Auriga (constellation) horizon. A large constellation, with an area of 657 square degrees, it is half the size of the largest constellation, Hydra. Its brightest star, Capella, is an unusual multiple star system among the brightest stars in the night sky. Beta Aurigae is an interesting variable star in the constellation; Epsilon Aurigae, a nearby eclipsing binary with an unusually long period, has been studied intensively. Because of its position near the winter Milky Way, Auriga has many bright open clusters in its borders, including M36, M37, and M38, popular targets for amateur astronomers. In addition, it has one prominent nebula, the
Charioteer Papyrus Charioteer Papyrus The Charioteer Papyrus (London, Egypt Exploration Society, s.n.) is a 5th-century fragment of an illustration from an unknown work of literature. It is one of the finest surviving fragments of classical book illustration. Unlike other surviving illustrated fragments of papyrus, such as the "Romance Papyrus" and the "Heracles Papyrus," which have illustrations that are little more than mere sketches, the "Charioteer Papyrus" is sensitively drawn and finely colored. It shows portions of six charioteers in red or green tunics. Although there is no text on the fragment, it undoubtedly served an illustration for a literary work, perhaps serving