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.

Proxima Centauri1 CenDofidaEps CenHIP 64892HIP 64913HIP 64934HIP 64969HIP 65017HIP 65022HIP 65045HIP 65050HIP 65058HIP 65098HIP 65099HIP 65108HIP 65129HIP 65157HIP 65185HIP 65196HIP 65242HIP 65294HIP 65303HIP 65342HIP 65528HIP 65557HIP 65560HIP 66123HIP 66276HIP 66307HIP 66317HIP 66365HIP 66487HIP 66553HIP 66624HIP 66748HIP 66812HIP 66813HIP 66814HIP 67017HIP 67054HIP 69382HIP 69413HIP 67066HIP 67068HIP 69599HIP 69630HIP 69646

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.