"The Water Bearer"
General Location: R.A. = 22h Dec. = 10 S
Mythology:
Aquarius is the cup bearer to the Gods living on Mount Olympus. Also
named Ganymede, for which the moon of Jupiter is named, he is often depicted
as pouring water from an urn into the mouth of Piscis Austrinis, the Southern
Fish.
Ganymede was the son of King Tros, the ruler of Troy. One day Ganymede
was keeping watch over his father's sheep. In one version of the
story, Eros (Goddess of the Dawn) abducted Ganymede (she had a passion
for young men). Zeus discovered the beauty of the young man and stole
him away from Eros. In the more common and accepted version of the
story, it was Zeus himself who was taken with the beauty of the king's
son, and sent his eagle servant Aquila to abduct the boy in its talons
and carry him to Olympus. There, he became the serving boy to the
Olympian Gods.
Some have now claimed that the origin of Aquarius lies with the Ancient
Egyptians, not the Ancient Greeks. Their claim is that Aquarius represents
the God of the Nile, and that the stream of water being poured by Aquarius
is in fact pouring out the Nile River.
Other Interesting
Sights: The globular cluster M2 is in the constellation
of Aquarius. The Saturn Nebula (NGC 7009) can also be found -- this
planetary nebula has extending rays which resemble the rings of Saturn.
Finally, the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) is also in this constellation.
M2
The Saturn Nebula
The Helix Nebula