Centaurus - The CentaurLearn about the constellation Centaurus - The Centaur, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.
Centaurus is a bright constellation of the southern hemisphere. One of the largest constellations in the sky, Centaurus was one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy and also counts among the 88 modern constellations.
Location: Southern Constellation 13h RA -50° Dec
Centaurus contains ω Centauri (NGC 5139), which despite its name is the brightest globular cluster and largest of its kind in the Milky Way.
Centaurus Mythology
The constellation resembles a stick man with the back end of a horse attached. According to Greek mythology, the constellation is Chiron who was a wise centaur (half-man, half-horse) known as a tutor to Jason (of the Argonauts), and a tutor to Hercules.
Centaurus Deep Space Objects
In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.
| # | Common Name | Constellation | Month | Coords | Direction | Mag | Size (arcmin) | Type | Star Chart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C77 NGC 5128 | Hamburger Galaxy | Centaurus | Southern Hemisphere | 13h 25.5m RA -43° 01m Dec | 7.00 | 25.7x20.0 | Elliptical Galaxy | 🔍︎ | ||
| C80 NGC 5139 | Omega Centauri | Centaurus | Southern Hemisphere | 13h 26.8m RA -47° 29m Dec | 3.70 | 36.3 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| C83 NGC 4945 | The Tweezers Galaxy | Centaurus | Southern Hemisphere | 13h 05.4m RA -49° 28m Dec | 9.00 | 20x3.8 | Spiral Galaxy | 🔍︎ | ||
| C84 NGC 5286 | Centaurus | Southern Hemisphere | 13h 46.4m RA -51° 22m Dec | 7.60 | 4 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | |||
| C97 NGC 3766 | Rich Man's Jewel Box | Centaurus | Southern Hemisphere | 11h 36.1m RA -61° 37m Dec | 5.30 | 12 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| C100 IC 2944 | Running Chicken Nebula | Centaurus | Southern Hemisphere | 11h 36.6m RA -63° 02m Dec | 4.50 | 75 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ |
| Northern Circumpolar | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camelopardalis | Cassiopeia | Cepheus | Draco | Lacerta | Ursa Major |
| Ursa Minor |
| Northern Spring | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antlia | Boötes | Cancer | Coma Berenices | Crater | Hydra |
| Leo | Leo Minor | Virgo |
| Northern Summer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquila | Corona Borealis | Cygnus | Delphinus | Equuleus | Hercules |
| Libra | Lyra | Ophiuchus | Sagitta | Scutum | Serpens |
| Vulpecula |
| Northern Autumn | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andromeda | Aquarius | Aries | Capricornus | Pegasus | Pisces |
| Triangulum |
| Northern Winter | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auriga | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Cetus | Eridanus |
| Gemini | Lepus | Lynx | Monoceros | Orion | Perseus |
| Taurus |
