Centaurus

For other uses, see Centaurus (disambiguation)}}}.

Centaurus


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Abbreviation

Cen

Genitive

Centauri

Symbology

the Centaur

Right ascension

13 h

Declination

−50°

Area

List of constellations by area>Ranked 9th

Number of stars
(magnitude < 3)

Brightest star

Alpha Centauri (α Cen)
(Apparent magnitude>App. magnitude −0.01)

Meteor showers

Alpha Centaurids
Omicron Centaurids
Theta Centaurids

Bordering
constellations

Visible at latitudes between +30° and −90°
Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of May

Centaurus (Latin for centaur) is a bright constellation of the southern hemisphere. One of the largest constellations in the sky, Centaurus was one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy, and also counts among the 88 modern constellations.

Contents

1 Notable features
2 Notable deep sky objects
3 History
4 Mythology
5 Notable and named stars
6 See also
7 External links

Notable features

Centaurus contains Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf that is the nearest known star (other than the Sun) to Earth as well as Alpha Centauri, which is a binary star to which Proxima Centauri is apparently gravitationally bound to form a triple star system.

In addition to Alpha Centauri, the fourth brightest star in the heavens, a second first magnitude star, Beta Centauri, is part of Centaurus. The constellation also contains BPM 37093, which is estimated to be a degenerate star, consisting of crystalline carbon.

Notable deep sky objects

It also contains Omega Centauri, the brightest globular cluster in the sky and Centaurus A, an elliptical galaxy.

History

It was mentioned by Eudoxus (4th century B.C.) and Aratus (3rd century B.C.), Ptolemy catalogued thirty-seven stars in it.

Mythology

The constellation, when including fainter stars visible to the naked eye, resembles a stick man with the back end of a horse attached [link]. According to Greek mythology, the constellation is Chiron who was a wise centaur (half-man, half-horse) known as a tutor to Jason (the leader of the Argonauts), and tutor to Herakles (a demi-god).

Centaurus is sometimes associated with the constellation Sagitta, an arrow which Centaurus appears to have fired towards the constellation Aquila. As such, together with the constellation Lupus, and the fact that Centaurus is below the ecliptic, this may have formed the basis of the myth of the Erymanthian Boar, one of The Twelve Labours of Herakles.

When the sun is in the sign of Virgo, it sits directly above the constellation Centaurus. The Greeks considered that the centaur Chiron, who was accidentally poisoned and died due to Herakles, while Herakles took a detour from hunting the Erymanthian Boar, was put in the sky as a mark of pity.

The constellation Lupus is next after Centaurus in the sun's transit, and was to the Greeks an arbitrary hunted animal (Therion)- it became a wolf under the Romans. Centaurus appears to have fired an arrow, the constellation Sagitta, towards Aquila, the eagle that tortured Prometheus, thus appearing to release Prometheus from his torment. Centaurus is also under the ecliptic, and thus considered to be in the underworld.

Notable and named stars

BD	F	Names and other designations	Mag.	Ly away	Comments
α		Alpha Centauri, Rigel Kentaurus, Toliman	−0.01	4.36	triple star system, components: * Alpha Centauri A -0.01 * Alpha Centauri B 1.35 * Proxima Centauri (α Cen C) 11.05 – closest star; flare star closest star system < Al-Rigil al-Kentaurus The foot of the centaurus < Toliman of ancient Arabic origin (?)
β		Beta Centauri, Hadar, Agena	0.61	525	< ? Hadar settled land, ground? Beta Cephei variable
θ		Theta Centauri, Menkent	2.06	60.94	< منكب from Mankib al-Kentaurus ("Mankib" fused with "Kentaurus" to form men-kent) The shoulder of the centaur
γ		Gamma Centauri, Muhlifain	2.20	130.4	< محلفين muħlifayn (The star) sworn by [by two?] binary star, component magnitudes +2.9, +2.9
ε		Epsilon Centauri	2.29	376	Beta Cephei variable
η		Eta Centauri	2.33	309	Gamma Cassiopeiae variable
ζ		Zeta Centauri, Alnair	2.55	385	< البطن الناير Al-Na'ir al-baţn[u] The bright one of the stomach [of Centaurus] spectroscopic binary
δ		Delta Centauri	2.58	395	Gamma Cassiopeiae variable
ι		Iota Centauri	2.75	58.62
λ		Lambda Centauri	3.11	410
κ		Kappa Centauri, Ke Kwan	3.13	539	< 騎官 (Mandarin qíguān) The cavalry officer
ν		Nu Centauri	3.41	475	rotating ellipsoidal variable Beta Cephei variable
μ		Mu Centauri	3.47	527	Gamma Cassiopeiae variable
φ		Phi Centauri	3.83	465
τ		Tau Centauri	3.85	131.7
υ¹		Upsilon1 Centauri	3.87	418
π		Pi Centauri	3.90	321	binary star, component magnitudes: +4.3, +5.0
d		HD 117440, d Centauri	3.90	1250	binary star, component magnitudes: +4.5, +4.7
σ		Sigma Centauri	3.91	443
ρ		Rho Centauri	3.97	342
b		HD 129116, b Centauri	4.01	305
ψ		Psi Centauri	4.05	247
c¹		HD 129456, c¹ Centauri	4.06	205.3
g	2	2 Centauri, V806 Centauri	4.19	177.4	semiregular variable
i	1	1 Centauri	4.23	62.83
n		HD 111968, n Centauri	4.25	155.1
ξ²		Xi2 Centauri	4.27	412
j		HD 102776, j Centauri	4.30	459	Gamma Cassiopeiae variable
v		v Centauri	4.30	1190
k	3	3 Centauri, V983 Centauri	4.32	298	double star, component magnitudes 4.56, 6.06 possible eclipsing binary
e		HD 111915, e Centauri	4.33	303
υ²		Upsilon2 Centauri	4.34	448
χ		Chi Centauri	4.36	446	Beta Cephei variable
a		V761 Centauri, a Centauri	4.41	419	SX Arietis variable
B		B Centauri	4.47	464
m		HD 116243, m Centauri	4.52	257
J		J Centauri, V790 Centauri	4.52	355	Beta Cephei variable
A		A Centauri	4.62	463
l		l Centauri	4.63	355
M		M Centauri	4.64	257
w		w Centauri	4.66	188.4
f		HD 113703, f Centauri	4.71	414
h	4	4 Centauri	4.75	670
G		G Centauri	4.82	400
ξ¹		Xi1 Centauri	4.83	217.9
p		p Centauri	4.90	389
c²		HD 129685, c² Centauri	4.92	207.0
Q		Q Centauri	4.99	271	binary star, component magnitudes +5.7, +7.1
F		F Centauri	5.01	381
K		K Centauri	5.04	504
ο¹		Omicron1 Centauri	5.07	3200	semiregular variable
r		HD 115310, r Centauri	5.10	247
ο²		Omicron2 Centauri	5.12	3400	Alpha Cygni variable
z		z Centauri	5.15	429
H		H Centauri, V945 Centauri	5.17
C²		C2 Centauri	5.26	189.2
N		N Centauri	5.26	363
D		D Centauri	5.31	566	binary star, component magnitudes: +5.6, +6.8
x¹		x1 Centauri	5.32
E		E Centauri	5.34	590
u		u Centauri	5.45
C³		C3 Centauri	5.46	363
y		y Centauri	5.53
C¹		C1 Centauri, V763 Centauri	5.64	652	semiregular variable
x²		x2 Centauri	5.71
		HD 117618	7.18		has a planet
		R Centauri	7.18	2100	Mira variable H₂O maser
		HD 102117	7.47		has a planet
		BPM 37093	13.96		white dwarf variable
ω		Omega Centauri			globular cluster

Source: [The Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed.], [The Hipparcos Catalogue, ESA SP-1200]

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[Special]

[The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Centaurus]

[Starry Night Photography: Centaurus]

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Centaurus

Notable features

Notable deep sky objects

History

Mythology

Notable and named stars

See also

External links