The Constellations
& Their Greek Myths
Every stick-figure on a star chart is the skeleton of a story. The Greeks called placing a hero in the sky katasterismos — “to turn into a star”. These are the stories, told with the hand-coloured engravings of Urania's Mirror (London, 1824) — and with the Arabic names the stars still carry.
The Story Chapters
Seven journeys through the mythological sky — read in order or wander freely.
4 × 🖼Chapter ⅠThe Royal Family of the Sky
One vain sentence spoken by a queen produced six constellations — the largest single story in the heavens, all placed side-by-side so the drama replays every autumn night.
3 × 🖼Chapter ⅡThe Bears That Never Set
A love affair of Zeus, a jealous goddess, and a hunter who nearly shot his own mother — the myth that explains why the northern stars never touch the horizon.
3 × 🖼Chapter ⅢThe Labours of Heracles
The sky is a trophy wall of the hero's Twelve Labours: the hero, the lion he strangled, the hydra he burned, the dragon he slew — even the crab that pinched his foot.
3 × 🖼Chapter ⅣBirds, Music & the Summer Sky
Summer's Milky Way is an aviary: a swan gliding down the stream, an eagle rising against it, a lyre whose music once unlocked the underworld — and a helpful dolphin.
3 × 🖼Chapter ⅤThe Hunter & the Scorpion
The sky's greatest feud — arranged so precisely that the two enemies are never in the sky at the same time.
9 × 🖼Chapter ⅥThe Zodiac — Wheel of the Sun
Twelve figures standing along the Sun's yearly road — Babylonian bookkeeping that the Greeks dressed in myth. “Zodiac” means “circle of little animals”. Leo, Scorpius, Sagittarius and Aquarius appeared above; here is the rest of the wheel.
2 × 🖼Chapter ⅦThe Ship & the Southern Sea
Below the zodiac the sky turns to water: a monster still lurking near the royal family, a river that swallowed a falling boy, and the greatest ship ever to sail — so big the astronomers had to break it up.
Explore & Learn
Start Here
No telescope, no jargon, no experience needed. Five minutes of reading, then one look up tonight.
🌠Sky Events
Only the events worth going outside for: the upcoming calendar of eclipses and major meteor showers, plus a live feed of important astronomy news.
🏛️Timeline
Four thousand years of the same figures, passed hand to hand between civilisations. Click any step.
🎯Quiz & Games
Ten questions drawn from the stories above.
⭐Star Names
Most bright-star names are Arabic — carried into European atlases through Al-Sufi's charts. Click a card to flip it.
🔭Resources
Tools and references to go deeper — from tonight's sky to a 10th-century manuscript.
🖼️About
The engravings come from Urania's Mirror; or, a View of the Heavens — a boxed set of 32 hand-coloured cards published in London in 1824, engraved by Sidney Hall.
Ready to read the sky?
Seven stories, one sky. Start with the queen who boasted once too often.