Constellations are funny things, and beginner stargazers have so many misconceptions about them.
Some novices believe constellations are fanciful pictures in the sky and may wonder why they can never see them.
The answer is simple: They don’t exist! This expectation may originate from the ornate images that appear on ancient star charts.
Another thought that some have is that constellations are collections of stars that look like something familiar.
That’s not true either. Such stellar groups are not officially constellations but rather what we call asterisms.
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of this whole thing is that constellations are totally invisible.
Astronomers have divided the heavens into 88 areas, each of which is a separate “constellation” that represents an object, animal or person.
Think of states or provinces; these are geographical divisions on the earth with imaginary lines that define them.
Fly over the Southwestern United States, for example, and you can’t see Arizona. You can see specific things within Arizona (Tucson, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, etc.), but the state itself is defined by an imaginary boundary and can’t be seen.
The same is true with constellations. We can see stars within constellation boundaries, but the outlines that make up these are totally imaginary.
That’s why it’s best to create asterisms from stars within each constellation to help us find our way around the sky.
Just like states or provinces, constellations range in size from huge to tiny. One of the smallest — and faintest — of all constellations appears in our summertime sky, but unless you’re looking for it, you may never notice it.
Those who see it for the first time, however, often gasp with excitement!
This constellation represents a dolphin and is known as Delphinus (dehl-FYE-nuhs).
According to one legend, Delphinus represents the dolphin that carried the ancient Greek poet Arion safely to shore at Tarentum, allowing him to escape his enemies. The figure of the young man on the dolphin appears on a classic series of silver coins issued at Tarentum in southern Italy around 370 B.C.
The Hindus knew this star grouping as a porpoise, the Arabians as a riding camel, and in early Hebrew tradition, it was sometimes identified with the Great Fish of Jonah.
Its four main stars form a grouping that some call “Job’s Coffin,” though the origin of this name seems lost in history.
Spotting this tiny star grouping is quite fun, but to have a chance, you’ll need to be away from bright city lights.
First, locate the three bright stars of the Summer Triangle, high in the eastern sky after dark.
Once you find this prominent celestial marker, you should be able to locate Delphinus, just to its east, and see the tiny outline of a dolphin leaping from the water toward the north.
In the accompanying image, I’ve included not only the asterism of its five stars but also the ancient image of the dolphin and the modern constellation boundary.
Find the dolphin in the sky and you’ll see why it’s been the object of so much admiration through the ages. Delphinus — as tiny and faint as it is — is truly a stellar sight!
