Noctua
Encyclopedia
Noctua was a seldom mentioned constellation
that was once placed between the end of the tail of Hydra
, the sea-serpent and Libra
. The origins of the constellation are unknown, but an image of it appears in the American astronomer Elijah Burritt's Atlas (1835), part of his Geography of the Heavens. Noctua seemed to replace the earlier constellations of Turdus Solitarius
, the solitary thrush and John Flamsteed's Hermit Bird. All of these constellations are no longer recognized by astronomers.
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....
that was once placed between the end of the tail of Hydra
Hydra (constellation)
Hydra is the largest of the 88 modern constellations, measuring 1303 square degrees. It has a long history, having been included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy. It is commonly represented as a water snake...
, the sea-serpent and Libra
Libra (constellation)
Libra is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for weighing scales, and its symbol is . It is fairly faint, with no first magnitude stars, and lies between Virgo to the west and Scorpius to the east.-Notable features:]...
. The origins of the constellation are unknown, but an image of it appears in the American astronomer Elijah Burritt's Atlas (1835), part of his Geography of the Heavens. Noctua seemed to replace the earlier constellations of Turdus Solitarius
Turdus Solitarius
Turdus Solitarius was a constellation created by Pierre Charles Lemonnier in 1776 from stars of Hydra's tail. It was replaced by another constellation, Noctua...
, the solitary thrush and John Flamsteed's Hermit Bird. All of these constellations are no longer recognized by astronomers.