How the Greeks have helped the way we see astronomy

                             Astronomy

  

     Have you ever wondered what the heck "Jupiter" means? Is it just me who gets Saturn and Neptune mixed up? Once you learn about who and what these planets are named after, you will never confuse and ponder what these names are supposed to mean.
  Let's take the hydrogen planet Neptune for example. Neptune is a rather strange and unique name, don't you think? Neptune is actually a Roman name for the Greek sea god Poseidon, who controlled the seas and oceans. Poseidon is the brother of the king of the gods, Zeus, whose Roman name is Jupiter. Most of the planets' names, except for Earth, are named after Roman gods, which are adapted from Greek mythology. 
  The constellations, too, are derived from Greek lore. The dipper-shaped constellation, Ursa Major, is a big momma bear named Callisto, and her son Arcas, her smaller counterpart, is Ursa Minor. In an attempt to save his beloved Callisto from the wrath of his wife and daughter, Zeus cast her up into the sky as a constellation of a bear, along with their son, Arcas. These constellations, which can be seen glittering brightly in the night sky, are just some of a whole plethora of constellations created and believed in by the Greeks. 
  In magazines such as Seventeen and J-14, horoscopes are all over the place; practically every issue of these magazines have a page that determines your future that month by your horoscope sign. These, too, are created by the Greeks, and every sign has its own special Greek myth. For example, if you are a Leo, you were born in the months of the Nemean Lion, who was killed, skinned, and worn as a cape by the infamous hero Hercules, and if you are a Scorpio, you were born in the months of the giant scorpion that stung Orion's heel. Quite delightful. 
  The ancient Greeks have greatly influenced how we see astronomy, and without their earlier discoveries and beliefs, we wouldn't have been able to understand space quite like we do now. To do your part to acknowledge their powerful influence on astronomy, remember that each and every single planet except Earth is called what it is today with the help of the Greeks, and that the stars that shine above you hold great symbolism and character that have built the foundation for our current understanding of space.