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 65207HIP 65208HIP 62711HIP 62717HIP 62721HIP 62723HIP 62726HIP 62728HIP 62730HIP 62731HIP 65213HIP 65215HIP 65218HIP 65219HIP 65220HIP 62765HIP 62766HIP 62767HIP 62770HIP 62773HIP 65244HIP 65247HIP 62797HIP 62799HIP 65271HIP 65281HIP 65288HIP 65291HIP 62803HIP 62804HIP 62806HIP 62811HIP 62813HIP 62820HIP 62821HIP 65316HIP 65317HIP 65321HIP 62836HIP 62845HIP 62861HIP 62863HIP 65325HIP 65328HIP 65337HIP 65338HIP 65346HIP 65348

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.