Aries is one of
constellations of the
zodiac, located between
Pisces to the west and
Taurus to the east. Its name is
Latin for
ram, and its symbol is
(), representing a ram's horns.
Notable features
Stars
Deep sky objects
The few
deep sky objects in Aries are very dim. They include the
galaxies NGC 697 (northwest of β Ari), NGC 772 (southeast of β Ari), NGC 972 (in the constellation's northern corner), and NGC 1156 (northwest of δ Ari).
Visualizations
Aries as depicted in , a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825
Ancient Greek astronomers visualized Aries as a ram lying down with its head turned to the right. The stars
α,
β and
γ Arietis mark the ram’s head and horns, according to Ptolemy's
Almagest.
The stars of the constellation can be connected in an alternative way, which graphically shows the
ram running (or jumping).
In this alternative view, the ram's head consists of the stars
α Ari,
λ Ari, and
β Ari: α Ari being of the second magnitude and β Ari of the third magnitude.
The ram's body consists of the stars α Ari,
η Ari,
ε Ari,
41 Ari, and
35 Ari: ε Ari and 41 Ari being of the fourth magnitude.
The ram's tail consists of the stars 35 Ari, 41 Ari, and
39 Ari.
The star
γ Ari, of fourth magnitude, represents the ram's front foot, and the star
δ Ari, also of fourth magnitude, represents the ram's hind foot.
Mythology
Aries was the final station along the ecliptic in the list of constellations given in the
MUL.APIN. It was known as
"The Agrarian Worker". It is unclear how the "Agrarian Worker" became "The Ram" of Greek tradition, possibly via association with
Dumuzi the Shepherd. Aries only rose to its prominent position in the
Neo-Babylonian revision of the
Babylonian zodiac as the
first point of Aries came to represent
vernal equinox, replacing the
Pleiades which had had this function during the Bronze Age.
In
Greek mythology, the constellation of Aries represents the golden ram that rescued
Phrixos, taking him to the land of
Colchis. Phrixos sacrificed the ram to the gods and hung its skin in a temple, where it was known as the
Golden Fleece.
Astrology
, the Sun appears in the constellation Aries from April 19 to May 13. In
tropical astrology, the Sun is considered to be in the sign
Aries from March 21 to April 20, and in
sidereal astrology, from April 15 to May 15.
