Apus

Apus ( /ˈeɪpəs/) is a faint constellation in the southern sky, first defined in the late 16th century. Its name means "no feet" in Greek, and it represents a bird-of-paradise (which were once believed to lack feet). It is bordered by Triangulum Australe, Circinus, Musca, Chamaeleon, Octans, Pavo and Ara. Its genitive is "Apodis".

History

Apus was one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman and it first appeared on a 35 cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 (or 1598) in Amsterdam by Plancius with Jodocus Hondius. Plancius called the constellation Paradysvogel Apis Indica; the first word is Dutch for 'bird of paradise', but the others are Latin for "Indian Bee"; "apis" (Latin for "bee") is presumably an error for "avis" or "bird".^[1] This confusion seems to have prompted a rename of two constellations: "Avis Indica" to "Apus" and the constellation of the bee, Apis, to Musca the fly.

After its introduction on Plancius's globe, the first known depiction of the constellation in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603.

Notable features

Apus includes two impressive clusters, NGC 6101 and IC 4499, as well as a very unusual nebular structure IC 4633.

Equivalents

When the Ming Dynasty Chinese astronomer Xu Guangqi adapted the European southern hemisphere constellations to the Chinese system in The Southern Asterisms, he combined Apus with some of the stars in Octans to form the "Exotic Bird" (異雀, Yìquè).^[2]

References

• Ridpath, Ian; Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide. London: Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-725120-9. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691135564. 

External links

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Apus
• Peoria Astronomical Society - Apus
• NightSkyInfo.com: Constellation Apus
• WIKISKY.ORG: Apus on WIKISKY
• Star Tales – Apus

Coordinates: 16^h 00^m 00^s, +75° 00′ 00″