Mithology
The constellation is usually depicted as a goat with a fish's tail. One myth says that when the goat-god Pan was attacked by the monster Typhon, he dove into the Nile; the parts above the water remained a goat, but those under the water transformed into a fish.
Capricorn is sometimes depicted as a sea-goat, and sometimes as a terrestrial goat. The reasons for this are unknown, but the image of a sea-goat goes back at least to Babylonian times. Furthermore, the Sumerian god Enki's symbols included a goat and a fish, which later combined into a single beast, the goat Capricorn, recognized as the Zodiacal constellation Capricornus.
"The symbol of the goat rising from the body of a fish represents with greatest propriety the mountainous buildings of Babylon rising out of its low and marshy situation; the two horns of the goat being emblematic of the two towns, Nineveh and Babylon, the former built on the Tigris, the latter on the Euphrates; but both subjected to one sovereignty."
On the other hand, the constellation of Capricornus is sometimes identified as Amalthea, the goat that suckled the infant Zeus after his mother Rhea saved him from being devoured by his father Cronos (in Greek mythology). The goat's broken horn was transformed into the cornucopia or horn of plenty. Some ancient sources claim that this derives from the sun "taking nourishment" while in the constellation, in preparation for its climb back northward. As such, it is a symbol of sovereignty.
How to find Capricorn in the night sky
Capricorn (the Goat)- Use that line-drawing method you have been mastering all year to get from Sagittarius to Capricorn. The best way to describe this constellation is to share its common nickname: the "Marilyn Monroe" smile. Capricorn literally looks like the outline of a big smile. Another way to find this constellation is to locate the triangle that the Milky Way goes through. This is the Summer Triangle, and it points right at Capricorn.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario