Cocheiro
Charioteer (Aurigae)
Auriga, the Charioteer, is a prominent winter constellation in the northern sky dominated by the brilliant star Capella, the sixth brightest star in the entire sky. The constellation is rich in open star clusters and lies along the winter Milky Way. Its distinctive pentagon shape makes it easy to identify, and it contains some of the finest star clusters accessible to amateur astronomers.
📜 Mitologia
Auriga is most commonly associated with Erichthonius, a legendary king of Athens who invented the four-horse chariot. In some versions, he is identified with Myrtilus, the charioteer of King Oenomaus, or with Hephaestus, the lame god of fire and forges. The star Capella (meaning 'little goat') represents Amalthea, the goat that nursed the infant Zeus. The small triangle of stars near Capella, called 'the Kids,' represents Amalthea's offspring.
💡 Fatos curiosos
- ✦Capella is actually a system of four stars - two bright yellow giants and two faint red dwarfs
- ✦The open clusters M36, M37, and M38 are all easily visible in binoculars and form a beautiful trio
- ✦Epsilon Aurigae is a mysterious eclipsing binary where the companion is still not fully understood