What are star constellations good for?

Question

I mean these maps.
Who put them together and why in this formation?

Answer 1

We use greek names for the constellations but their origin may go back to the Sumerians. The first thing you notice when you look up at the night sky is that it is very large and filled with many stars. Grouping stars into constellations is just a way of breaking up the sky into manageable pieces.

The first use of constellations was made by ancient farmers. Different constellations are visible in the sky at different times of the year. By noting the appearance of a particular constellation, the farmer would know when to plant or harvest. Later, constellation maps were used by seafaring ships to allow them to travel at night. During the day they could use the Sun's position. Different cultures had different names and designs for constellations, so in 1929 the International Astronomical Union adopted official constellation boundaries for 88 constellations. Most of these had been passed down through history and were passed on to the modern world by the greeks and romans.

Answer 2

Constellations are not physical entities - they're just arbitrary lines drawn between stars with no connection to each other. Humans like to draw familiar shapes, so that's what we've done with the stars.

However, they do serve one useful purpose, which is locating different stars. It's easier to say a star is part of the big dipper than to say it's at XYZ coordinates.

Answer 3

Navigation

Answer 4

I wait for Orion to show up to tell me that the season's changing and winter's on it's way..... and the nights are cooler for sleeping with the windows open!!!

Answer 5

i learned on the discovery channel that Egyptians used them to place the pyramids as well as sailors using them to navigate by.

Answer 6

That;s 2 different questions

They are good for navigation. as for who codified them, I can't say.