Former constellations
Former constellations are constellations that are no longer recognized by the International Astronomical Union for various reasons. Many of these constellations were recognized by authorities for long periods of time, even centuries in many cases, which means they have historical value and can be found on older star charts.
Noteworthy former constellations
Argo Navis
Argo Navis is the only constellation from Ptolemy's original list of 48 constellations that is no longer officially recognized. Due to its large size, it was split into three constellations by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille: Carina (the keel), Puppis (the poop deck), and Vela (the sails).[1] This new version was introduced in the star catalog Coelum Australe Stelliferum in 1763, which was published after de Lacaille's death.
Quadrans Muralis
Quadrans Muralis was originally created in 1795, being placed in the northern skies between the now modern accepted constellations Boötes and Draco. The Quadrantids meteor shower is still named after this former constellation.
Remnant nomenclature
- 53 Eridani retains the name Sceptrum from the former constellation Sceptrum Brandenburgicum.
List of former constellations
Name | Pronunciation | Meaning | Date created | Created by |
---|---|---|---|---|
Anguilla | æŋˈɡwɪlə | Eel | 1754 | John Hill |
Antinous | ænˈtɪnoʊ.əs | Antinous | 132 | Emperor Hadrian[2] |
Apes | ˈ | Bees (renamed to Vespa, then Lilium, then to Musca Borealis) | 1612 | Petrus Plancius |
Apis | ˈeipᵻs | Bee (obsolete name and renamed to Musca Australis, and then shortened to Musca) | 1598 | Petrus Plancius |
Aranea | əˈreɪniə | Long-Legged Spider | 1754 | John Hill |
Argo Navis | ˈɑːrɡoʊˈneɪvᵻs | The Ship Argo (now divided into Carina, Puppis, and Vela) | 2nd century | Claudius Ptolemy |
Asselli and Praesepe | ˈ | Dionysus's Asses (Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australis) and Manger (Beehive Cluster) | 3rd century BC | Aratus[3][4] |
Asterion and Chara | ˈ | Northern and Southern Dogs in Canes Venatici | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius |
Battery of Volta | ˈ | Battery | 1807 | Thomas Young |
Bufo | ˈbjuːfoʊ | Toad | 1754 | John Hill |
Cancer Minor | ˈkænsərˈmaɪnər | Lesser Crab | 1613 | Petrus Plancius |
Capra and Haedi | ˈ | Goat Amalthea (stars surrounding Capella) and the Kids (Haedus I and Haedus II) | 3rd century BC | Aratus[5] |
Cerberus | ˈsɜːrbərəs | Cerberus (guardian dog of Hades) | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius |
Cor Caroli Regis Martyris | ˈ | Charles's Heart | 1673 | Charles Scarborough |
Corona Firmiana | ˈ | Corona Borealis renamed to honor Count Leopold Anton von Firmian | 1730 | Corbinianus Thomas |
Custos Messium | ˈkʌstɒsˈmɛʃiəm | Keeper of harvests | 1775 | Jérôme Lalande[6] |
Deltoton | ˈ | Delta (obsolete name for Triangulum Boreale) | 1540 | Petrus Apianus[7] |
Dentalium | dɛnˈteɪliəm | Tooth Shell | 1754 | John Hill |
Felis | ˈfiːlᵻs | Cat | 1799 | Jérôme Lalande |
Frederici Honores | frɛdəˈraɪsaɪ hɒˈnɔəriːz | Frederick's Honors | 1787 | Johann Elert Bode[8] |
Gallus | ˈɡæləs | Rooster | 1613 | Petrus Plancius |
Gladii Electorales Saxonici | ˈ | Crossed Swords of the Electorate of Saxony | 1684 | Gottfried Kirch |
Globus Aerostaticus | ˈɡloʊbəs ɛərəˈstætᵻkəs | Hot air balloon | 1798 | Jérôme Lalande[9] |
Gryphites | ɡrɪˈfaɪtiːz | Gryphaea shellfish | 1754 | John Hill |
Hippocampus | hɪpəˈkæmpəs | Sea Horse | 1754 | John Hill |
Hirudo | hɪˈruːdoʊ | Leech | 1754 | John Hill |
Jordanus | dʒɔːrˈdeɪnəs | River Jordan | 1613 | Petrus Plancius |
Leo Palatinus | ˈ | Lion to honor the Elector Palatine Charles Theodore and his wife Elisabeth Auguste | 1785 | Karl-Joseph König |
Lochium Funis | ˈlɒkiəm ˈfjuːnᵻs | Log line (renamed to Linea Nautica in 1888 by Eliza A. Bowen[10]) | 1801 | Johann Elert Bode[11] |
Lilium | ˈlɪliəm | Fleur de Lys (renamed Musca Borealis) | 1679 | Augustin Royer/P. Anthelme |
Limax | ˈlaɪmæks | Slug | 1754 | John Hill |
Linum Piscium | ˈ | The line connecting the fish (renamed from Linum Austrinum and Linum Boreum by Bode in 1801; known as Lineola too) | 1590 | Thomas Hood |
Lumbricus | lʌmˈbraɪkəs | Earthworm | 1754 | John Hill |
Machina Electrica | ˈmækᵻnə ᵻˈlɛktrᵻkə | Electricity generator | 1800 | Johann Elert Bode[12] |
Malus | ˈmeɪləs | Mast | 1844 | John Herschel |
Manis | ˈmeɪnᵻs | Pangolin | 1754 | John Hill |
Marmor Sculptile | ˈ | Bust of Columbus | 1810 | William Croswell |
Mons Maenalus | ˈmɒnz ˈmɛnələs | Mount Mainalo | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius[13] |
Musca Borealis | ˈmʌskə bɔəriˈeɪlᵻs | Northern Fly | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius |
Noctua | ˈnɒktʃuːə | Owl | 1822 | Alexander Jamieson |
Nubecula Major and Nubecula Minor | ˈ | Magellanic Clouds | 1603 | Johann Bayer |
Officina Typographica | ˌɒfᵻˈsaɪnə taɪpəˈɡræfᵻkə | Printshop | 1801 | Johann Elert Bode[14] |
Patella | pəˈtɛlə | Limpet | 1754 | John Hill |
Phoenicopterus | ˌfɛnəˈkɒptərəs | Flamingo (an obsolete name for Grus) | early 17th century[15] | Petrus Plancius/Paul Merula |
Pinna Marina | ˈpɪnə məˈraɪnə | Mussel | 1754 | John Hill |
Piscis Notus | ˈ | Southern Fish (obsolete name for Piscis Austrinus) | 3rd century BC | Aratus |
Polophylax | pəˈlɒfᵻlæks | Guardian of the Pole | 1592 | Petrus Plancius |
Pomum Imperiale | ˈ | Leopold's orb | 1688 | Gottfried Kirch |
Phaethon | ˈ | Phaethon | Middle Ages | Aratus/Hyginus |
Pluteum | ˈ | Parapet (obsolete for Pictor) | 1881 | Richard Andree |
Psalterium Georgii | sælˈtɪəriəm ˈdʒɔːrdʒiaɪ | George's Psaltery (renamed to Harp Georgii by Lalande) | 1781 | Maximilian Hell[16] |
Quadrans Muralis | ˈkweɪdrænz mjʊˈreɪlᵻs | Mural Quadrant | 1795 | Jérôme Lalande[17] |
Quadratum | ˈ | Rhombus (obsolete name for Reticulum Rhomboidalis) | 1706 | Carel Allard |
Ramus Pomifer | ˈreɪməs ˈpɒmᵻfər | Apple-bearing Branch | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius[18] |
Robur Carolinum | ˈroʊbər kærəˈlaɪnəm | Charles' Oak | 1679 | Edmund Halley[19] |
Rosa | ˈ | Rose | 1536 | Petrus Apianus |
Sagitta Australis | ˈ | Southern Arrow | 1613 | Petrus Plancius |
Scarabaeus | skærəˈbiːəs | Rhinoceros Beetle | 1754 | John Hill |
Sceptrum Brandenburgicum | ˈsɛptrəm brændənˈbɜːrdʒᵻkəm | Scepter of Brandenburg | 1688 | Gottfried Kirch[20] |
Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae | ˈsɛptrəm ɛt ˈmeɪnəs dʒəˈstɪʃᵻiː | Scepter and Hand of Justice | 1679 | Augustin Royer |
Sciurus Volans | ˈ | Flying Squirrel (now part of Camelopardalis) | 1810 | William Croswell[21] |
Sextants Uraniae | ˈ | Urania's Sextant (obsolete name for Sextans) | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius |
Siren, Ceneus and Lang | ˈ | Siren, Lapith Caeneus and Toucan | early 17th-century[22] | Unknown/Willem Jansz Blaeu |
Solarium | səˈlɛəriəm | Sundial | 1822 | Alexander Jamieson |
Sudarium Veronicae | ˈ | Sudarium of Veronica | 1643 | Antoine Marie Schyrle de Rheita[23] |
Tarandus or Rangifer | təˈrændəs or ˈrændʒᵻfər | Reindeer | 1736 | Pierre Charles Lemonnier[24] |
Taurus Poniatovii | ˈtɔːrəs pɒniəˈtoʊviaɪ | Poniatowski's Bull | 1777 | Martin Poczobut[25] |
Tarabellum and Vexillum | ˈ | Drill and flag-like Standard | 12th century | Michael Scot[26] |
Telescopium Herschelii | tɛlᵻˈskoʊpiəm hərˈʃiːliaɪ | Herschel's Telescope (renamed from Tubus Herschelii Major by Bode in 1801) | 1781 | Maximilian Hell[27] |
Tubus Herschelii Minor | ˈ | Herschel's Reflector | 1781 | Maximilian Hell |
Testudo | tɛsˈtjuːdoʊ | Tortoise | 1754 | John Hill |
Tigris | ˈtaɪɡrᵻs | Tigris River | 1613 | Petrus Plancius |
Triangulus Antarcticus | ˈ | Obsolete name for Triangulum Australe | 1589 | Peter Plancius |
Triangulum Majus | ˈ | Large Triangle (obsolete name for Triangulum) | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius |
Triangulum Minus | traɪˈæŋɡjʊləm ˈmaɪnəs | Small Triangle | 1690 | Johannes Hevelius[28] |
Turdus Solitarius | ˈtɜːrdəs sɒlᵻˈtɛəriəs | Solitary Thrush (renamed to Mocking Bird and then to Noctua). Named in honor of the Rodrigues solitaire, an extinct flightless bird related to the dodo. | 1776 | Pierre Charles Lemonnier[29] |
Uranoscopus | jʊərəˈnɒskəpəs | Star-Gazer fish | 1754 | John Hill |
Urna | ˈ | Urn of Aquarius | 1596 | Zacharias Bornmann |
Vespa | ˈvɛspə | Wasp (an obsolete name for Musca Borealis) | 1624 | Jakob Bartsch[30] |
Triangula, Triangulum, Catuli, Corona, Corolla, Piscis, Camelus, Vulpes, Equus, Delphin, Ursa Minor, Canis, Felis, Leaena and Cervus | ˈ | Obsolete names for Triangulum Boreale, Triangulum Australe, Canes Venatici, Corona Borealis, Corona Australis, Piscis Australis, Cameleopardalis, Vulpecula et Anser, Equuleus, Delphinus, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Leo Minor and Monoceros | 1873 | Richard Proctor[31] |
Notes
- ↑ Star Tales – Argo Navis
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 40.
- ↑ http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page%3APopular_Science_Monthly_Volume_30.djvu/774
- ↑ http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/cancer.htm
- ↑ http://www.theoi.com/Ther/AixAmaltheia.html
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 191.
- ↑ http://astrocultura.uai.it/mitologia/antiche/costellazioniperdute.htm
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 221.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 237.
- ↑ http://astrocultura.uai.it/mitologia/antiche/costellazioniperdute3.htm
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 65.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 289.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 290.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 297.
- ↑ Star Tales Grus
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 347.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 348.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 242.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 349.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 360.
- ↑ Kanas, Nick (2007). Star maps: history, artistry, and cartography. New York, New York: Springer. p. 131. ISBN 0-387-71668-8.
- ↑ https://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/celestia/puzzlingstarmaps.htm
- ↑ http://astrocultura.uai.it/mitologia/antiche/costellazioniperdute1.htm
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 377.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 413.
- ↑ http://www.atlascoelestis.com/Scot%20base.htm
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 414.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 417.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 418.
- ↑ Allen 1963, p. 292.
- ↑ http://www.atlascoelestis.com/Proctor%20base%20nuove.htm
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Former constellations. |
References
- Allen, Richard Hinckley (1963). Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning New York: Dover. (Original work published 1899)
- Nick Kanas. Star Maps: History, Artistry, and Cartography. Springer; 5 June 2012. ISBN 978-1-4614-0917-5.
External links
- Former Constellations
- Obsolete Constellations
- Felice Stoppa: Le costellazioni scomparse dal cielo (Italian)
- Les Constellations Disparues (French)