Piscis Austrinus

Piscis austrinus

Constellation
Piscis austrinus List of stars in Piscis austrinus
Abbreviation	PsA
Genitive	Piscis Austrini
Right ascension	22
Declination	−30
Area	245 sq. deg. (60th)
Main stars	7
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	21
Stars with planets	2
Stars brighter than 3.00m	1
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)	3
Brightest star	Fomalhaut (α Piscis Austrinus) (1.16m)
Messier objects	0
Meteor showers	?
Bordering constellations	Capricornus Microscopium Grus Sculptor Aquarius
Visible at latitudes between +55° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of October.

Piscis Austrinus (Template:PronEng) or Piscis Australis (/ɒsˈtreɪlɪs/, Latin: southern fish) was one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy, and is also one of the 88 modern constellations. Its only bright star is Fomalhaut.

Prior to the 20th century, the constellation was also known as Piscis Notius, a name used to distinguish it from Pisces and the later introduced Piscis Volans (the flying fish).

Stars

Fomalhaut represents the mouth of the fish. It is a well known binary star, the companion being a white dwarf. Beta PsA is the only other star in the constellation to have been named, being Tien Kang (heavenly rope) in China. It is also a binary, although of two more nearly equal stars.

Mythology

It is thought that originally Piscis Austrinus was the only constellation representing a fish, Pisces becoming fish only later.

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: Piscis Austrinus
• Star Tales – Piscis Austrinus
• Piscis Austrinus