Puppis facts for kids
| Constellation | |
List of stars in Puppis
|
|
| Abbreviation | Pup |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Puppis |
| Pronunciation | genitive the same |
| Symbolism | the Poop Deck |
| Right ascension | 7.5 |
| Declination | −30 |
| Quadrant | SQ2 |
| Area | 673 sq. deg. (20th) |
| Main stars | 9 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
76 |
| Stars with planets | 6 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 1 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 3 |
| Brightest star | ζ Pup (Naos) (2.25m) |
| Messier objects | 3 |
| Meteor showers | Pi Puppids Zeta Puppids Puppid-Velids |
| Bordering constellations |
Monoceros Pyxis Vela Carina Pictor Columba Canis Major Hydra |
| Visible at latitudes between +40° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of February. |
|
Puppis is a cool constellation you can spot in the southern part of the night sky. It's like a picture made of stars! It's one of the 88 official constellations that astronomers recognize today.
Contents
Discovering Puppis
What's in a Name?
The name "Puppis" means "the Poop Deck" in Latin. A poop deck is the back part of a ship. This constellation used to be part of a much bigger constellation called Argo Navis. Argo Navis was named after the ship from the ancient Greek story of Jason and the Argonauts.
A Constellation Divided
In 1752, a French astronomer named Nicolas Louis de Lacaille decided to split Argo Navis into three smaller constellations. These new constellations are Puppis (the stern or back of the ship), Vela (the sails), and Carina (the keel or bottom of the ship). This made it easier for people to find and study the stars in this area.
Bright Stars and Deep Sky Objects
Puppis has many interesting stars and other space objects. Its brightest star is called Zeta Puppis, also known as Naos. Naos is a very hot and bright star!
Astronomers have also found three special objects in Puppis called Messier objects. These are often beautiful star clusters or nebulae (clouds of gas and dust) that are fun to look at through a telescope.
Finding Puppis in the Sky
You can see Puppis best in February. It's located in the southern sky, near other constellations like Canis Major (the Big Dog) and Hydra (the Sea Serpent). If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, you'll need to be pretty far south to see it well.
Images for kids
-
The constellation Puppis as it can be seen by the naked eye.
-
A cosmic concoction in NGC 2467.
See also
In Spanish: Puppis para niños
