Hercules (constellation) - Definition and Overview

Hercules
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Abbreviation	Her
Genitive	Herculi
Symbology	Herakles
Right ascension	17 h
Declination	30°
Area	1225 sq. deg. Ranked 5th
Number of stars (magnitude < 3)	0
Brightest star	Ras Algethi (α Her) (App. magnitude 3.1)
Meteor showers	Tau Herculids
Bordering constellations	Draco Boötes Corona Borealis Serpens Caput Ophiuchus Aquila Sagitta Vulpecula Lyra
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −50° Best visible during the month of July

Named after the Roman name (Hercules) of the Greek mythological hero Herakles, Hercules is the fifth largest of the 88 modern constellations. It was also one of Ptolemy's 48 constellations.

Notable features

It has no first magnitude stars. Mu Herculis is 27.4 light years from Earth.

Notable deep sky objects

Hercules contains two of the most conspicuous globular clusters: M13, the brightest globular cluster in the northern hemisphere, and M92.

Mythology

Diagram of an alternate way to connect the stars of the Hercules constellation. The hero is shown in an athletic pose, holding a club.

Hercules (Roman, Herakles in Greek mythology) was the demigod son of Zeus and Alcmene. He was, arguably, the greatest of the mythical Greek heroes, best known for his superhuman strength. Many stories are told of his life, including the story of The Twelve Labours.

However, such visualisation was much later, as some parts require quite faint stars to be included, including those which have Flamsteed numbers but not Bayer designations. Earlier views of the constellation held it to be various things, predominantly a stag. Together with the constellation Sagitta, and the association of this area of the sky (the Zodiac of Scorpio) with Artemis, this may be the origin of the myth of the Cerynian Hind, one of The Twelve Labours of Herakles.

Reference

• H. A. Rey, The Stars — A New Way To See Them. Enlarged World-Wide Edition. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1997. ISBN 0-395-24830-2.