South Crown - constellation of the southern hemisphere of the sky

In the southern hemisphere, next to Sagittarius and Scorpio, there is a very small constellation - South Crown. What is interesting about this constellation, why is it so called? And how far is it from the constellation North Crown? In this article you will find the answers to all these interesting questions.

Origin of the name of the constellation South Crown

Our whole firmament is studded with millions of stars, different in brightness and size. Many of them astronomers in ancient times united in the constellation, so it was easier to navigate.

At night, two "crowns" can be seen in the sky, each of them is named according to the hemisphere in which it is visible. The constellation in the southern hemisphere is called the Crown of the South, in the north by the North Crown.

Constellation South Crown was one of 48 first constellations, which in its catalog of the starry sky in the second century was indicated by Claudius Ptolemy. Previously, this constellation was called the Wheel of Ixion, Prometheus, Ship, Uranix. The modern name came from the Polish astronomer Janu Heveli.

The origin of the name has no connection with any particular myth, on this account there are only guesses. According to one version, the arrangement of stars in the constellation symbolizes a wreath on the head of the centaur Chiron - a wise and kind teacher of the heroes of Greek mythology. According to another version, God Dionysus awarded the poetess Corinne a crown in honor of the victory over Pindar at the competitions in Thebes, after which the golden crown was immortalized in the sky in the form of a constellation. The third legend says that the crown was placed in heaven after Dionysus freed his own mother from the Kingdom of Hades. Often this legend is ascribed to the constellation North Crown.

Many scientists believe that its name was given to the constellation due to the similarity with the constellation North Crown.

How to find the South Crown in the sky

This constellation on the southern hemisphere of the sky is rather dim, but if desired, it can be discerned. In South Crown 40 stars, 20 of them are discernible to the naked eye. July and August are the best time for observation. The constellation is particularly well seen at a latitude of 44 degrees. In the south of Russia it is seen completely, in the central regions - in part.

It is easiest to find the South Crown in the sky, relying on the constellation of Sagittarius. First you need to find Kaus Australis, the brightest star of Sagittarius. In the south-east of Kaus Australis in the form of an arc and will be the South Crown. In the south of the Crown are the constellations of the Altar and Telescope, and in the west is the Scorpion.

Stars in the South Crown

The Meridian alfekta is the alpha of this constellation, which means that it is the brightest star in the South Crown. Even the brightest stars of the constellation do not exceed 5m in apparent magnitude. Alfekka is a blue giant. It is 2.5 times larger than the Sun and is at a distance of 130 light years from it. This is the only star with a name in this constellation.

The second brightest star is much farther than the first (about 500 light-years from the Sun). This orange giant, which is 43 times larger than our luminary. The third largest star (gamma) is a double star.

In South Corona, there is a cloud of cosmic dust eight light-years in length, as well as the globular cluster NGC 6541 at a distance of 15,000 light-years, which was discovered in the 19th century.

Other objects that astronomers may be interested in are nebulae. In this constellation, you can observe three, all of them are blue. Nebula NGC 6729 has emission and reflectivity properties.

Conclusion

The constellation in the southern hemisphere is very little like the constellation North Crown. And although its name may be due to the northern "namesake", this constellation has many features.