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Pup - Puppis the Stern of Argo Navis

  • CMa - Canis Major the Big Dog

    IAU Constellation
    CMa - Canis Major the Big Dog

    Size

    43 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern

    Intro and Visual description

    South of Orion in the Winter Hexagon, near the horizon.

  • Car - Carina the Keel of Argo Navis

    IAU Constellation
    Car - Carina the Keel of Argo Navis

    Size

    34 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Circumpolar (southern)
    Southern

    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.

  • 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.

  • Hya - Hydra the Water Snake

    IAU Constellation
    Hya - Hydra the Water Snake

    Size

    1 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
    Equatorial

    Intro and Visual description

    Hydra the Water Snake is the largest and longest of the constellations, stretching from Cancer to Libra. Several constellations and asterisms ride on its back; from head to tail they are Sextans the Sextant, Crater the Cup, Corvus the Crow, and Noctua the Owl.

  • Mon - Monoceros the Unicorn

    IAU Constellation
    Mon - Monoceros the Unicorn

    Size

    35 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Equatorial
    Southern
    Northern

    Intro and Visual description

    The Unicorn is running up behind Orion, who has not heard it coming (a sign of its magical nature).

  • Pic - Pictor the Painter's Easel

    IAU Constellation
    Pic - Pictor the Painter's Easel

    Size

    59 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
  • Pup - Puppis the Stern of Argo Navis

    IAU Constellation
    Pup - Puppis the Stern of Argo Navis

    Size

    20 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
  • Pyx - Pyxis the Compass of Argo Navis

    IAU Constellation
    Pyx - Pyxis the Mariner's Compass of Argo Navis

    Size

    65 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern
  • Vel - Vela the Sail of Argo Navis

    IAU Constellation
    Vel - Vela the Sail of Argo Navis

    Size

    32 of 88
    Astronomical Regions
    Southern

    Intro and Visual description

    See Argo Navis. 

  • Argo Navis the Ship of the Argonauts

    Vincenzo Coronelli, Celestial Globe Gores (Paris, 1693; reprint ca. 1800)

    Asterism Visual Appearance

    Argo Navis is located between between Antlia, Centaurus, Chamaeleon, and Musca. Canopus, once alpha-Argus, now lies in Carina.

    Asterism Origin and History

    An ancient constellation, the only one of Ptolemy's 48 no longer used.  In the 18th century, the French astronomer Lacaille dismantled Argo Navis into three smaller constellations: Carina the Keel, Puppis the Stern or Poop, and Vela the Sail. Small Pyxis the Compass is located nearby.

    Asterism Skylore

    Argo Navis was the ship which Argus built for Jason and his crew, the Argonauts, to carry them on their quest for the Golden Fleece. After their many adventures, Athena raised their ship to the sky.

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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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| And | Ant | Aps | Aql | Aqr | Ara | Ari | Aur | Boo | Cae | Cam | Cap | Car | Cas | Cen | Cep | Cet | Cha | Cir | CMa | CMi | Cnc | Col | Com | CrA | CrB | Crt | Cru | Crv | CVn | Cyg | Del | Dor | Dra | Equ | Eri | For | Gem | Gru | Her | Hor | Hya | Hyi | Ind | Lac | Leo | Lep | Lib | LMi | Lup | Lyn | Lyr | Men | Mic | Mon | Mus | Nor | Oct | Oph | Ori | Pav | Peg | Per | Phe | Pic | PsA | Psc | Pup | Pyx | Ret | Scl | Sco | Sct | Ser | Sex | Sge | Sgr | Tau | Tel | TrA | Tri | Tuc | UMa | UMi | Vel | Vir | Vol | Vul |

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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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