Cancer 2

Cancer (Latin: crab, symbol , Unicode ♋) is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Cancer is small and dim, and to many it does not resemble a crab. It lies between Gemini to the west and Leo to the east, Lynx to the north and Canis Minor and Hydra to the south.

Cancer, the Crab, plays a minor role in the Twelve Labors of Hercules. While Hercules was busy fighting the multi-headed monster, Hydra, the goddess Hera, who did not like Hercules, sent the Crab to distract him. Cancer grabbed onto the hero's toe with its claws, but barely breaking the rhythm of his great battle with Hydra, Hercules crushed the crab with his foot. Hera, grateful for the little crustacean's heroic but pitiful effort, gave it a place in the sky. The crab did not win, so the gods didn't give the crab bright stars. Cancer's brightest star is Acubens. It is a whitish color.

Etymology

The early Sanskrit name of this constellation was Karka and Karkata, in Telugu "Karkatakam", Kannada "Karkataka" or "Kataka" , Tamil Karkatan, and the [[Sinhaljfg ese languageSinhalese]] Kagthaca.The later Hindus knew it as Kulira, from Κολουρος (Koloyros), the term originated by Proclus.
Aratus called it Καρκινος (Karkinos), which Hipparchus and Ptolemy followed, the Carcinus of the Alfonsine tables being Latinized form of the Greek word. Eratosthenes extended this as Καρκινος, Ονοι, και Φατνη: the Crab, Asses, and Crib.
Litoreus, Shore-inhabiting, is from Manilius and Ovid. Astacus and Cammarus appear with various classic writers. Nepa is from Cicero's De Finibus and the works of Columella, Plautus, and Varro - all signifying Crab, Lobster, or Scorpion.
Kircher said that in Coptic Egypt it was Κλαρια, the Bestia seu Statio Typhonis, the Power of Darkness. Jérôme Lalande identified this with Anubis, one of the Egyptian divinities commonly associated with Sirius.