HOME BACK Index NEXT

GENERAL ASTRONOMY ARTICLES


SOUTHERN CONSTELLATIONS


EXPLANATION


Column 1:
CONSTELLATION
Constellation Name

Column 2:
GENITIVE
Constellation name that follows the Greek or Roman Letter for the designation of naked-eye stars.
Column 3:
Standard three letter abbreviation for the Constellation.
Column 4:
Cul 9pm
Culmination at 9 pm of constellations or celestial objects crossing the meridian of an observer.
Column 5:
Cul 12am
Culmination at 12am (at Midnight) of a constellation or celestial object crossing the meridian of an observer.
Column 6:
Area (sq.deg)
Area of the constellation in square degrees.
(P) Partial; to -30°
(T) Total Area
Column 7:
Pos.
Position from largest to smallest in order of total area for all 88 recognisedconstellations.
Column 8:
Central Position
The approximate Right Ascension and Declination of the centre of the constellation. Date here is the highest altitude for the that centre.
NOTES:
Octans is always circumpolar.

LISTS of the SOUTHERN CONSTELLATIONS

The SOUTHERN CONSTELLATIONS
R.A. 00h to 24h : Dec. -30° to -90°

Antlia
Ant
Antlis
Apus
Aps
Apodis
Ara
Ara
Arae
Caelum
Cae
Caeli
Canis Major
CMa
Canis Majoris
Carina
Car
Carinae
Centaurus
Cen
Centauri
Chamaeleon
Cha
Chamaeleontis
Circinus
Cir
Circini
Columba
Col
Columbae
Corona Austrinus
CrA
Coronae Australis
Crux
Cru
Crucis
Dorado
Dor
Doradus
Eridanus
Eri
Eridani
Grus
Gru
Gruis
Horologium
Hor
Horologii
Hydrus
Hyi
Hydi
Indus
Ind
Indi
Lupus
Lup
Lupi
Mensa
Men
Mensae
Microscopium
Mic
Microscopii
Musca
Mus
Muscae
Norma
Nor
Normae
Octans
Oct
Octanis
Pavo
Pav
Pavonis
Phoenix
Phe
Phoenicis
Pictor
Pic
Pictoris
Puppis
Pup
Puppis
Pyxis
Pyx
Pyxidis
Reticulum
Ret
Reticuli
Scorpius
Sco
Scorpii
Sagittarius
Sgr
Sagitarii
Telescopium
Tel
Telescopii
Triangulum Australe
TrA
Trianguli Australis
Tucana
Tuc
Tucanae
Vela
Vel
Velorum
Volans
Vol
Volantis

Inner Southern Constellations
Declination -60° to -90°

CONSTELLATION
NAME
GENITIVE
NAME
Abb. Cul
9pm
Cul
12am
Area
(sq.deg)
Pos. Central
Position
Mensa Mensae Men 29 Jan 14 Dec 153.484 76 (05300-7741)
Volans Volantis Vol 05 Mar 19 Jan 141.354 77 (07540-6852)
Chamaeleon Chamaeleontis Cha 17 Apr 02 Mar 131.592 80 (10418-7709)
Crux Crucis Cru 14 May 30 Mar 68.447 89 (12274-5905)
Musca Muscae Mus 15 May 31 Mar 138.355 78 (12345-7006)
Circinus Circini Cir 16 Jun 01 May 93.353 86 (14436-6426)
Apus Apodis Apu 07 Jul 24 May 206.327 68 (16037-7556)
Triangulum Australe Trianguli Australis TrA 09 Jul 25 May 109.978 84 (16069-6455)
Pavo Pavonis Pav 04 Sep 21 Jul 377.666 44 (19598-6337)
Tucana Tucanae Tuc 01 Nov 17 Sep 294.557 48 (23371-6718)
Hydrus Hydrae Hyi 14 Dec 30 Oct 294.006 49 (02319-7242)
Octans Octanis Oct Circum 08 Aug 91.045 50 (21064-8442)


Outer Southern Constellations
Declination -40° to -60°

CONSTELLATION
NAME
GENITIVE
NAME
Abb. Cul
9pm
Cul
12am
Area
(sq.deg)
Pos. Central
Position
Reticulum Reticuli Ret 03 Jan 20 Nov 113.936 83 (03565-5948)
Cælum Caeli Cae 15 Jan 30 Nov 124.865 82 (04466-3819)
Dorado Doradus Dor 28 Jan 14 Dec 179.173 73 (05278-6422)
Pictor Pictoris Pic 30 Jan 15 Dec 246.739 59 (05386-5302)
Columba Columbae Col 03 Feb 19 Dec 270.184 54 (05501-3505)
Southern Puppis Puppis Pup 27 Feb 12 Jan 421.01 P
20 T (07257-4036)
Puppis* Puppis Pup 27 Feb 12 Jan 673.434 T 20 T (07257-4036)
Carina CarinaeCar 18 Mar 01 Feb 494.184 33 (08548-6119)
Pyxis Pyxidis Pyx 21 Mar 04 Feb 220.883 65 (08568-2806)
Vela Velorum Vel 29 Mar 12 Feb 499.649 31 (09249-4759)
Antlia Antliae Ant 10 Apr 23 Feb 238.901 62 (10081-3419)
Centaurus Centauri Cen 25 May 10 Apr 1060.422 09 (13043-4540)
Lupus Lupi Lup 23 Jun 12 May 333.683 46 (15210-4319)
Norma Normae Nor 08 Jul 23 May 165.290 75 (16010-5131)
Southern Scorpius Scorpii Sco 24 Jul 08 Jun 496.783 T 33 (17017-3719)
Ara Arae Ara 28 Jul 13 Jun 237.057 63 (17218-5329)
Corona Australis Corona Australis CrA 15 Aug 02 Jul 127.696 81 (18381-4058)
Telescopium Telescopii Tel 25 Aug 11 Jul 251.512 57 (19158-5129)
Microscopium Microscopii Mic 20 Sep 06 Aug 209.513 66 (20565-3619)
Indus Indi Ind 28 Sep 14 Aug 294.006 49 (21325-5825)
Grus Gruis Gru 13 Oct 29 Aug 365.513 45 (22289-4536)
Phoenix Phoenicis Phe 18 Nov 04 Oct 469.319 36 (00536-4831)
Southern Eridanus Eridani Eri 22 Dec 06 Nov 264.0 P -- (03036-4354)
Eridanus* Eridani Eri 25 Dec 09 Nov 1137.919 T 06 T (03036-4354)
Horologium Horologii Hor 27 Dec 12 Nov 248.885 58 (03252-5216)


Southern Equatorial Constellations
Declination -30° to -40°

CONSTELLATION
NAME
GENITIVE
NAME
Abb. Cul
9pm
Cul
12am
Area
(sq.deg)
Pos. Central
Position
Southern Sculptor Sculptoris Scl 21 Nov 07 Oct c.35 P
474.164 T
35 * (01011-3208)
Southern Fornax Forancis For 15 Dec 31 Oct ? P
97.502 T
41 (02482-3142)
Mid-Southern Eridanus Eridani Eri 05 Jan 20 Nov ? P
1137.919 T
06** (04000-3000)
Southern Puppis Puppis Pup 27 Feb 12 Jan 421.010 P
673.434 T
20** (07257-4036)
Antlia Antliae Ant 10 Apr 23 Feb 238.901 62 (10081-3419)
Southern Sagittarius Sagittarii Sgr 27 Aug 13 Jul ? P
867.432 T
15** (19219-3729)
Pisces Austrinus Piscis Austrini PsA 10 Oct 25 Sep 245.375 60 (22168-3024)


SOUTHERN CONSTELLATIONS : NOTES

1. Constellations highlighted in YELLOW in the above table are true circumpolar constellations from -35°S latitudes, which I have termed the Inner Southern Constellations.

2. Octans is always circumpolar regardless of southern latitude.

3. NMa (LMC), NMi (SMC)
These appeared in the original IAU Constellation 1930, but was soon dropped. This remains unfortunate, as the Magellanic Clouds contain many more deep-sky than many of the other southern constellations! The only usage I have seen is Astronomical Objects for Southern Telescopes” by E.J. Hartung published in 1968.

4. Australis is sometimes used in both the nominative and genitive terms

5. Argo genitive Argüs is the older southern constellation that was divided into the modern constellations of Carina, Vela, Puppis and Pyxis (older Malus.)

6. Serpens (not listed here) is the only constellation divided into two parts. These are Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda who are split by the equatorial constellation of Ophiuchus — The Serpent Bearer.

7. When calculation Sagittarius area just subtract CrA from the southern section!

8. For the split constellations, the number in the Pos.” column is in order of the total area (T) and NOT the given calculated area portion (P). Some in the Tables are marked, as I have left out for the moment as calculating the area which will frankly take a bit of time due to the jagged constellation boundaries!


HOME BACK Index NEXT

Last Update : 15th October 2014

Southern Astronomical Delights © (2014)

For any problems with this Website or Document please e-mail me.