Southern
Aps - Apus the Bird of Paradise
IAU Constellation
Size
67 of 88Astronomical Regions
Aqr - Aquarius the Water Carrier
IAU Constellation
Size
10 of 88Astronomical Regions
Intro and Visual description
Water jar pattern near Pegasus.
Cae - Caelum the Engraver's Chisel
IAU Constellation
Size
81 of 88Astronomical Regions
Intro and Visual description
A tiny, faint constellation, located south of Orion, barely visible from 35 degrees north latitude in December and January.
CMa - Canis Major the Big Dog
IAU Constellation
Size
43 of 88Astronomical Regions
Intro and Visual description
South of Orion in the Winter Hexagon, near the horizon.
Cap - Capricornus the Sea Goat
IAU Constellation
Size
40 of 88Intro and Visual description
Between Sagittarius and Aquarius. Dim stars; look for a laughing mouth.
Car - Carina the Keel of Argo Navis
IAU Constellation
Size
34 of 88Astronomical Regions
Intro and Visual description
Locate Canopus by drawing a line from the easternmost star of Orion’s belt down through Rigel, Orion’s left foot. Canopus lies about twice as far from Orion’s belt as Sirius.
Between Canopus and the south pole lies the Large Magellenic Cloud (LMC), located in the constellation Dorado the Swordfish.
Between Canopus and Crux are the False Cross (nearer Canopus, shared by Carina and Vela) and the Diamond Cross (nearer Crux, in Carina). These are fainter than Crux and were once part of Argo Navis.
Cen - Centaurus the Centaur
IAU Constellation
Size
9 of 88Astronomical Regions
Intro and Visual description
Partially visible only in March and April from 35 degrees north latitude.
Hadar, a knee of the Centaur, is on a line from Alpha Centauri to Crux.
Cet - Cetus the Sea Monster or Whale
IAU Constellation
Size
4 of 88Astronomical Regions
Intro and Visual description
South of Aries and Pisces, one of the largest constellations. Trace to the second-magnitude star Beta-Ceti (Diphda, near the flukes) by following a line southward from Alpheratz (the corner of Pegasus and Andromeda) through gamma-Pegasi, across Pisces and Cetus.
IAU Constellation Main Page
Tau - Taurus the Bull
IAU Constellation
Size
Astronomical Regions
Intro and Visual description
Taurus the Bull is easily spotted. Its head is the Hyades, a V-shaped cluster of stars. His horns point outward from the V. Aldebaran is the red eye of the Bull as he charges down upon us.