Grus

Grus

Constellation
List of stars in Grus
Abbreviation	Gru
Genitive	Gruis
Pronunciation	/ˈɡrʌs/, or colloquially /ˈɡruːs/; genitive /ˈɡruːɨs/
Symbolism	the Crane
Right ascension	22
Declination	−47
Area	366 sq. deg. (45th)
Main stars	7
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	28
Stars with known planets	4
Bright stars	2
Nearby stars	1
Brightest star	α Gru (Al Na'ir) (+1.73m)
Nearest star	Gliese 832 (16.1 ly)
Messier objects	0
Meteor showers	????? ?????
Bordering constellations	Piscis Austrinus Microscopium Indus Tucana Phoenix Sculptor
Visible at latitudes between +34° and −34°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of October.

Grus is constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the crane, a species of bird. It was introduced in the sixteenth century.

History

The stars that form Grus were originally considered part of Piscis Austrinus (the southern fish), and the Arabic names of many of its stars reflect this classification.

The stars were first defined as a separate constellation by Petrus Plancius, who created twelve new constellations based on the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. Grus first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 (or 1598) in Amsterdam by Plancius with Jodocus Hondius. Its first depiction in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603. Plancius chose the crane because that bird was considered to symbolise watchfulness.^{[citation needed]}

An alternative name for the constellation, Phoenicopterus (Latin for flamingo), was used briefly in England during the 17th century.^[1]

References

• Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.

External links

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Grus
• The clickable Grus
• Starry Night Photography - Grus Constellation
• Star Tales – Grus
• StellaNavigator: Grus Constellation
• October Constellations

See also

• List of the star names in Grus

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Grus (constellation)

Coordinates: 22^h 00^m 00^s, −47° 00′ 00″