Former constellations

The former constellation Argo Navis
Gladii Saxonici from 1684 Acta Eruditorum

Former constellations are constellations that are no longer recognized by the International Astronomical Union for various reasons. Many of these constellations were recognized by authorities for long periods of time, even centuries in many cases, which means they have historical value and can be found on older star charts.

Noteworthy former constellations

Argo Navis

Argo Navis is the only constellation from Ptolemy's original list of 48 constellations that is no longer officially recognized. Due to its large size, it was split into three constellations by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille: Carina (the keel), Puppis (the poop deck), and Vela (the sails).[1] This new version was introduced in the star catalog Coelum Australe Stelliferum in 1763, which was published after de Lacaille's death.

Quadrans Muralis

Quadrans Muralis was originally created in 1795, being placed in the northern skies between the now modern accepted constellations Boötes and Draco. The Quadrantids meteor shower is still named after this former constellation.

Remnant nomenclature

List of former constellations

Name Pronunciation Meaning Date created Created by
Anguilla /æŋˈɡwɪlə/ Eel 1754 John Hill
Antinous /ænˈtɪnoʊ.əs/ Antinous 132 Emperor Hadrian[2]
Apes Bees (renamed to Vespa, then Lilium, then to Musca Borealis) 1612 Petrus Plancius
Apis /ˈeɪpɪs/ Bee (obsolete name and renamed to Musca Australis, and then shortened to Musca) 1598 Petrus Plancius
Aranea /əˈreɪniə/ Long-Legged Spider 1754 John Hill
Argo Navis /ˈɑːrɡoʊ ˈneɪvɪs/ The Ship Argo (now divided into Carina, Puppis, and Vela) 2nd century Claudius Ptolemy
Asselli and Praesepe Dionysus's Asses (Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australis) and Manger (Beehive Cluster) 3rd century BC Aratus[3][4]
Asterion and Chara Northern and Southern Dogs in Canes Venatici 1690 Johannes Hevelius
Battery of Volta Battery 1807 Thomas Young
Bufo /ˈbjuːfoʊ/ Toad 1754 John Hill
Cancer Minor /ˈkænsərˈmaɪnər/ Lesser Crab 1613 Petrus Plancius
Capra and Haedi Goat Amalthea (stars surrounding Capella) and the Kids (Haedus I and Haedus II) 3rd century BC Aratus[5]
Cerberus /ˈsɜːrbərəs/ Cerberus (guardian dog of Hades) 1690 Johannes Hevelius
Cor Caroli Regis Martyris Charles's Heart 1673 Charles Scarborough
Corona Firmiana Corona Borealis renamed to honor Count Leopold Anton von Firmian 1730 Corbinianus Thomas
Custos Messium /ˈkʌstɒs ˈmɛʃiəm/ Keeper of harvests 1775 Jérôme Lalande[6]
Deltoton Delta (obsolete name for Triangulum Boreale) 1540 Petrus Apianus[7]
Dentalium /dɛnˈteɪliəm/ Tooth Shell 1754 John Hill
Felis /ˈfiːlɪs/ Cat 1799 Jérôme Lalande
Frederici Honores /frɛdəˈraɪsaɪ hɒˈnɔəriːz/ Frederick's Honors 1787 Johann Elert Bode[8]
Gallus /ˈɡæləs/ Rooster 1613 Petrus Plancius
Gladii Electorales Saxonici Crossed Swords of the Electorate of Saxony 1684 Gottfried Kirch
Globus Aerostaticus /ˈɡloʊbəs ɛərəˈstætɪkəs/ Hot air balloon 1798 Jérôme Lalande[9]
Gryphites /ɡrɪˈfaɪtiːz/ Gryphaea shellfish 1754 John Hill
Hippocampus /hɪpəˈkæmpəs/ Sea Horse 1754 John Hill
Hirudo /hɪˈruːdoʊ/ Leech 1754 John Hill
Jordanus /dʒɔːrˈdeɪnəs/ River Jordan 1613 Petrus Plancius
Leo Palatinus Lion to honor the Elector Palatine Charles Theodore and his wife Elisabeth Auguste 1785 Karl-Joseph König
Lochium Funis /ˈlɒkiəm ˈfjuːnɪs/ Log line (renamed to Linea Nautica in 1888 by Eliza A. Bowen[10]) 1801 Johann Elert Bode[11]
Lilium /ˈlɪliəm/ Fleur de Lys (renamed Musca Borealis) 1679 Augustin Royer/P. Anthelme
Limax /ˈlaɪmæks/ Slug 1754 John Hill
Linum Piscium The line connecting the fish (renamed from Linum Austrinum and Linum Boreum by Bode in 1801; known as Lineola too) 1590 Thomas Hood
Lumbricus /lʌmˈbraɪkəs/ Earthworm 1754 John Hill
Machina Electrica /ˈmækɪnə ɪˈlɛktrɪkə/ Electricity generator 1800 Johann Elert Bode[12]
Malus /ˈmeɪləs/ Mast 1844 John Herschel
Manis /ˈmeɪnɪs/ Pangolin 1754 John Hill
Marmor Sculptile Bust of Columbus 1810 William Croswell
Mons Maenalus /ˈmɒnz ˈmɛnələs/ Mount Mainalo 1690 Johannes Hevelius[13]
Musca Borealis /ˈmʌskə bɔəriˈeɪlɪs/ Northern Fly 1690 Johannes Hevelius
Noctua /ˈnɒktʃuː.ə/ Owl 1822 Alexander Jamieson
Nubecula Major and Nubecula Minor Magellanic Clouds 1603 Johann Bayer
Officina Typographica /ˌɒfɪˈsaɪnə taɪpəˈɡræfɪkə/ Printshop 1801 Johann Elert Bode[14]
Patella /pəˈtɛlə/ Limpet 1754 John Hill
Phoenicopterus /ˌfɛnəˈkɒptərəs/ Flamingo (an obsolete name for Grus) early 17th century[15] Petrus Plancius/Paul Merula
Pinna Marina /ˈpɪnə məˈraɪnə/ Mussel 1754 John Hill
Piscis Notus Southern Fish (obsolete name for Piscis Austrinus) 3rd century BC Aratus
Polophylax /pəˈlɒfɪlæks/ Guardian of the Pole 1592 Petrus Plancius
Pomum Imperiale Leopold's orb 1688 Gottfried Kirch
Phaethon Phaethon Middle Ages Aratus/Hyginus
Pluteum Parapet (obsolete for Pictor) 1881 Richard Andree
Psalterium Georgii /sælˈtɪəriəm ˈdʒɔːrdʒiaɪ/ George's Psaltery (renamed to Harp Georgii by Lalande) 1781 Maximilian Hell[16]
Quadrans Muralis /ˈkweɪdrænz mjʊˈreɪlɪs/ Mural Quadrant 1795 Jérôme Lalande[17]
Quadratum Rhombus (obsolete name for Reticulum Rhomboidalis) 1706 Carel Allard
Ramus Pomifer /ˈreɪməs ˈpɒmɪfər/ Apple-bearing Branch 1690 Johannes Hevelius[18]
Robur Carolinum /ˈroʊbər kærəˈlaɪnəm/ Charles' Oak 1679 Edmund Halley[19]
Rosa Rose 1536 Petrus Apianus
Sagitta Australis Southern Arrow 1613 Petrus Plancius
Scarabaeus /skærəˈbiː.əs/ Rhinoceros Beetle 1754 John Hill
Sceptrum Brandenburgicum /ˈsɛptrəm brændənˈbɜːrdʒɪkəm/ Scepter of Brandenburg 1688 Gottfried Kirch[20]
Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae /ˈsɛptrəm ɛt ˈmeɪnəs dʒəˈstɪʃɪˌiː/ Scepter and Hand of Justice 1679 Augustin Royer
Sciurus Volans Flying Squirrel (now part of Camelopardalis) 1810 William Croswell[21]
Sextants Uraniae Urania's Sextant (obsolete name for Sextans) 1690 Johannes Hevelius
Siren, Ceneus and Lang Siren, Lapith Caeneus and Toucan early 17th century[22] Unknown/Willem Jansz Blaeu
Solarium /səˈlɛəriəm/ Sundial 1822 Alexander Jamieson
Sudarium Veronicae Sudarium of Veronica 1643 Antoine Marie Schyrle de Rheita[23]
Tarandus or Rangifer /təˈrændəs, ˈrændʒɪfər/ Reindeer 1736 Pierre Charles Lemonnier[24]
Taurus Poniatovii /ˈtɔːrəs pɒniəˈtoʊvi.aɪ/ Poniatowski's Bull 1777 Martin Poczobut[25]
Tarabellum and Vexillum Drill and flag-like Standard 12th century Michael Scot[26]
Telescopium Herschelii /tɛlɪˈskoʊpiəm hərˈʃiːli.aɪ/ Herschel's Telescope (renamed from Tubus Herschelii Major by Bode in 1801) 1781 Maximilian Hell[27]
Tubus Herschelii Minor Herschel's Reflector 1781 Maximilian Hell
Testudo /tɛsˈtjuːdoʊ/ Tortoise 1754 John Hill
Tigris /ˈtaɪɡrɪs/ Tigris River 1613 Petrus Plancius
Triangulus Antarcticus Obsolete name for Triangulum Australe 1589 Peter Plancius
Triangulum Majus Large Triangle (obsolete name for Triangulum) 1690 Johannes Hevelius
Triangulum Minus /traɪˈæŋɡjʊləm ˈmaɪnəs/ Small Triangle 1690 Johannes Hevelius[28]
Turdus Solitarius /ˈtɜːrdəs sɒlɪˈtɛəriəs/ Solitary Thrush (renamed to Mocking Bird and then to Noctua). Named in honor of the Rodrigues solitaire, an extinct flightless bird related to the dodo. 1776 Pierre Charles Lemonnier[29]
Uranoscopus /jʊərəˈnɒskəpəs/ Star-Gazer fish 1754 John Hill
Urna Urn of Aquarius 1596 Zacharias Bornmann
Vespa /ˈvɛspə/ Wasp (an obsolete name for Musca Borealis) 1624 Jakob Bartsch[30]
Triangula, Triangulum, Catuli, Corona, Corolla, Piscis, Camelus, Vulpes, Equus, Delphin, Ursa Minor, Canis, Felis, Leaena and Cervus Obsolete names for Triangulum Boreale, Triangulum Australe, Canes Venatici, Corona Borealis, Corona Australis, Piscis Australis, Cameleopardalis, Vulpecula et Anser, Equuleus, Delphinus, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Leo Minor and Monoceros 1873 Richard Proctor[31]

Notes

  1. ↑ Star Tales – Argo Navis
  2. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 40.
  3. ↑ http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page%3APopular_Science_Monthly_Volume_30.djvu/774
  4. ↑ http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/cancer.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.theoi.com/Ther/AixAmaltheia.html
  6. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 191.
  7. ↑ http://astrocultura.uai.it/mitologia/antiche/costellazioniperdute.htm
  8. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 221.
  9. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 237.
  10. ↑ http://astrocultura.uai.it/mitologia/antiche/costellazioniperdute3.htm
  11. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 65.
  12. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 289.
  13. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 290.
  14. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 297.
  15. ↑ Star Tales Grus
  16. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 347.
  17. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 348.
  18. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 242.
  19. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 349.
  20. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 360.
  21. ↑ Kanas, Nick (2007). Star maps: history, artistry, and cartography. New York, New York: Springer. p. 131. ISBN 0-387-71668-8.
  22. ↑ https://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/celestia/puzzlingstarmaps.htm
  23. ↑ http://astrocultura.uai.it/mitologia/antiche/costellazioniperdute1.htm
  24. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 377.
  25. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 413.
  26. ↑ http://www.atlascoelestis.com/Scot%20base.htm
  27. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 414.
  28. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 417.
  29. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 418.
  30. ↑ Allen 1963, p. 292.
  31. ↑ http://www.atlascoelestis.com/Proctor%20base%20nuove.htm

See also

References

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