PsA

PsA - Piscis Austrinus the Southern Fish

IAU Constellation
PsA - Piscis Austrinus the Southern Fish

Size
60 of 88

Astronomical Regions
Southern

Intro and Visual description
Unlike Pisces, the zodiac constellation which consists of two fish held together by a string, Piscis Austrinus is a single fish. Piscis Austrinus is a very faint constellation located south of Aquarius, and is often depicted as drinking from Aquarius’ water jar (but why would a fish want to drink water??). Except for the bright star Formalhaut, Piscis Austrinus is rather unremarkable.
Pisces Notius

Asterism Origin and History
Called Piscis Notius by Bode, to be distinguished from Bode’s Piscis Volans also shown next to Argo Navis.
Hyginus (1485) figure: Pisces Austrinus

Image

Note the smaller fish, upside-down, beneath, in the river.
Bode (1801), Plate 16

Image
Bode (1801), Plate 16: Piscis Notius

Image

From Bode, Tab 16.
Bayer, Uranometria (1661): Piscis Austrinus

Image
Bayer, Uranometria (1661): Piscis Austrinus, detail

Image

IAU Constellation Main Page

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.

PsA

Size

Intro and Visual description

Asterism Origin and History

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

IAU Constellation Main Page

Size

Intro and Visual description

User login

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