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Southern

  • Cha - Chamaeleon

    IAU Constellation
    Cha - Chamaeleon

    Size

    79 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
    Circumpolar (southern)
  • Cir - Circinus the Drafting Compasses (35)

    IAU Constellation
    Cir - Circinus the Drafting Compass

    Size

    85 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
    Circumpolar (southern)
  • Col - Columba the Dove

    IAU Constellation
    Col - Columba the Dove

    Size

    54 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern

    Intro and Visual description

    Below Orion in the far south, Columba is tiny, with few bright stars. Barely visible in December from 35 degrees north latitude.

  • CrA - Corona Australis the Southern Crown

    IAU Constellation
    CrA - Corona Australis the Southern Crown

    Size

    80 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
  • Crv - Corvus the Crow

    IAU Constellation
    Crv - Corvus the Crow

    Size

    70 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern

    Intro and Visual description

    On the back of Hydra, kite-shaped pattern, low in the south.

  • Crt - Crater the Cup

    IAU Constellation
    Crt - Crater the Cup

    Size

    53 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern

    Intro and Visual description

    Dim stars on the back of Hydra; shape of a cup.

  • Cru - Crux the Southern Cross

    IAU Constellation
    Cru - Crux the Southern Cross

    Size

    88 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
    Circumpolar (southern)

    Intro and Visual description

    When looking for the Southern Cross, beware of two similar asterisms nearby, both of which point more toward the Large Magellenic Cloud (in the constellation Dorado) than toward the south celestial pole: 

    1. The Diamond Cross (in Carina).
    2. The False Cross (between Carina and Vela).

    The real Crux has two unmistakable marks, which will help you be sure you’ve found the real thing: 

  • Dor - Dorado the Swordfish

    IAU Constellation
    Dor - Dorado the Swordfish

    Size

    72 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
    Circumpolar (southern)

    Intro and Visual description

    Dorado the Swordfish is a small and obscure but very interesting constellation. It contains the Large Magellenic Cloud (LMC) and the only recent naked-eye supernova. In addition, the south ecliptic pole is located about where the "eye" of the fish would be. The Large and Small Magellenic Clouds are bright enough to be visible even in Moonlight.

  • Eri - Eridanus the River

    IAU Constellation
    Eri - Eridanus the River

    Size

    6 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
    Equatorial

    Intro and Visual description

    The River Eridanus flows northward (like the Nile) from the bright star Achernar (Arabic for "End of the River") to Kursa (beta-Eridani) near Rigel in Orion. Eridanus is the longest (not largest) constellation, spanning over 50 degrees of declination, and its many faint stars glitter like reflecting light off the surface of its waves.

  • For - Fornax the Furnace

    IAU Constellation
    For - Fornax the Furnace

    Size

    41 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern

    Intro and Visual description

    A small constellation of faint stars nestled within a bend of the river (Eridanus), low in the south.

Pagination

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IAU Constellation Main Page

Tau - Taurus the Bull

IAU Constellation
Tau - Taurus the Bull

Size

17 of 88
Astronomical Regions
Zodiac
Northern
Equatorial

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.

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Kerry Magruder, Brent Purkaple, and Aja Tolman, editors, "The Sky Tonight: Cultural Archaeology of the Stars" (December 21, 2019 - ongoing), skytonight.org.


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