 2 stars close tagether under the belly	zet Cap
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν.	The rcarmost of these	36 Cap
	τῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῷ σώματι γ’ ὁ ἐπόμενος	Thc rearmost of the 3 stars in the middle of the body	phi Cap
	τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ ἠγουμένωυ β ὁ νοτιώτερος.	The southernmost of the other, advance 2	chi Cap
	ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν.	The northernmost of them	eta Cap
	τῶν ἐν τῷ νώτῳ β’ ὁ προηγούμευος.	The more advanced of the 2 stars in thc back	tet Cap
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The rearmost of them	iot Cap
	τῶν ἐν τῇ νοτίῳ ἀκάνθη β ὁ προηγούμενος.	The more advanced of the 2 stars in thc southern spine	eps Cap
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The rcannost of them	kap Cap
	τῶν ἐν τῷ παρούρῳ ῇ ὁ προηγούμενος.	The more advanced ofthe 2 stars in the section [ofthe body] next to the tail	gam Cap
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	Thc rearmost of them	del Cap
	τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ βορείου μέρους τῆς οὐρᾶς δ ὁ προηγούμενος.	Tbc most advanccd of the 4 stars on thc northern portion of the tail	42 Cap
	τῶν λοιπῶν γ’ ὁ τότιος	The southernmost of the other 3	mu Cap
	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	Thc midd!e one of thcsc	lam Cap
	ὁ βόρειος αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ οὐραίου,	The northernmost of them, on the end of the tail-lin	46 Cap
	ἀστέρες κη, ὥν γ’ μεγέθους ὅ, δ’ ὅ, ε θ,ς ς.	28 stars, 4 of the third rnagnitude, 9 of the fourth, 9 of the fifth, 6 of the sixth

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)