- Perseus (Περσεύς in Greek) is one of the most famous Greek heroes. The characters in his story are represented by six constellations that occupy a substantial part of the sky. The constellation depicting Perseus lies in a prominent part of the Milky Way, which is perhaps why Aratus termed him ‘dust-stained’.
- Tania Australis (stars.astro.illinois.edu)
TANIA AUSTRALIS (Mu Ursae Majoris). Our Ursa Major, the Greater Bear, contains remnants of ancient Arabic constellations, the best-known example the star Alkaid, which refers to the leader of the daughters of a funeral bier. Southwest of the Dipper’s bowl lie three obvious pairs of stars that represent the bear’s paws, but to the Arabs were the tracks of leaping gazelles. The middle pair is the “second leap,” from which comes the name “Tania” (for “second”).