For other uses, see Aries (disambiguation) Aries click for larger image Abbreviation Ari Genitive Arietis Symbology the Ram Right ascension 3 h Declination +20° Area 441 sq. deg. Ranked 39th Number of stars (magnitude < 3) 2 Brightest star α Ari (Hamal) (App. magnitude 2.0) Meteor showers May Arietids Autumn Arietids Delta Arietids Epsilon Arietids Daytime-Arietids Aries-Triangulids Bordering constellations Perseus Triangulum Pisces Cetus Taurus Visible at latitudes between +90° and −60° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of December Aries (Ram) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. It lies between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Contents 1 Notable features 2 Notable deep sky objects 3 Mythology 3.1 Astrology 4 Notable and named stars 5 See also 6 External links Notable features Aries' stars are rather faint except for α Ari (Hamal) and β Ari (Sharatan). Other important stars are γ Ari (Mesarthim) and δ Ari (Botein). Teegarden's star, in Aries, is one of our sun's closest neighbours. Notable deep sky objects The few deep sky objects in Aries are very dim. They include the galaxies NGC 697 (northwest of β), NGC 772 (southeast of β), NGC 972 (in the constellation's northern corner), and NGC 1156 (northwest of δ). Mythology When including fainter stars, visible to the naked eye, the area resembles the head of a ram, having a general herbivore head shape and a spiral horn. In Greek mythology, this is believed to represent the ram which carried Athamas's son Phrixus and daughter Helle to Colchis to escape their stepmother Ino. Helle fell off into the sea which later became the Hellespont. On reaching safety, Phrixis (rather ungratefully) sacrificed the ram and hung its fleece in the Grove of Ares, where it turned to gold and later became the quest of Jason and the Argonauts. It appears that Babylonians, Greeks, Persians and Egyptians all agreed on the name of the Ram for this constellation. The main area of the sky constituting the sign of Aries, containing part of Pisces, the Pleiades, and the constellation of Andromeda, may be the origin of the myth of the girdle of Hippolyte, which forms part of The Twelve Labours of Herakles. Astrology The Western astrological sign Aries of the tropical zodiac (March 21–April 19) differs from the astronomical constellation and the Hindu astrological sign of the sidereal zodiac (April 19 - May 13). In some cosmologies, Aries is associated with the classical element Fire, and thus called a fire sign (along with Sagittarius and Leo). It is the domicile of Mars and the exaltation of the Sun. It is also one of the four Cardinal signs (along with Libra, Capricorn, and Cancer). Its polar opposite is Libra. Each astrological sign is assigned a part of the body, viewed as the seat of its power. Aries rules the head. The symbol for Aries is the ram. This article does not cite its references or sources. You can help Wikipedia by including appropriate citations. Notable and named stars BD F Names and other designations Mag. Ly away Comments α 13 Alpha Arietis, Hamal, Hemal, Hamul, Ras Hammel, El Nath, Arietis 2.01 65.9 < رأس الحمل ra's[u] al-ħamal Head of the ram < النطح an-naţħ The butting (horn) β 6 Beta Arietis, Sheratan, Sharatan, Al Sharatain 2.64 59.6 < الشراطان aš-šarāţān The (two) signs (originally β and γ Ari) c 41 41 Arietis 3.61 159 γ¹,² 5 Gamma Arietis, Mesarthim, Mesartim 3.88 204 triple star system; component magnitudes: 4.75, 4.83, 9.6 γ² is an Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum type variable star δ 56 Delta Arietis, Botein 4.35 168 < بطين al-buţayn The belly [diminutive] 39 39 Arietis 4.52 ε 48 Epsilon Arietis 4.63 293 triple star system; component magnitudes: 5.2, 5.5, 12.7 35 35 Arietis 4.65 λ 9 Lambda Arietis 4.79 133 binary star; component magnitudes: 4.9, 7.4 ζ 58 Zeta Arietis 4.87 340 14 14 Arietis 4.98 κ 12 Kappa Arietis 5.03 187 spectroscopic binary ι 8 Iota Arietis 5.09 660 spectroscopic binary τ² 63 Tau-2 Arietis 5.10 319 38 38 Arietis 5.17 η 17 Eta Arietis 5.23 98.3 π 42 Pi Arietis 5.26 600 close spectroscopic binary τ¹ 61 Tau-1 Arietis 5.27 462 eclipsing triple star system. Magnitude fluctuation: 5.26–5.32. Component magnitudes: 5.4, 7.9, 8.4 33 33 Arietis 5.30 ν 32 Nu Arietis 5.45 347 52 52 Arietis 5.45 binary star; component magnitudes: 6.8, 7.0 ξ 24 Xi Arietis 5.48 600 64 64 Arietis 5.50 σ 43 Sigma Arietis 5.52 480 62 62 Arietis 5.55 21 21 Arietis 5.57 θ 22 Theta Arietis 5.58 387 ρ³ 46 Rho-3 Arietis, Rho Arietis 5.58 115 10 10 Arietis 5.64 31 31 Arietis 5.64 15 15 Arietis 5.68 19 19 Arietis 5.72 μ 34 Mu Arietis 5.74 338 55 55 Arietis 5.74 ρ² 45 Rho-2 Arietis, RZ Arietis 5.76 404 semiregular variable 7 7 Arietis 5.76 ο 37 Omicron Arietis 5.78 482 56 56 Arietis 5.78 20 20 Arietis 5.79 47 47 Arietis 5.80 1 1 Arietis 5.83 binary star; component magnitudes 6.2, 7.3. 40 40 Arietis 5.83 4 4 Arietis 5.86 49 49 Arietis 5.91 59 59 Arietis 5.91 29 20 Arietis 6.00 11 11 Arietis 6.01 16 16 Arietis 6.01 30 30 Arietis 6.01 binary star; component magnitudes: 6.51, 7.09 66 66 Arietis 6.03 65 65 Arietis 6.07 53 53 Arietis 6.13 26 26 Arietis 6.14 60 60 Arietis 6.14 27 27 Arietis 6.21 54 54 Arietis 6.24 36 36 Arietis 6.40 25 25 Arietis 6.45 3 3 Arietis 6.55 51 51 Arietis 6.62 ρ¹ 44 Rho-1 Arietis 7.10 HD 12661 7.44 121 has two planets BD+20°307 9.01 300 TZ Arietis 12.1 14.5 flare star Teegarden's star, SO025300.5+165258 15.4 12.6 nearby high proper motion Source: The Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed., The Hipparcos Catalogue, ESA SP-1200 See also Astronomy | Constellations of the Zodiac | Astrology Aries (♈) | Taurus (♉) | Gemini (♊) | Cancer (♋) | Leo (♌) | Virgo (♍) | Libra (♎) | Scorpius/Scorpio (♏) | Ophiuchus | Sagittarius (♐) | Capricornus/Capricorn (♑) | Aquarius (♒) | Pisces (♓) Constellations listed by Ptolemy Andromeda | Aquarius | Aquila | Ara | Argo Navis | Aries | Auriga | Boötes | Cancer | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Capricornus | Cassiopeia | Centaurus | Cepheus | Cetus | Corona Australis | Corona Borealis | Corvus | Crater | Cygnus | Delphinus | Draco | Equuleus | Eridanus | Gemini | Hercules | Hydra | Leo | Lepus | Libra | Lupus | Lyra | Ophiuchus | Orion | Pegasus | Perseus | Pisces | Piscis Austrinus | Sagitta | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Serpens | Taurus | Triangulum | Ursa Major | Ursa Minor | Virgo The 88 modern Constellations Andromeda | Antlia | Apus | Aquarius | Aquila | Ara | Aries | Auriga | Boötes | Caelum | Camelopardalis | Cancer | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Capricornus | Carina | Cassiopeia | Centaurus | Cepheus | Cetus | Chamaeleon | Circinus | Columba | Coma Berenices | Corona Australis | Corona Borealis | Corvus | Crater | Crux | Cygnus | Delphinus | Dorado | Draco | Equuleus | Eridanus | Fornax | Gemini | Grus | Hercules | Horologium | Hydra | Hydrus | Indus | Lacerta | Leo | Leo Minor | Lepus | Libra | Lupus | Lynx | Lyra | Mensa | Microscopium | Monoceros | Musca | Norma | Octans | Ophiuchus | Orion | Pavo | Pegasus | Perseus | Phoenix | Pictor | Pisces | Piscis Austrinus | Puppis | Pyxis | Reticulum | Sagitta | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Sculptor | Scutum | Serpens | Sextans | Taurus | Telescopium | Triangulum | Triangulum Australe | Tucana | Ursa Major | Ursa Minor | Vela | Virgo | Volans | Vulpecula External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Aries Aries Links on Yahoo.com Aries Links on Astrology.com Aries Links on DoubleSign.comast:Aries Search Term: "Aries" Categories: Articles lacking sources | Aries constellation | Astrological signs