Carina (constellation) facts for kids
| Constellation | |
List of stars in Carina
|
|
| Abbreviation | Car |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Carinae |
| Pronunciation | genitive |
| Quadrant | SQ2 |
| Area | 494 sq. deg. (34th) |
| Main stars | 9 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
52 |
| Stars with planets | 9 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 6 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 1 |
| Brightest star | Canopus (α Car) (−0.72m) |
| Messier objects | 0 |
| Meteor showers |
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| Bordering constellations |
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| Visible at latitudes between +20° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of March. |
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Carina is a bright constellation found in the southern sky. Its name means "the keel" of a ship in Latin. Imagine the bottom part of a ship where it balances in the water – that's what Carina represents!
Carina was once part of a much larger constellation called Argo Navis. This giant constellation represented the ship Argo from Greek myths. Later, Argo Navis was divided into three separate constellations: Carina (the keel), Vela (the sails), and Puppis (the stern, or back part of the ship). The ancient astronomer Ptolemy first listed Argo Navis in his famous list of 48 constellations. Today, Carina is one of the 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union.
Contents
What Makes Carina Special?
Carina is home to some amazing celestial objects.
Canopus: The Second Brightest Star
The most famous star in Carina is Canopus, also known as Alpha Carinae. It's incredibly bright, shining as the second brightest star we can see in the night sky! Only Sirius is brighter. Canopus is a supergiant star, much larger and more luminous than our Sun.
The Carina Nebula: A Star Factory
Another incredible feature in Carina is the Carina Nebula. This is a huge cloud of gas and dust, also known as an emission nebula. It's a giant "star factory" where new stars are being born! The Carina Nebula is much larger and brighter than the famous Orion Nebula. Inside it, you can find very massive and bright stars, including the unstable star Eta Carinae.
Meteor Showers from Carina
Carina is also the origin point for two meteor showers:
- Alpha Carinids
- Eta Carinids
These are times when Earth passes through trails of dust left by comets, causing streaks of light (meteors) in our sky that seem to come from the direction of Carina.
Images for kids
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The Southern Celestial Pole migrates through the constellation Carina.
See also
In Spanish: Carina para niños
