Owl (constellation)
The owl ( lat. Noctua ) is a historical constellation of the southern sky that is not one of the 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) .
The owl is located at the tail end of the official constellation Water Snake in the border area to the constellations Libra and Centaur , between the stars σ Librae +3.29 m in the east and π Hydrae +3.25 m in the west. In addition to the two stars mentioned, the owl only contains very faint stars of a maximum size of 5 m .
The real originator of the constellation Owl is unknown, but the American astronomer Elijah Burritt introduced it in his star atlas Geography of the Heavens in 1835 .
As early as 1776, the French astronomer Pierre Charles Lemonnier introduced the constellation Hermit Bird (Hermit Thrush ) ( Latin Turdus Solitarius) in the same place in the firmament in 1776 . Like the owl, this is obsolete today.
Seen from Germany, the owl (hermit bird) stands low over the southern horizon in spring.
