Caption:
Taurus is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Taurus and Orion are two of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and they remain two of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. Taurus is a large and prominent constellation in the northern hemisphere's winter sky. It is one of the oldest constellations, dating back to at least the Early Bronze Age when it marked the location of the Sun during the spring equinox. Taurus came to symbolize the bull in the mythologies of Ancient Babylon, Egypt and Greece. Taurus is the second astrological sign in the Zodiac. It spans the 30-60th degree of the zodiac which the Sun transits this area on average between April 20 to May 20 each year. Orion is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous and most recognizable constellations in the night sky. The stars of Orion were associated with Osiris, the sun god of rebirth and afterlife, by the ancient Egyptians. Image credited to Vincenzo Coronelli, may have appeared in his Epitome Cosmografica, 1693.