Aries

Abbreviation: Ari
Genitive: Arietis
Right Ascension: 2.66 hours
Declination: 20.09 degrees

Aries is one of the zodiacal constellations (lies along the eclipitic), and can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere during the late winter and early spring. Aries is a small constellation which is bounded by Taurus (to the East), Pisces (to the West), and Cetus (to the South).

Aries is the Ram, and is the first sign of the zodiac. Aries is usually associated with dawn, the spring or the beginning of life.

According the Greek Mythology, the story of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the golden fleece. The fleece came from when Mercury the messenger of the gods, found that two of King Thebes children (Phrixus and Helle) were being treated badly by their stepmother Ino. Mercury sent a supernatural ram, which could speak and reason, to rescue the two children. The children escaped by clinging to the fleece on the ram as it flew (I did mention it flew didn't I?) to Colchis, unfortunately for Helle, she fell off and into the sea and drown. There is a city near Istanbul with the name of Hellespont (named for her?). When Phrixus arrived safely, at Colchis, he sacrified the ram in a sacred grove, he hung the fleece up, where it turned to gold.

Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)

Common Name or Bayer Number 1	RA	DEC	Magnitude 2
HAMAL	2.00:7.00:10.40	+23.00:27.00:44.66	2.00
SHERATAN	1.00:54.00:38.40	+20.00:48.00:28.82	2.64
41 ARI	2.00:49.00:59.02	+27.00:15.00:37.81	3.63
DEL ARI	3.00:11.00:37.75	+19.00:43.00:36.06	4.35
35 ARI	2.00:43.00:27.11	+27.00:42.00:25.68	4.66
ZET ARI	3.00:14.00:54.09	+21.00:2.00:40.06	4.89
TAU ARI	3.00:21.00:13.62	+21.00:8.00:49.39	5.28
NU ARI	2.00:38.00:48.98	+21.00:57.00:40.99	5.43
SIG ARI	2.00:51.00:29.58	+15.00:4.00:55.36	5.49
21 ARI	2.00:15.00:42.77	+25.00:2.00:35.01	5.58
THE ARI	2.00:18.00:7.53	+19.00:54.00:4.07	5.62
15 ARI	2.00:10.00:37.59	+19.00:30.00:1.19	5.70
19 ARI	2.00:13.00:3.30	+15.00:16.00:47.39	5.71
55 ARI	3.00:9.00:36.73	+29.00:4.00:37.48	5.72
47 ARI	2.00:58.00:5.21	+20.00:40.00:7.49	5.80
4 ARI	1.00:48.00:10.92	+16.00:57.00:19.90	5.86
27 ARI	2.00:30.00:54.39	+17.00:42.00:13.80	6.23

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.

Object	R.A.	Dec.	Object Type 3	Mag.	Uranometria	Tirion

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

GCVS ID	R.A. (hh mm ss.ss)	Dec. (deg mm ss)	Variable Type 4	Mag. Min	Mag. Max
RR Ari	1.00:53.00:3.30	+23.00:19.00:59.00	EA:	6.84	6.42
RZ Ari	2.00:52.00:59.60	+18.00:7.00:49.00	SRB	6.01	5.62
SX Ari	3.00:9.00:15.10	+27.00:4.00:12.00	SXARI	5.81	5.67
UU Ari	2.00:27.00:49.90	+19.00:38.00:4.00	DSCTC	6.15	6.10
UV Ari	2.00:42.00:13.80	+12.00:14.00:11.00	DSCTC	5.22	5.18
UW Ari	3.00:4.00:36.50	+17.00:41.00:18.00	BCEP	0.13	6.10
UX Ari	3.00:23.00:33.00	+28.00:32.00:32.00	RS	6.62	6.26
VV Ari	1.00:48.00:24.20	+20.00:16.00:4.00	DSCTC	6.82	6.80
VW Ari	2.00:24.00:4.50	+10.00:20.00:28.00	SXPHE:	6.76	6.64
VY Ari	2.00:45.00:42.40	+30.00:54.00:36.00	BY+UV	7.01	6.83
VZ Ari	2.00:45.00:51.10	+24.00:58.00:51.00	ACV	5.89	5.82
XX Ari	3.00:16.00:56.50	+18.00:53.00:46.00	ACV	7.42	7.33
gam Ari	1.00:50.00:46.90	+19.00:2.00:58.00	ACV	0.04	4.62

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

Name	R.A. (hh mm.m)	Dec. (deg mm)	Mag 5	Sep 6	PA 7	Tirion	Uranometria
STF 174	01 50.1	22 16	6.2, 7.4	2.90	165	4	128/ 129
STF 180	01 53.5	19 17	4.8, 4.8	7.80	2	10	128/ 129
H 12	01 58.0	23 35	4.9, 7.7	38.50	47	4	129
H 69	02 09.4	25 56	5.2, 7.7	105.90	278	4	129
STF 5	02 37.0	24 39	6.6, 7.4	38.30	275	4	130
STF 291	02 41.1	18 47	7.5, 7.8	3.30	118	10	130
STF 300	02 44.6	29 27	7.8, 8.0	3.10	312	4	93
STF 333	02 59.2	21 20	5.2, 5.5	1.50	207	4	130/ 131