Aries

Aries
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Abbreviation	Ari
Genitive	Arietis
Meaning in English	the Ram
Right ascension	3 h
Declination	20°
Visible to latitude	Between 90° and -60°
On meridian	9 p.m., December 10
Area  - Total	Ranked 39th 441 sq. deg.
Number of stars with apparent magnitude < 3	2
Brightest star  - Apparent magnitude	Hamal (α Ari) 2.0
Meteor showers	May Arietids[?] Autumn Arietids[?] Delta Arietids[?] Epsilon Arietids[?] Daytime-Arietids[?] Aries-Triangulids[?]
Bordering constellations	Perseus Triangulum Pisces Cetus Taurus

Aries refers to one of the constellations of the zodiac, the ram. It lies between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east.

Table of contents 1 Notable features 2 Notable deep sky objects 3 Mythology 4 Astrology

Notable features

Aries' stars are rather faint except for Hamal (α Arietis) and Sharatan (β). Other important stars are Mesarthim[?] (γ₁) and Botein[?] (δ).

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

In Greek mythology, this is believed to represent the ram whose fleece inspired Jason's saga. It appears that Babylonians, Greeks, Persians and Egyptians all agreed on the name of the Ram for this constellation.

Astrology

The astrological sign Aries (March 21 - April 19) is associated with the constellation. In some cosmologies, Aries is associated with the classical element Fire, and thus called a fire sign (with Sagittarius and Leo). Its polar opposite is Libra.