✧ Capricornus

  Capricornus is an asterism in Capricornus.

                                          ⣀⣠⠤·
                                   ⢀⣀⡤⠤⠖⠚⠉⠁ ⢠⠇
                             ⣀⣀⡤⠴⠒⠋⠉       ⢀·
          •⡤⠤·⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤·⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤·⠚⠉⠁            ⢠⠞
           ⠙⢦⡀                           ⣠⠏
             ⠳⣄                         ⣰⠃
              ⠘⢦⡀                      ⡼⠁
                ⠹⣄                   ⢀⡞⠁
                 ⠈·⣄⡀               ⢠⠞
                    ⠙⠲⢤⡀           ⣠⠏
                       ⠉⠓⢦⣀       ⣰⠃
                          ⠈⠙⠦⣄⡀ ⢀·⠁
                              ⠙·⠋

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Capricornus
  Stars           9

  More information about Capricornus

  The stars of Capricornus make a wide, dim triangle, and the figure drawn
  on them is far stranger than anything you can actually see: an animal
  that is a goat at the front and a fish at the back. The Greeks did not
  invent that. It comes from the star lists of ancient Babylon, where the
  same creature was drawn in the same stars, and it has been handed down
  for roughly three thousand years without anybody tidying it into
  something more sensible. Alpha Capricorni is what astronomers call an
  optical double: two stars that look like a close pair to the naked eye,
  and are in fact nowhere near each other, one simply lying far beyond the
  other along the same line of sight.

  Etymology
  From        Latin
  Reading     Capricornus
  Literally   goat horned

  ┌ Babylon
  │ Suhurmashu, the goat-fish
  │
  ├ Greece
  │ Aigokeros, goat-horned
  │ Αἰγόκερως
  │
  ├ Rome
  │ Capricornus, the same word again
  │
  └ English · now
    Capricorn, still half fish

  The evolution of Capricornus over time

  -50,000 years
  
                         • Deneb Algedi
                         ⢸⡄                                          ⢀⣀⡤⠤⠖⡲· Algedi
                          ⣇                                    ⣀⡠⠤⠖⠒⠉⠁   ⡔⠁
                          ⢻                             ⢀⣀⠤⠴⠒⠊⠉         ⡜
                          ⠸⡇                     ⢀⣀⠤⠴⠒⠚⠉⠁             ⡠⠊· Dabih
                           ⡿⣄⣀⡀        ⣀⣀⣀⣀⡤⠤⠤⠖⠒⠉⠁                  ⡠⠊
                           ⢱· ⠈⠉⠉·⠚⠉⠉⠉⠉      ·                    ⡠⠋
                           ⠘⡄ Nashira                           ⡠⠊
                            ⡇                                 ⡠⠊
                            ⢸                               ⡠⠊
                            ⠘⡆                            ⡠⠊
                             ⣇                          ⡠⠎
                             ⢸                        ⡠⠊
                             ⠈⢇⡀                    ⡠⠊
                              ·⠉⠓⠦⣄⡀                ·
                                   ⠉⠓⠦⣄⡀           ⢸
                                       ⠉⠓⠦⣄⡀       ⡞
                                           ⠉⠓⠦⣄   ⢀⠇
                                               ⠉⠒⠤⣸
                                                  ·
  
  now
  
                                                                            ⢀⣀⡄
                                                                       ⢀⣠⠤⠒⠊⠉⡼· Algedi
                                                                  ⣀⡤⠔⠒⠉⠁    ⢰⠁
                                                            ⣀⡠⠤⠖⠊⠉         ⢠· Dabih
                                                      ⢀⣀⡤⠔⠒⠉⠁             ⡠⠃
         Deneb Algedi •⡖⠦⠤⣄⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀       ⢀⣠⠤⠒⠋⠁                  ⡼⠁
                       ⠈⠢⡀· Nashira   ·  ⠈⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠙·⠁                     ⢀⠎
                         ⠙⢤                                           ⢠⠋
                           ⠱⢄                                        ⡰⠁
                            ⠈⠣⡄                                    ⢀⡜⠁
                              ⠈⠦⡀                                 ⢠⠊
                                ⠙⢄                               ⡰⠃
                                  ⠱⣄                            ⡔⠁
                                   ·⠑⠢⢄⡀                      ⢀⠞
                                       ⠈⠓⠦⣄⡀                 ⣠⠊
                                           ⠉⠓⠤⣀             ⡰⠃
                                               ⠉⠢⢄⡀       ⢀·
                                                  ⠈⠑⠦⣄⡀  ⡴⠊
                                                      ⠉⠓·
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
                                                                               ⣀⡤· Algedi
                                                                          ⣀⡠⠔⠒⠉ ⢀⠇
                                                                     ⢀⣀⠤⠒⠋⠁     ⣸
                                                                 ⣀⡤⠖⠊⠁         ⢠· Dabih
                                                            ⣀⡤⠔⠊⠉             ⢀⠎
                 Nashira   ⢀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⡠⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤·⢤⣀          ⢀⡠⠤⠒⠉⠁                ⢀⡞
                        ⡼·⠉⠁                 ⠉⠑⠲⢤⣀⢀⣀⠤⠖⠋⠁                     ⡞
                      ⢠⠎                          ·                         ⡜
                     ⡴⠁                                                    ⡼⠁
      Deneb Algedi ⢠⠎                                                     ⡰⠁
                  ⠠•⠤⢄⣀⣀⣀                                                ⢰⠁
                         ⠉⠉⠉⠓⠒⠒⠢⠤⠤⠤⣀⣀⣀⡀                                 ⢠⠃
                                      ⠉⠉⠉·⢦⣀                           ⢠⠏
                                           ⠈⠑⠢⣀                       ⢀⠎
                                               ⠉⠲⢤⡀                   ⡎
                                                  ⠈⠑⠢⣀               ⡜
                                                      ⠙⠲⢄⡀          ⡼⠁
                                                         ⠈⠑⠤⣀      ⡰⠁
                                                            ⠈⠙·⠢⠤⠤⣰⠁
                                                                  ·

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 5%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 5.6 degrees. HR 7936, HR 7980 and HR 8204 drift the opposite way
  to the other 6, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the
  sky turning or the pole moving.

  curl 'skymap.sh/Capricornus/evolution.gif'

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Capricornus