Centaurus

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.

Centaurus

Constellation
List of stars in Centaurus
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.

Centaurus Constellation chart

In the direction of Centaurus is the Shapley Supercluster or Shapl (SCl 124). This is the largest concentration of galaxies in our nearby universe.