Pavo (constellation)
Encyclopedia
Pavo is a constellation
in the southern sky. Its name is Latin
for peacock. It is 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 (or 1598) in Amsterdam by Plancius with Jodocus Hondius
. The first depiction of this constellation in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer
's Uranometria
of 1603.
The most notable star in the constellation is δ Pavonis
, a nearby Sun
-like but more evolved star
. φ2 Pavonis
, another Sun-like star has an unconfirmed extrasolar planet
.
was a United States Navy
Crater class cargo ship
named after the constellation.
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....
in the southern sky. Its name is Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for peacock. It is one of twelve constellations created by Petrus 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...
from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser
Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser
Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser , a.k.a. Petrus Theodori, was a Dutch navigator who mapped the southern sky....
and Frederick de Houtman
Frederick de Houtman
Frederick de Houtman , or Frederik de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who sailed along the Western coast of Australia en route to Batavia.-Biography:...
and it first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 (or 1598) in Amsterdam by Plancius with Jodocus Hondius
Jodocus Hondius
Jodocus Hondius , sometimes called Jodocus Hondius the Elder to distinguish him from his son Henricus Hondius II, was a Flemish artist, engraver, and cartographer...
. The first depiction of this constellation in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer
Johann Bayer
Johann Bayer was a German lawyer and uranographer . He was born in Rain, Bavaria, in 1572. He began his study of philosophy in Ingolstadt in 1592, and moved later to Augsburg to begin work as a lawyer. He grew interested in astronomy during his time in Augsburg...
's Uranometria
Uranometria
Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.It was published in Augsburg, Germany, in 1603 by Christophorus Mangus under the full title Uranometria : omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata, aereis laminis expressa. This translates to...
of 1603.
Notable features
In Australia, part of Pavo is sometimes called "the Saucepan" when it is used as a guide to finding the south by the stars.The most notable star in the constellation is δ Pavonis
Delta Pavonis
Delta Pavonis is a star about 19.9 light years away from Earth. It is in the constellation Pavo.-Observations:It is a subgiant of spectral type G8 IV, meaning it is about to stop fusing hydrogen in its core and is starting the process of becoming a red giant. Because of that, Delta Pavonis is...
, a nearby Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
-like but more evolved star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
. φ2 Pavonis
Phi2 Pavonis
Phi² Pavonis , also known as HD 196378, is a yellow-white dwarf star approximately 82 light-years away in the constellation of Pavo . It is evolving into a subgiant....
, another Sun-like star has an unconfirmed extrasolar planet
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
.
Namesakes
USS Pavo (AK-139)USS Pavo (AK-139)
USS Pavo was an commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II, named after the constellation Pavo. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone....
was a United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Crater class cargo ship
Crater class cargo ship
Crater-class cargo ship is a category of freighter that was constructed for use by the United States Navy during World War II under Maritime Commission EC2-S-C1 type....
named after the constellation.