The traditionalconstellations of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere have returned to theevening sky and bring with them a rich body of lore and mythology thoughtheir stars are rather faint.

John Wheeler: Arctic comes from an ancient reference to the Big Dipper The Big Dipper (Ursa Major or Big Bear in Latin) is the most recognized constellation in the Northern Hemisphere.

The meteor shower's radiant – the spot in the night sky from which the meteors appear to radiate – is in the northern-hemisphere constellation Lyra, which contains the bright star Vega.