Centaurus

Centaurus, the Centaur, is a large southern constellation containing Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to the Sun at just 4.37 light-years. Alpha Centauri is actually a triple star system — the faint companion Proxima Centauri is the nearest individual star to our solar system. The constellation also hosts Omega Centauri (NGC 5139), the largest and brightest globular cluster in the Milky Way.

The Hercules family includes constellations associated with the legendary strongman and his twelve labors. It is the second-largest constellation family after Ursa Major, encompassing much of the summer sky visible from northern latitudes. Hercules himself is the fifth-largest constellation by area, though none of his stars are brighter than third magnitude — a fitting irony for such a famous figure.

Mythology & History

Heracles (Hercules in Roman tradition) was the greatest of Greek heroes, a son of Zeus known for his extraordinary strength. His twelve labors — from slaying the Nemean Lion to capturing Cerberus — are reflected in several constellations. The constellation Hercules is depicted kneeling, and its central asterism, the Keystone, represents the hero's torso. Associated constellations include Hydra (the multi-headed serpent), Sagitta (the arrow), Lyra (Orpheus's lyre, a fellow Argonaut), and Aquila (Zeus's eagle). Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, was Ariadne's wedding crown placed in the sky by Dionysus.

Observation Tips

Hercules family constellations dominate the summer sky. The Keystone asterism in Hercules contains M13, the Great Hercules Cluster — one of the finest globular clusters in the northern sky, containing over 300,000 stars visible as a fuzzy patch to the naked eye. Lyra hosts Vega, the fifth-brightest star in the sky and a vertex of the Summer Triangle. The Ring Nebula (M57) between Beta and Gamma Lyrae is a favorite planetary nebula for amateur astronomers.

HIP 56760HIP 59439HIP 59448HIP 59453HIP 56769HIP 56771HIP 56774HIP 56776HIP 56781HIP 56792HIP 56813HIP 59475HIP 59484HIP 56814HIP 56819HIP 59494HIP 59498HIP 59505HIP 59508HIP 56833HIP 56839HIP 56841HIP 56842HIP 56851HIP 56853HIP 56866HIP 56877HIP 59529HIP 59541HIP 59552HIP 59555HIP 59556HIP 59557HIP 59562HIP 59568HIP 56887HIP 56890HIP 56892HIP 56893HIP 56896HIP 56897HIP 56898HIP 56902HIP 56904HIP 59584HIP 59590HIP 59598HIP 56910

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Centaurus constellation?
Centaurus (Cen) is one of the 88 IAU-recognized constellations in the Southern hemisphere. Centaurus, the Centaur, is a large southern constellation containing Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to the Sun at just 4.37 light-years. Alpha Centauri is actually a triple star system — the
How many stars are cataloged in Centaurus?
StarFYI currently catalogs 4,270 stars in the constellation Centaurus.
What is the brightest star in Centaurus?
The brightest star in Centaurus is Alpha Centauri.
How large is the Centaurus constellation?
Centaurus covers 1060.42 square degrees of the sky.
What family does Centaurus belong to?
Centaurus belongs to the Hercules Family of constellations.