Aries is one of the constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for ram, and its symbol is 
, representing a ram's horns. One of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, Aries remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. A mid-sized constellation, it is ranked 39th overall with an area of 441 square degrees (1.1% of the celestial sphere). Though it specifically came to represent the ram whose fleece became the Golden Fleece in Ancient Greece, it had represented a ram since late Babylonian times. Before that, the stars of Aries formed a farmhand. The stars that comprise Aries were incorporated into different constellations in different cultures, including twin inspectors in China and a porpoise in the Marshall Islands. Aries is a relatively dim constellation, possessing only three bright stars: Hamal (Alpha Arietis, second magnitude), Sheratan (Beta Arietis, third magnitude), and Mesartim (Gamma Arietis, fourth magnitude). The few deep-sky objects are quite faint and include several pairs of interacting galaxies. Several meteor showers radiate from Aries, including the Daytime Arietids and the Epsilon Arietids. (more...)
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