Musca Borealis
Encyclopedia
Musca Borealis was a constellation
located between the constellations of Aries
and Perseus
.
It was first described as such by Hevelius in his catalogue of 1690, to distinguish it from the southern fly, Musca Australis
.
However, the original name of this constellation was Apis (the Bee, also the original name of Musca Australis) in Plancius
' celestial globe of 1612, while Bartsch
named it Vespa
(the Wasp) in 1624.
In 1679 Augustin Royer
used these stars for his constellation Lilium
(the Lily, representing the fleur-de-lis and in honour of his patron, king Louis XIV
).
This constellation is no longer in use; the stars it contained are now included in Aries
. The Southern Fly, Musca Australis, is now simply known as Musca
.
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
located between the constellations of Aries
Aries (constellation)
Aries is one of the constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for ram, and its symbol is , representing a ram's horns...
and Perseus
Perseus (constellation)
Perseus is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the Greek hero Perseus. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union...
.
It was first described as such by Hevelius in his catalogue of 1690, to distinguish it from the southern fly, Musca Australis
Musca
Musca is one of the minor southern constellations. The constellation was one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman and it first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 in Amsterdam by...
.
However, the original name of this constellation was Apis (the Bee, also the original name of Musca Australis) in Plancius
Petrus Plancius
Petrus Plancius was a Dutch astronomer, cartographer and clergyman. He was born as Pieter Platevoet in Dranouter, now in Heuvelland, West Flanders. He studied theology in Germany and England...
' celestial globe of 1612, while Bartsch
Jakob Bartsch
Jakob Bartsch or Jacobus Bartschius was a German astronomer.-Biography:Bartsch was born in Lauban in Lusatia. He was taught how to use the astrolabe by Sarcephalus , a librarian in Breslau...
named it Vespa
Vespa (constellation)
Vespa was the name used by Jakob Bartsch in 1624 for a constellation, now obsolete, that was originally called Apes by Petrus Plancius when he created it in 1612. It was made up of a small group of stars, located between the constellations of Aries and Perseus...
(the Wasp) in 1624.
In 1679 Augustin Royer
Augustin Royer
Augustin Royer was a French architect who lived in the time of Louis XIV.In 1679 he published a star map; in addition to the 48 constellations of Ptolemy, and the additions of more recent astronomers such as Plancius, he added two constellations of his own, in honour of his patron, Louis XIV;...
used these stars for his constellation Lilium
Lilium
Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs. Most species are native to the temperate northern hemisphere, though the range extends into the northern subtropics...
(the Lily, representing the fleur-de-lis and in honour of his patron, king Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
).
This constellation is no longer in use; the stars it contained are now included in Aries
Aries (constellation)
Aries is one of the constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for ram, and its symbol is , representing a ram's horns...
. The Southern Fly, Musca Australis, is now simply known as Musca
Musca
Musca is one of the minor southern constellations. The constellation was one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman and it first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 in Amsterdam by...
.