English Name: The Centaur
Genitive: Rigel Kentaurus
Hemisphere: Southern Hemisphere (Parts visible from the UK.)
Location: Between the constellations of Lupus and Hydra.
Visible between latitudes: +30 and -90 degrees
Best season: Spring
Seen in three season: Winter, Spring and Summer
Best seen in: During in the middle of May
Seen between: Only in May for the UK.
Right Ascension (RA): 13 hour
Declination (DEC): -50 degrees
Area (square degrees): 1,060 (9th)
Centaurus (The Centaur)
- Centaurus is a bright constellation in the southern sky – one of the largest constellations with 13 stars above magnitude +3.5
- Centaurus contains several very bright stars because of its position in the Milky Way.
- No Messier objects in Centaurus.
Features of Interest
- NGC 5139 – Omega Centauri; also known as Caldwell 80 (C80), is a Globular Cluster – brightest and largest known of all the Globular Cluster. And one of the few globular clusters visible to the naked eye and appears about as large as the Full Moon.
- NGC 5128 – Centaurus A; also known as Caldwell 77 (C77) – this unusual galaxy with a dark dust lane, is only visible from low northern latitudes, not visible from the UK.
- NGC 4945 – Large spiral galaxy is seen edge-on; in fact it’s almost the size of our own Milky Way Galaxy.
- NGC 5286 – Globular Cluster; described as very bright, fairly large round and extremely rich.
- NGC 3766 – Open Cluster, very dense and shimmers like a Pearl which is how it got it’s nickname:- The Pearl Cluster.
- Rigel Kentaurus (Alpha 1 Cen)
- Agena (Beta Cen)
- Menkent (Theta Cen)
- Photo of the constellation – Centaurus, as it appears to the naked-eye. (Lines have been added for clarity.)
- Sky Chart – Centaurus
- List of stars in Centaurus.
Back to The 88 Constellations Lists page.