Volans

For other uses, see Volans (disambiguation).

The constellation Volans is a group of stars in the southern sky. It is in the shape of a flying fish. The name Volans is a shortened from of its original, Piscis Volans. Volans was one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius. He made these constellations from observations by Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. Volans first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 (or 1598) in Amsterdam by Plancius with Jodocus Hondius. The first image of this constellation in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603.

Volans

Constellation
List of stars in Volans
Abbreviation	Vol
Genitive	Volantis
Pronunciation	/ˈvoʊlænz/, genitive /vɒˈlæntɨs/
Symbolism	the Flying Fish
Right ascension	8
Declination	−70
Quadrant	SQ2
Area	141 sq. deg. (76th)
Main stars	6
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	12
Stars with planets	1
Stars brighter than 3.00m	0
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)	1
Brightest star	β Vol (3.77m)
Messier objects	0
Meteor showers	0
Bordering constellations	Carina Pictor Dorado Mensa Chamaeleon
Visible at latitudes between +15° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of March.

Painting of a flying fish

Stars and deep sky objects

Galaxy NGC 2442

There are two double stars in the constellation which can be observed using a small telescope, Gamma Volantis and Epsilon Volantis. There are also two galaxies that may be more difficult to see clearly, NGC 2442 and NGC 2434. The magnitudes of the Gamma Volantis stars are fourth and sixth, and of Epsilon Volantis fourth and eighth.^[1][2]