Delphinus is a constellation that can be found in summer in the northern hemisphere. It is one of the smaller constellation, so it may be hard to find. Delphinus means 'The Dolphin' in latin. It was referred to by the Chinese as the North's Black Tortoise. It was known as Te Toloa on the island of Pakapuka. It is said to stand for the dolphin from a Greek legend who guided Poseidon to the mermaid Amphitrite, whom he desired to wed. Delphinus has five stars in total: Rotanev, Sualocin, Gamma Delphini, Deneb Dulfim and Delta Delphini. |
The dolphin constellation represents Poseidon’s messenger. When the sea god courted the nymph Amphitrite, one of the Nereids, she resisted his advances and took refuge among her sisters. Poseidon sent messengers to find her and bring her to him, among them a dolphin. The dolphin found the nymph, soothed her and brought her back to the god. The two were later married. Poseidon decided to honour the dolphin and placed his image among the stars.
In the other myth, it was Apollo, the god of poetry and music, who placed the dolphin among the constellations for saving the life of Arion, a poet and musician born on the island of Lesbos after he accidentally jumped overboard while playing a song. source: https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/delphinus-constellation/ |