Editing Aries (constellation) (section)

== History and mythology ==
{{See also|Aries (astrology)}}

Aries is now recognized as an official constellation, albeit as a specific region of the sky, by the [[International Astronomical Union]]. It was originally defined in ancient texts as a specific pattern of stars, and has remained a constellation since ancient times; it now includes the ancient pattern and the surrounding stars.{{sfn|Pasachoff|2000|pp=128–189}} In the description of the [[Babylonian zodiac]] given in the clay tablets known as the [[MUL.APIN]], the constellation, now known as Aries, was the final station along the [[ecliptic]]. The MUL.APIN was a comprehensive table of the rising and settings of stars, which likely served as an agricultural calendar. Modern-day Aries was known as {{lang|sux-Latn|<sup>MUL</sup>LÚ.ḪUN.GÁ}}, "The Agrarian Worker" or "The Hired Man".{{sfn|Evans|1998|p=6}} Although likely compiled in the 12th or 11th century BC, the MUL.APIN reflects a tradition that marks the [[Pleiades]] as the [[Vernal equinox (Northern Hemisphere)|vernal equinox]], which was the case with some precision at the beginning of the [[Middle Bronze Age]]. The earliest identifiable reference to Aries as a distinct constellation comes from the [[boundary stone]]s that date from 1350 to 1000 BC. On several boundary stones, a zodiacal ram figure is distinct from the other characters. The shift in identification from the constellation as the Agrarian Worker to the Ram likely occurred in later Babylonian tradition because of its growing association with [[Dumuzi the Shepherd]]. By the time the MUL.APIN was created—in 1000 BC—modern Aries was identified with both Dumuzi's ram and a hired labourer. The exact timing of this shift is difficult to determine due to the lack of images of Aries or other ram figures.{{sfn|Rogers, ''Mesopotamian Traditions''|1998}}

In ancient Egyptian astronomy, Aries was associated with the god [[Amun-Ra]], who was depicted as a man with a ram's head and represented fertility and creativity. Because it was the location of the vernal equinox, it was called the "Indicator of the Reborn Sun".{{sfn|Staal|1988|pp=36–41}} During the times of the year when Aries was prominent, priests would process statues of Amon-Ra to temples, a practice that was modified by [[Persian astronomy|Persian astronomers]] centuries later. Aries acquired the title of "Lord of the Head" in Egypt, referring to its symbolic and mythological importance.{{sfn|Olcott|2004|p=56}}

[[File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Aries and Musca Borealis.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Aries and [[Musca Borealis]] as depicted in ''[[Urania's Mirror]]'', a set of constellation cards published in London {{circa|1825}}]]
[[File:F20.v. Aries NLW MS 735C.png|thumb|Aries depicted in an early medieval manuscript, {{circa|1000}}]]
Aries was not fully accepted as a constellation until classical times.{{sfn|Rogers, ''Mediterranean Traditions''|1998}} In [[Hellenistic astrology]], the constellation of Aries is associated with the golden ram of [[Greek mythology]] that rescued [[Phrixus]] and [[Helle (mythology)|Helle]] on orders from [[Hermes]], taking Phrixus to the land of [[Colchis]].{{sfn|Pasachoff|2000|pp=84–85}}{{sfn|Ridpath|2001|pp=84–85}}{{sfn|Moore|Tirion|1997|pp=128–129}} Phrixus and Helle were the son and daughter of King [[Athamas]] and his first wife [[Nephele]]. The king's second wife, [[Ino (Greek mythology)|Ino]], was jealous and wished to kill his children. To accomplish this, she induced famine in [[Boeotia]], then falsified a message from the [[Oracle of Delphi]] that said Phrixus must be sacrificed to end the famine. Athamas was about to sacrifice his son atop [[Mount Laphystium]] when Aries, sent by Nephele, arrived.{{sfn|Ridpath, ''Star Tales'' Aries: The Ram}} Helle fell off of Aries's back in flight and drowned in the [[Dardanelles]], also called the Hellespont in her honour.{{sfn|Thompson|Thompson|2007|pp=90–91}}{{sfn|Pasachoff|2000|pp=84–85}}{{sfn|Moore|Tirion|1997|pp=128–129}}

Historically, Aries has been depicted as a crouched, wingless ram with its head turned towards Taurus. [[Ptolemy]] asserted in his ''[[Almagest]]'' that [[Hipparchus]] depicted [[Alpha Arietis]] as the ram's muzzle, though Ptolemy did not include it in his constellation figure. Instead, it was listed as an "unformed star", and denoted as "the star over the head". [[John Flamsteed]], in his ''[[Atlas Coelestis]]'', followed Ptolemy's description by mapping it above the figure's head.{{sfn|Ridpath, ''Star Tales'' Aries: The Ram}}{{sfn|Evans|1998|pp=41–42}} Flamsteed followed the general convention of maps by depicting Aries lying down.{{sfn|Staal|1988|pp=36–41}} Astrologically, Aries has been associated with the head and its [[humors]].{{sfn|Winterburn|2008|p=5}} It was strongly associated with [[Mars]], both the planet and the god. It was considered to govern Western Europe and Syria and to indicate a strong temper in a person.{{sfn|Olcott|2004|pp=57–58}}

The [[First Point of Aries]], the location of the [[Vernal equinox (Northern Hemisphere)|vernal equinox]], is named for the constellation. This is because the Sun crossed the [[celestial equator]] from south to north in Aries more than two millennia ago. Hipparchus defined it in 130 BC. as a point south of [[Gamma Arietis]]. Because of the [[precession of the equinoxes]], the First Point of Aries has since moved into [[Pisces (constellation)|Pisces]] and will move into [[Aquarius (constellation)|Aquarius]] by around 2600 AD. The Sun now appears in Aries from late April through mid-May, though the constellation is still associated with the beginning of spring.{{sfn|Ridpath|2001|pp=84–85}}{{sfn|Ridpath, ''Star Tales'' Aries: The Ram}}{{sfn|Winterburn|2008|pp=230–231}}

[[Islamic astronomy|Medieval Muslim astronomers]] depicted Aries in various ways. Astronomers like [[al-Sufi]] saw the constellation as a ram, modelled on the precedent of Ptolemy. However, some Islamic celestial globes depicted Aries as a nondescript four-legged animal with what may be antlers instead of horns.{{sfn|Savage-Smith|Belloli|1985|p=80}} Some early [[Bedouin]] observers saw a ram elsewhere in the sky; this constellation featured the [[Pleiades]] as the ram's tail.{{sfn|Savage-Smith|Belloli|1985|p=123}} The generally accepted Arabic formation of Aries consisted of thirteen stars in a figure along with five "unformed" stars, four of which were over the animal's hindquarters and one of which was the disputed star over Aries's head.{{sfn|Savage-Smith|Belloli|1985|pp=162–164}} Al-Sufi's depiction differed from both other Arab astronomers' and Flamsteed's, in that his Aries was running and looking behind itself.{{sfn|Staal|1988|pp=36–41}}

The [[obsolete constellations]] [[Apes (constellation)|Apes]], [[Vespa (constellation)|Vespa]], [[Lilium (constellation)|Lilium]], and [[Musca Borealis]] all centred on the same four stars, now known as [[33 Arietis|33]], [[35 Arietis|35]], [[39 Arietis|39]], and [[41 Arietis]].{{sfn|Ridpath, ''Star Tales'' Musca Borealis}} In 1612, [[Petrus Plancius]] introduced Apes, a constellation representing a bee. In 1624, the same stars were used by [[Jakob Bartsch]] for Vespa, representing a wasp. In 1679, [[Augustin Royer]] used these stars for his constellation Lilium, representing the [[fleur-de-lis]]. None of these constellations became widely accepted. [[Johann Hevelius]] renamed the constellation "Musca" in 1690 in his ''[[Prodromus_Astronomiae#Firmamentum_Sobiescianum|Firmamentum Sobiescianum]]''. To differentiate it from [[Musca]], the southern fly, it was later renamed Musca Borealis but it did not gain acceptance and its stars were ultimately officially reabsorbed into Aries.{{sfn|Ridpath, ''Star Tales'' Musca Borealis}}

In 1922, the International Astronomical Union defined its recommended three-letter abbreviation, "Ari".{{sfn|Russell|1922|p=469}} The official boundaries of Aries were defined in 1930 by [[Eugène Delporte]] as a polygon of 12 segments. Its [[right ascension]] is between 1<sup>h</sup> 46.4<sup>m</sup> and 3<sup>h</sup> 29.4<sup>m</sup> and its [[declination]] is between 10.36° and 31.22° in the [[equatorial coordinate system]].{{sfn|IAU, ''The Constellations'', Aries}}

=== In non-Western astronomy ===
In traditional [[Chinese astronomy]], stars from Aries were used in several constellations. The brightest stars—Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Arietis—formed a constellation called 'Lou',variously translated as "bond" or "lasso" also  "sickle", which was associated with the ritual sacrifice of cattle. This name was shared by the [[Twenty-eight mansions|16th lunar mansion]], the location of the full moon closest to the [[September equinox|autumnal equinox]].{{sfn|Ridpath, ''Star Tales'' Aries: The Ram}} This constellation has also been associated with harvest-time as it could represent a woman carrying a basket of food on her head.{{sfn|Staal|1988|pp=36–41}} [[35 Arietis|35]], [[39 Arietis|39]], and [[41 Arietis]] were part of a constellation called ''Wei'' (胃), which represented a fat abdomen and was the namesake of the 17th lunar mansion, which represented [[Granary|granaries]]. [[Delta Arietis|Delta]] and [[Zeta Arietis]] were a part of the constellation ''Tianyin'' (天陰), thought to represent the Emperor's hunting partner. ''Zuogeng'' (左更), a constellation depicting a marsh and pond inspector, was composed of [[Mu Arietis|Mu]], [[Nu Arietis|Nu]], [[Omicron Arietis|Omicron]], [[Pi Arietis|Pi]], and [[Sigma Arietis]].{{sfn|Staal|1988|pp=36–41}}{{sfn|Ridpath, ''Star Tales'' Aries: The Ram}} He was accompanied by ''Yeou-kang'', a constellation depicting an official in charge of pasture distribution.{{sfn|Staal|1988|pp=36–41}}

In a similar system to the Chinese, the first lunar mansion in [[Hindu astronomy]] was called "Aswini", after the traditional names for Beta and Gamma Arietis, the [[Aswins]]. Because the Hindu new year began with the vernal equinox, the [[Rig Veda]] contains over 50 new-year's related hymns to the twins, making them some of the most prominent characters in the work. Aries itself was known as "''Aja''" and "''Mesha''".{{sfn|Olcott|2004|pp=57–58}} In [[Hebrew astronomy]] Aries was named "''Taleh''"; it signified either [[Tribe of Simeon|Simeon]] or [[Tribe of Gad|Gad]], and generally symbolizes the "Lamb of the World". The neighboring [[Syria]]ns named the constellation "Amru", and the bordering Turks named it "Kuzi".{{sfn|Olcott|2004|pp=57–58}} Half a world away, in the [[Marshall Islands]], several stars from Aries were incorporated into a constellation depicting a [[porpoise]], along with stars from [[Cassiopeia (constellation)|Cassiopeia]], [[Andromeda (constellation)|Andromeda]], and [[Triangulum]]. Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Arietis formed the head of the porpoise, while stars from Andromeda formed the body and the bright stars of Cassiopeia formed the tail.{{sfn|Staal|1988|pp=17–18}} Other [[Polynesian people]]s recognized Aries as a constellation. The [[Marquesas]] islanders called it ''Na-pai-ka''; the [[Māori people|Māori]] constellation ''Pipiri'' may correspond to modern Aries as well.{{sfn|Makemson|1941|p=279}} In indigenous Peruvian astronomy, a constellation with most of the same stars as Aries existed. It was called the "Market Moon" and the "Kneeling Terrace", as a reminder of when to hold the annual harvest festival, [[Ayri Huay]].{{sfn|Olcott|2004|pp=57–58}}