Goddesses of the Moon in Greek Myths

Euryunome

In ancient Greek mythology, an astonishing beam of light emerged from chaos, and it was the Goddess of the Moon (probably the most ancient one in history), Euryunome (also mean traveler to far beyond). Her dancing footsteps separate the sky from the sea, then she was surrounded by wind from all direction, which was captured by Ophion (serpent of the moon, or egg of the universe) She transformed into a white bird, creating a nest in the sky. In the nest, she laid silver eggs, which became the sun, moon and stars.
Above legend can be founded in some versions of Greek Legend, where Euryunome and the serpent Ophion had been ruler of the world.
In Greek Mythology, Euryunome was the daughter of Oceanus (God of Ocean, Titans, son of Uranus and Gaia) and Tethys (Titaness, aquatic sea goddess). She ruled Mount Olympus together with Ophion.
After Kronos's domination of Mount Olympus
Afterwards, Rhea and Cronus defeated Euryunome and Ophion, who fell into the deepest of the underworld. There had been legends they had fled to other mountains, to the sea, or being killed, and there was no unified opinion yet.

Theia

Theia is the mother of Helios, the God of the Sun. Theia has the meaning of Daughter of God, and God of the moon. Childern of Theia and Hyperion (another major God in older Greek myths) cosnsits of Helios (represent the sun), Selene (represent the moon) and Eos (Goddess of Dawn), which become important in later legends about origin of ancestors of Greeks.

Hecate

Hecate is another goddess in Greek myths associated with the moon. She is the daughter of Asteria and Persēs. Asteria later become the island where Apollōn and Artemis are born. Persēs is sister of Europa and previously mentioned Euryunome (Some clever ones may realised that both parents of Hecate are female, we don't know whether it was a mistake of the ancient writers or anything else, anyway, there is no way to find evidance)
In fact, Hecate is Goddess of full moon and the night, and usually the ancient authors or poets would confuse it with another two famous Lunar Goddess Selsne and Artemis. Hecate is also the Guardian god of crossroads and Three-forked roads. According to the myths, she had three different bodies, as a female Hound, as a female horse, and as a female wolf, while she can transfer to any one of them. In ancient Greece, there had been some ceremonies worshiping Hecate during the night of full moon.
Hecate is also be regarded to be Goddess of vengeance and related to revenge. It is said to be widely worshiped by witches during middle ages of Europe.
By the way, she is also said to be the origin samba God Hekato of ancient Egypt.

Selene

Before Artemis is widely worshiped as Lunar Goddess, Selene has already been describled in many stories and legends. Selene is related to the God of light - Sera, and it appeared to be its alternative appearance, with the female image of Lunar or the Moon. Selene is widely regarded as Goddess of Moon around Asia Minor.

Artemis

Symbolising crescent moon, Artemis is one of the most widely worshiped Goddess of Moon in many ancient cultures. Artemis is not from Greek legends, she is probably from religious beliefs in Asia Minor, though there is no obvious evidence of where she is from. Artemus is also said to be younger sister of Apollōn.

Europa (Europe)

Europa is the goddess of the moon that are relevant to the bull. Son of Zeus and Europa is Minos, who later become King of Crete. According to Greek legend, kings of Minos dynasty would marry with Goddess of Moon, Minotaus - the Guardian in the labyrinth, will reincarnate whenever a new king is founded.

Lost constellation - Argo Navis (Nowadays Carina, Vela, Pupplis and Pyxis) and the legend of Jason and Golden Fleece

Introduction

Argo Navis is an ancient constellation mentioned in Greek myths, described to be the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts. It is one of the 48 ancient constellations once listed by astronomer Ptolemy nearly 2,000 years ago, being one of the largest constellations in the sky. In 18th century, Argo Navis was thought to be too big as a single one, and was approved to be split into four smaller constellatoins: Carina (ship's hull), Vela (the sails), Pupplis (the deck), and Pyxis (the compass).
Argo Navis appeared in Greek legends as the ship of the Argonautes - team of explorers searching for the legendary golden fleece. The ship was regarded to be the first huge vessel created by human in navigation to the unknown oceans.

Legend of Golden Fleece

The ship is related to one of the most well-known Greek Myths - Jason and the Argonauts. The story begin in the kingdom of Iolcus, while Jason's grandfather, Cretheus is the king and founder. When he pass away, the kingdom ois seized by his brother Pelias from Cretheus's son Aeson. Whole family of Aeson is under strict monitor by the army controlled by Pelias. To avoid the threat from Pelias over his family, Pelias secretly send his son Jason to Chiron, the hermit of Centaurs.

Jason and the Argonauts

A few years later, when Pelias ask for advice from the gods, he is told to pay attention to a man with sandel on one side. In a ceremony to worship Poseidon, Pelias come across the grown up Jason, who is exactly the same as in the prediction he had got from the gods. Jason demands to return of his rightful throne. Pelias understood Jason was a real threat to him but he could not get rid of him in public. So he replied to Jason that he should first accomplish a difficult task to prove he has the ability to be the king.. The task is to retrieve the Golden Fleece, kept beyond the edge of the known world in a land called Colchis (modern-day Georgia in Southwest Asia). If he succeed, he will be powerful enough to be the king of Iolcus. In order to reclaim his throne, Jason agrees to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Jason gathers a group of 50 heroes as his crews (so called Argonauts) and set off for the challenge.

Begin of the voyage

Their first stop is the Island of Lemnos, inhabitated only by women. Jason and the Argonauts do not realize in the beginning that the women have murdered their husbands, and they will seduce every new comers to the island, just for the purpose of repopulate the island.
The Argonaunts have many more adventures in other islands, before they finally arrived Constantinople, towards the Straits of Bosphorus, a passageway between the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean Sea and their destination - the Black Sea. To the ancient Greeks, this was the edge of the known world. The Straits are extremely dangerous due to the currents created by the flow of water from the Black Sea.
Triumph of Jason
When Jason finally arrives in Colchis he asks King Aietes to return the golden fleece to him as it belonged to his ancestor. Aietes is reluctantly to do so, so he require Jason to finish series of tasks first, which he is confident that these tasks are impossible to be accomplished. But surprisingly, his daughter Medea fall in love with Jason, she offers to assist Jason if he will marry her. He agrees. Medea is a powerful sorceress and Jason finally success in retrieving the Golden Fleece.

Death of Jason

They return to Greece where Jason claims his father's throne, but it is also end of their success. Local people of Iolcus cannot accept the magic power of Medea, they drive Medea and Jason out of Iolcus. They are exiled to Corinth where the King there ask Jason to marry his daughter. Jason agree and violate his vow to the gods that he will be true only to Medea. Medea is extremely furious, she kills the woman, her children with Jason, and flee into the nearby Mt. Olympus where he eventually marries Achilles. Jason return to Iolcus alone in his ship the Arg, and is accidentally killed when the decaying beam of the ship falls off and hits his head.

Two easily neglected constellations of animals

Constellation of rabbit: Lepus

Being one of the 48 ancient constellations listed by Ptelemy, the constellation of Lepus is situated under the feet of Orion.
Lepus is not an eye-catching constellations and most people would tend to forget it comparing with other major ones. Lepus is believed to be the prey that the two hounds (Canis Major and Canis Minor) are chasing for, but no obvious legends or tales about its origin can be found, its origin was a mystery.
Different cultures have different description to Lepus. It was a wild rabbit to ancient Greece, a ship for one of the major gods Osiris to ancient Egypt, and the waist belt of the Giant (meaning the constellation of Orion) to ancient Arabia.

Constellation of piegon: Columba

It is situated under Lepus, consisting of stars in zig-zag line. It was part of the Canis Major until 17th century, when it became independent and separated in Germany.
As a new constellation for less then four centuries, there was no specific legends or myths in the past. Generally, some people linked it to the description about pigeon on Noah's Ark in Old testament bible:
Long, long time ago, when the God could not bear the ridiculous, bad man infested world, the God decided to destroy everything with huge flood, exceptfor Noah, the only good man left and chosen pairs of animals. Noah and the animals survived through the continuous storms and floods inside the Ark prepared. After the storm stopped, most of the world is already under water, Noah didn't know where the land was, and he let the pigeon fly and seek for the land. When the pigeon returned with a sprig of olive, meaning that the land was there.
Columbia is now said to be the "dove symbol of peace".