Centaurus
stellar constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere
Centaurus is a constellation in the southern hemisphere of the night sky. It is named after a centaur, which is a creature that is half man and half horse. The astronomer named Ptolemy listed Centaurus when he made a list of 48 constellations. Centaurus is also one of the 88 constellations that were made by the International Astronomical Union.
| Constellation | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | Cen |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Centauri |
| Pronunciation | /sɛnˈtɔːrəs/, genitive /sɛnˈtɔːraɪ/ |
| Symbolism | the Centaur |
| Right ascension | 13 |
| Declination | −50 |
| Quadrant | SQ3 |
| Area | 1060 sq. deg. (9th) |
| Main stars | 11 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 69 |
| Stars with planets | 14 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 10 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 8 |
| Brightest star | α Cen (−0.27m) |
| Messier objects | 0 |
| Meteor showers | Alpha Centaurids Omicron Centaurids Theta Centaurids |
| Bordering constellations | Antlia Carina Circinus Crux Hydra Libra (corner) Lupus Musca Vela |
| Visible at latitudes between +25° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of May. | |
In the direction of Centaurus is the Shapley Supercluster or Shapl (SCl 124). This is the largest concentration of galaxies in our nearby universe.
