Centaurus
Sign in to saveCentaurus ( ) is a bright constellation in the southern sky. One of the largest constellations, Centaurus was included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. In Greek mythology, Centaurus represents a centaur; a creature that is half human, half horse (another constellation named after a centaur is one from the zodiac: Sagittarius). Notable stars include Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to the Solar System, its neighbour in the sky Beta Centauri, and HR 5171, one of the largest stars yet discovered. T
AI overview
Centaurus is a large constellation visible in the southern sky that has been recognized since ancient times and remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. It is notable for containing Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to our Solar System, as well as other remarkable stars including some of the largest known.
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Key facts
- Constellation.name
- Centaurus
- Constellation.abbreviation
- Cen
- Constellation.genitive
- Centauri
- Constellation.pronounce
- , genitive
- Constellation.symbolism
- the Centaur
- Constellation.RA
- –
- Constellation.dec
- –
- Constellation.family
- Hercules
- Constellation.areatotal
- 1060
- Constellation.arearank
- 9th
- Constellation.numbermainstars
- 11
- Constellation.numberbfstars
- 69
- Constellation.numberstarsplanets
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Features
- Stars
- Deep-sky objects
- History
- Equivalents
- Namesakes
- See also
- References
- External links
Centaurus ( ) is a bright constellation in the southern sky. One of the largest constellations, Centaurus was included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. In Greek mythology, Centaurus represents a centaur; a creature that is half human, half horse (another constellation named after a centaur is one from the zodiac: Sagittarius). Notable stars include Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to the Solar System, its neighbour in the sky Beta Centauri, and HR 5171, one of the largest stars yet discovered. The constellation also contains Omega Centauri, the brightest globular cluster as visible from Earth and the largest identified in the Milky Way, possibly a remnant of a dwarf galaxy.
== Features == Centaurus is a large constellation with many bright stars, two stars brighter than magnitude 1, and a number of the best-known deep-sky objects, although the Milky Way does not lie within its borders.