The Cancer

Artist Name: June De Guzman

Date Created: November 30, 2019

Date Posted: April 5, 2022 6:39 am

Size: 215mm x 165mm

Artwork Code: TA20191130PW001

Cancer, which is Latin for crab, is the dimmest of the 13 constellations of the Zodiac, having only two stars above the fourth magnitude.

Cancer lies between Leo, the lion, and Gemini, the twins. It is almost impossible to see Cancer as a crab with the naked eye or even binoculars. It looks more like a faint, upside-down Y.

Lying in the northern sky between Leo and Gemini, at about 8 hours 25 minutes right ascension and 20° north declination. It contains the well-known star cluster called Praesepe, or the Beehive. Its brighest star, Al Tarf (Arabic for “the end” [of one of the crab’s legs]), also called Beta Cancri, is quite dim, with a magnitude of 3.6.

Cancer is visible in the Northern Hemisphere in the early spring. It can be seen in the Southern Hemisphere during autumn. The Cancer constellation occupies an area of 506 square degrees.

Mythology

The constellation of Cancer represents the giant crab that attacked Hercules during the second of the 12 labors he performed as penance for killing his family. It was sent by the jealous goddess Hera to thwart Hercules as he battled the water serpent Hydra, but he killed it with his club.

In astrology, which is not a science, Cancer is the fourth sign of the Zodiac and represents those born between June 20 and July 22. It is considered a water sign and is one of the four cardinal signs, which are signs that indicate a change of season when the sun makes its annual passage into them.

Reference Materials / Citations:

Cancer Constellation: Facts About the Crab by Kim Ann Zimmermann

Cancer by Britannica