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Winter: Orion   Canis Major   Canis Minor   Monoceros   Lepus   Eridanus   Taurus   Auriga   Camelopardalis   Lynx   Gemini   Cancer

Spring: Hydra   Sextans   Crater   Corvus   Leo   Leo Minor   Ursa Major   Ursa Minor   Canes Venatici   Coma Berenices   Virgo   Bootes

Summer: Draco   Corona Borealis   Hercules   Ophiuchus   Serpens   Libra   Scorpius   Sagittarius   Scutum   Aquila   Sagitta   Vulpecula   Lyra   Cygnus

Autumn: Andromeda   Perseus   Pegasus   Cassiopeia   Cepheus   Cetus   Lacerta   Delphinus   Equuleus   Capricornus   Aquarius   Pisces   Aries

Southern Skies: Centaurus   Crux   Lupus   Corona Australis   Piscis Australis   Sculptor   Tucana   Fornax   Dorado   Columba   Puppis   Carina

(alphabetical links)

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CENTAURUS

The Centaur

Centaurus is found in the southern sky, and isn't visible much above 25 degrees latitude, but it is one of the most important constellations in the sky, containing the brightest and most impressive globular cluster in the sky, as well as the closest star to Earth. It is the classic Centaur - half man, half horse - of mythology, named Chiron. According to legend he was wise and benevolent, and tutored Hercules, the son of Zeus. When Hercules accidentally shot and killed Chiron with a poisoned arrow, he asked Zeus to immortalize his beloved teacher by placing his image in the sky. He is seen straddling probably the most famous and most distinguishable constellation in the southern sky: Crux (the southern cross). Chiron carries a spear, with which he threatens the wolf, Lupus, placed in the sky beside him, as depicted in Johann Bayer's 1603 Celestial Atlas below.

Centaurus contains the third brightest star in the night sky: Alpha Centauri.
This star is actually a triple star system, and one of these stars has been labelled Proxima Centauri,
because it has the important distinction of being the closest star to Earth,
4.3 light years away (a mere 25 trillion miles).




Centaurus also contains the brightest globular cluster in the sky, easily visible to the naked eye,
Omega Centauri (NGC5139).







Centaurus is also full of galaxies, the four brightest shown below.

NGC 5128 (magnitude 7.2)




NGC 4945 (magnitude 9.2)




NGC 5102 (magnitude 10.8)




NGC 5253 (magnitude 10.8)

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Alphabetical Links to the Constellations

ANDROMEDA   AQUARIUS   AQUILA   ARIES   AURIGA   BOOTES   CAMELOPARDALIS   CANCER   CANES VENATICI   CANIS MAJOR   CANIS MINOR   CAPRICORNUS   CARINA   CASSIOPEIA   CENTAURUS   CEPHEUS   CETUS   COLUMBA   COMA BERENICES   CORONA AUSTRALIS   CORONA BOREALIS   CORVUS   CRATER   CRUX   CYGNUS   DELPHINUS   DORADO   DRACO   EQUULEUS   ERIDANUS   FORNAX   GEMINI   HERCULES   HYDRA   LACERTA   LEO   LEO MINOR   LEPUS   LIBRA   LUPUS   LYNX   LYRA   MONOCEROS   OPHIUCHUS   ORION   PEGASUS   PERSEUS   PISCES   PISCIS AUSTRALIS   PUPPIS   SAGITTA   SAGITTARIUS   SCORPIUS   SCULPTOR   SCUTUM   SERPENS   SEXTANS   TAURUS   TUCANA   URSA MAJOR   URSA MINOR   VIRGO   VULPECULA  

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