If you were born between Jan 20-Feb 18, your Zodiac sign is that of the water bearer, Aquarius. The ‘water jug’ can (supposedly) be seen by the Y-shaped asterism of four stars.
What is the story of Aquarius?
In Greek mythology, Ganymede was a the son of Tros and a handsome Trojan prince. One day, whilst watching his father’s sheep, Zeus came down to Earth as an eagle, and was struck by the prince’s beauty. He decided to fly him to Mount Olympus for all the gods to see. Whilst there, Zeus made Ganymede cup bearer of the gods and also granted him immortality and eternal youth. However, Ganymede realised how in need of water those on Earth were; he begged Zeus to let him help them. Zeus granted him permission to send down rain, and was later put in the stars as Aquarius, god of rain, along with Aquila, the eagle.
Can I see Aquarius?
Unlike other constellations, you can see Aquarius from both hemispheres, from around 9pm in mid-October. However it does not contain particularly bright stars, so a clear night with low levels of light pollution is essential.
Top tip for observers: look at the brightest star in that region, Formalhault (in the constellation Pisces), and trace it up to Aquarius!
Fun fact: four meteor showers occur in Aquarius each year!
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