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Centaurus



Abbreviation: Cen
Genitive: Centauri
Right Ascension: 13.13 hours
Declination: -45.96 degrees
  Centaurus, the Centaur is one of the largest constellations in the sky covering some 60 degrees.

There are several stories of centaurs in Greek mythology and it is generally thought that the constellation refers to Chiron, the king of the centaurs. Chiron was the son of Chronos and Philyra, the sea nymph, she was turned into a Linden tree shortly after Chirons birth. Philyra was sometimes drawn with Chrion on early maps of the cestial sphere. Chiron is credited for first leading the mortals to righteousness, by teaching them to tell the truth.

In early drawings of this constellation, two centaurs are shown, the other one is thought to be Pholos. Chiron was the inventor of the constellations, he was proficient in music, botany, astronomy, devination and medicine and the teacher of Archillies. Pholos was the teacher of Hercules. Hercules accidently killed his friend Pholos with one of his posioned tipped arrows, and during the meelee, he accidently wounded Chiron, since Chiron was immortal, he could not die from his wounds, and was in such pain and agony that Prometeus offered to exchange his immortality so that Chiron could find peace. Chiron was transfered to the constellations by Zeus.

From this, Prometeus inherieted Chirons astronomical abilities and his immortatily.

  Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars
 

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)
 
Common Name
or Bayer Number 1 		RA DEC Magnitude 2
RIGEL KENTAURUS 14.00:39.00:35.88 -60.00:50.00:7.44 0.00
BET CEN 14.00:3.00:49.40 -60.00:22.00:22.79 0.61
MENKENT 14.00:6.00:40.95 -36.00:22.00:12.03 2.06
EPS CEN 13.00:39.00:53.24 -53.00:27.00:58.99 2.30
ETA CEN 14.00:35.00:30.42 -42.00:9.00:28.39 2.31
ZET CEN 13.00:55.00:32.38 -47.00:17.00:18.12 2.55
DEL CEN 12.00:8.00:21.51 -50.00:43.00:20.74 2.60
IOT CEN 13.00:20.00:35.82 -36.00:42.00:44.32 2.75
MU CEN 13.00:49.00:36.99 -42.00:28.00:25.53 3.04
LAM CEN 11.00:35.00:46.84 -63.00:1.00:11.32 3.13
KAP CEN 14.00:59.00:9.69 -42.00:6.00:15.37 3.13
PI CEN 11.00:21.00:0.42 -54.00:29.00:27.82 3.89
SIG CEN 12.00:28.00:2.38 -50.00:13.00:50.47 3.91
1 CEN 13.00:45.00:41.24 -33.00:2.00:37.56 4.23
XI2 CEN 13.00:6.00:54.63 -49.00:54.00:22.49 4.27
   
 

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)
   
 

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)
  Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.
 
Object R.A. Dec. Object Type 3 Mag. Uranometria Tirion
NGC 3680 11 25.7 -43 15 OPNCL 07.6 400 20
NGC 3766 11 36.1 -61 37 OPNCL 05.3 450 25
IC 2944 11 36.6 -63 02 CL+NB 04.5 450 25
Stock 14 11 44.0 -62 30 OPNCL 06.3 450 25
NGC 3918 11 50.3 -57 11 PLNNB 08.4 428 25
NGC 3960 11 50.9 -55 42 OPNCL 08.3 428 25
NGC 4230 12 17.3 -55 08 OPNCL 09.4 428 25
NGC 4852 13 00.1 -59 36 OPNCL 08.9 429 25
NGC 4945 13 05.3 -49 29 GALXY 08.6 402 21
NGC 4976 13 08.6 -49 30 GALXY 10.0 402 21
Stock 16 13 19.1 -62 34 OPNCL 09.1 451 25
NGC 5102 13 21.9 -36 39 GALXY 09.6 370 21
Loden 807 13 24.9 -62 26 OPNCL 07.9 451 25
NGC 5128 13 25.3 -43 01 GALXY 06.8 403 21
NGC 5139 13 26.8 -47 29 GLOCL 03.7 403 21
NGC 5138 13 27.3 -59 01 OPNCL 07.6 429 25
Basel 18 13 28.3 -62 22 OPNCL 08.2 451 25
Hogg 16 13 29.3 -61 12 OPNCL 08.4 451 25
Cr 271 13 29.7 -64 11 OPNCL 08.7 451 25
Cr 272 13 30.6 -61 16 OPNCL 07.7 451 25
NGC 5168 13 31.2 -60 56 OPNCL 09.1 430 25
Ru 108 13 32.2 -58 29 OPNCL 07.5 430 25
Tr 21 13 32.2 -62 47 OPNCL 07.7 451 25
Pismis 18 13 36.6 -62 09 OPNCL 09.7 451 25
NGC 5286 13 46.4 -51 22 GLOCL 07.6 430 25
NGC 5281 13 46.6 -62 54 OPNCL 05.9 451 25
NGC 5316 13 53.9 -61 52 OPNCL 06 452 25
NGC 5460 14 07.6 -48 19 OPNCL 05.6 404 21
Lynga 2 14 24.0 -61 24 OPNCL 06.4 452 25
NGC 5606 14 27.8 -59 38 OPNCL 07.7 430 25
NGC 5617 14 29.8 -60 43 OPNCL 06.3 430 25
Tr 22 14 31.2 -61 10 OPNCL 07.9 452 25
Hogg 17 14 33.7 -61 23 OPNCL 08.3 452 25
NGC 5662 14 35.2 -56 33 OPNCL 05.5 431 25
   
 

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)
  Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude
 
GCVS ID R.A.
(hh mm ss.ss)		 Dec.
(deg mm ss)		 Variable Type 4 Mag. Min Mag. Max
V Cen 14.00:28.00:56.90 -56.00:40.00:2.00 DCEP 7.21 6.43
RR Cen 14.00:13.00:27.00 -57.00:37.00:24.00 EW/KE: 7.68 7.27
V0659 Cen 13.00:28.00:12.80 -61.00:19.00:30.00 DCEP 6.71 6.45
V0716 Cen 14.00:10.00:15.20 -54.00:23.00:31.00 EB/KE 6.52 5.96
V0737 Cen 14.00:33.00:19.90 -61.00:47.00:38.00 DCEP 8.00 7.50
V0744 Cen 13.00:36.00:53.50 -49.00:41.00:50.00 SRB 6.55 5.14
V0759 Cen 14.00:7.00:28.90 -47.00:32.00:0.00 EW/KW 7.56 7.40
V0761 Cen 14.00:19.00:56.80 -39.00:17.00:5.00 SXARI 4.43 4.38
V0763 Cen 11.00:32.00:48.10 -47.00:5.00:45.00 SRB 5.80 5.55
V0765 Cen 13.00:36.00:44.10 -39.00:29.00:40.00 LB: 0.08 6.28
V0766 Cen 13.00:43.00:40.20 -62.00:20.00:25.00 SDOR: 7.50 6.17
V0767 Cen 13.00:50.00:49.60 -46.00:52.00:57.00 GCAS 6.26 5.86
V0768 Cen 14.00:45.00:31.40 -36.00:25.00:35.00 SRB 6.15 5.93
V0771 Cen 11.00:24.00:44.00 -61.00:5.00:38.00 SRC: 0.20 6.87
V0774 Cen 13.00:50.00:29.20 -38.00:48.00:41.00 GCAS 7.72 7.63
V0785 Cen 11.00:33.00:11.60 -46.00:53.00:30.00 LB: 0.31 7.60
V0788 Cen 12.00:6.00:18.10 -44.00:2.00:50.00 EA/D 5.93 5.74
V0789 Cen 13.00:1.00:58.60 -40.00:55.00:42.00 LB: 0.09 6.22
V0790 Cen 13.00:19.00:20.70 -60.00:42.00:39.00 BCEP: 6.27 6.16
V0795 Cen 14.00:11.00:27.00 -56.00:51.00:11.00 GCAS 5.10 4.97
V0806 Cen 13.00:46.00:32.40 -34.00:12.00:7.00 SRB 4.26 4.16
V0808 Cen 11.00:27.00:0.10 -63.00:16.00:42.00 ACYG 6.47 6.42
V0809 Cen 11.00:28.00:57.10 -61.00:0.00:9.00 ACYG 6.36 6.31
V0810 Cen 11.00:41.00:7.30 -62.00:12.00:42.00 SRD 5.12 4.95
V0815 Cen 11.00:4.00:57.50 -42.00:22.00:6.00 ACV 0.03 5.14
V0817 Cen 12.00:6.00:18.90 -40.00:57.00:11.00 GCAS 5.58 5.47
V0823 Cen 12.00:54.00:2.30 -54.00:19.00:1.00 ACV 0.00 6.70
V0824 Cen 13.00:7.00:58.90 -52.00:18.00:3.00 ACV 0.03 6.30
V0827 Cen 13.00:41.00:6.80 -50.00:45.00:42.00 ACV 0.02 6.46
V0828 Cen 14.00:0.00:24.10 -41.00:10.00:59.00 ACV 0.04 6.10
V0829 Cen 11.00:36.00:53.80 -39.00:6.00:26.00 RS 0.11 7.90
V0831 Cen 13.00:9.00:9.20 -59.00:39.00:18.00 ELL: 4.66 4.49
V0835 Cen 14.00:10.00:23.00 -63.00:11.00:48.00 M 5.72 4.35
V0837 Cen 11.00:35.00:44.30 -45.00:28.00:21.00 DSCT 0.10 7.16
V0851 Cen 13.00:40.00:34.50 -61.00:6.00:55.00 RS 7.88 7.78
V0852 Cen 14.00:8.00:33.00 -51.00:12.00:18.00 M: 0.40 6.70
V0853 Cen 14.00:26.00:24.90 -55.00:54.00:32.00 DSCTC 0.02 6.97
V0863 Cen 12.00:5.00:29.20 -50.00:22.00:58.00 BE: 4.43 4.38
V0869 Cen 14.00:6.00:17.00 -51.00:16.00:7.00 * 0.09 5.92
V0871 Cen 11.00:35.00:59.90 -63.00:5.00:45.00 EB 0.12 6.48
V0875 Cen 11.00:51.00:25.00 -58.00:41.00:42.00 M 5.62 3.90
V0883 Cen 14.00:5.00:23.70 -59.00:2.00:23.00 E 6.63 6.40
V0884 Cen 14.00:29.00:46.00 -60.00:10.00:24.00 M 1.71 7.93
bet Cen 14.00:0.00:16.50 -60.00:7.00:58.00 BCEP 0.04 0.61
del Cen 12.00:5.00:45.40 -50.00:26.00:38.00 GCAS 2.65 2.51
eps Cen 13.00:36.00:42.30 -53.00:12.00:46.00 BCEP 2.31 2.29
eta Cen 14.00:32.00:19.30 -41.00:56.00:22.00 GCAS 2.41 2.30
mu Cen 13.00:46.00:35.70 -42.00:13.00:32.00 GCAS 3.47 2.92
nu Cen 13.00:46.00:29.70 -41.00:26.00:22.00 ELL:+BCEP 3.41 3.38
omi 1 Cen 11.00:29.00:26.80 -59.00:9.00:58.00 SRD 6.60 5.80
omi 2 Cen 11.00:29.00:29.50 -59.00:14.00:22.00 ACYG 5.22 5.12
khi Cen 14.00:2.00:59.00 -40.00:56.00:28.00 BCEPS 0.02 4.15
   
 

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)
  Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude
 
Name R.A.
(hh mm.m)		 Dec.
(deg mm)		 Mag 5 Sep 6 PA 7 Tirion Uranometria
HJ 4409 11 07.3 -42 38 5.5, 8.0 1.30 260 20 400
R 165 11 13.1 -47 03 7.6, 7.6 3.30 71 20 400
HJ 4423 11 16.5 -45 52 7.1, 7.4 2.50 276 20 400
DUN 113 11 36.9 -38 57 6.9, 7.3 145.50 151 20 367/ 368
CPO 11 11 40.6 -62 34 7.4, 7.8 2.60 220 25 428/ 450
HDO 212 11 41.2 -61 08 7.3, 7.7 1.10 325 25 428/ 450
HLD 114 11 55.0 -56 05 7.3, 7.7 3.50 174 25 428
JC 2 12 08.4 -50 43 2.9, 4.8 268.60 325 21 401/ 428
JC 2 12 08.4 -50 43 2.9, 6.5 216.60 227 21 401/ 428
RMK 14 12 14.0 -45 43 5.6, 6.8 2.80 243 21 401
DUN 133 13 22.7 -60 59 4.6, 6.5 60.00 343 25 429
HRG 86 13 32.5 -62 20 7.2, 7.6 1.60 239 25 430/ 451
DUN 141 13 41.7 -54 33 5.7, 7.1 5.40 163 25 430
HJ 4608 13 42.3 -33 58 7.5, 7.6 4.30 185 21 370/ 371
HWE 95 13 43.8 -40 10 7.6, 7.9 1.50 187 21 370/ 371/ 403
DUN 146 13 49.3 -40 30 7.1, 7.2 60.00 86 21 371/ 403
CPO 61 13 51.6 -48 17 7.4, 7.7 30.50 131 21 403
H 101 13 51.9 -32 59 4.7, 6.2 7.90 106 21 371
RMK 18 13 52.1 -52 48 5.7, 7.9 18.10 289 25 430
R 227 13 56.4 -54 07 6.7, 7.7 1.80 6 25 430
SLR 19 14 07.7 -49 52 7.2, 7.4 1.40 306 21 404
DUN 159 14 22.6 -58 27 5.0, 7.1 9.20 159 25 430