Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Centaurus / s ɛ n ˈ t ɔːr ə s,-ˈ t ɑːr-/ is a bright constellation in the southern sky.One of the largest constellations, Centaurus was included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations.
It is the brightest star in the constellation and the third-brightest in the night sky, outshone by only Sirius and Canopus. α Centauri A (Rigil Kentaurus) has 1.1 times the mass and 1.5 times the luminosity of the Sun, while α Centauri B (Toliman) is smaller and cooler, at 0.9 solar masses and less than 0.5 solar luminosities. [15]
Centaurus A (also known as NGC 5128 or Caldwell 77) is a galaxy in the constellation of Centaurus. It was discovered in 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop from his home in Parramatta, in New South Wales, Australia.
The constellation as a whole is often depicted as having the rough appearance of a stick-figure archer drawing its bow, with the fainter stars providing the outline of the horse's body. Sagittarius famously points its arrow at the heart of Scorpius , represented by the reddish star Antares , as the two constellations race around the sky.
Omega Centauri (ω Cen, NGC 5139, or Caldwell 80) is a globular cluster in the constellation of Centaurus that was first identified as a non-stellar object by Edmond Halley in 1677. Located at a distance of 17,090 light-years (5,240 parsecs ), it is the largest known globular cluster in the Milky Way at a diameter of roughly 150 light-years. [ 10 ]
Beta Centauri is a triple star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus.It is officially called Hadar (/ ˈ h eɪ d ɑːr /).The Bayer designation of Beta Centauri is Latinised from β Centauri, and abbreviated Beta Cen or β Cen.
Proxima Centauri is the nearest star to Earth after the Sun, located 4.25 light-years away in the southern constellation of Centaurus. This object was discovered in 1915 by Robert Innes. It is a small, low-mass star, too faint to be seen with the naked eye, with an apparent magnitude of 11.13. Its Latin name means the 'nearest [star] of Centaurus'.
Zeta Centauri, Latinized from ζ Centauri, is a binary star system in the southern constellation of Centaurus. It has the proper name Alnair / æ ˈ n ɛər /, from Arabic: نير بطن قنطورس, romanized: nayyir baṭan qanṭūris, lit. 'the bright (star) of the body of the centaur'.