Grus (constellation)

Grus

Constellation
List of stars in Grus
Abbreviation	Grus
Genitive	Gruis
Pronunciation	/ˈɡrʌs/, or colloquially /ˈɡruːs/; genitive /ˈɡruːs/
Symbolism	the Crane
Right ascension	22
Declination	−47
Quadrant	SQ4
Area	366 sq. deg. (45th)
Main stars	7
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	28
Stars with planets	5
Stars brighter than 3.00m	3
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)	1
Brightest star	α Gru (Alnair) (1.73m)
Messier objects	0
Meteor showers	????? ?????
Bordering constellations	Piscis Austrinus Microscopium Indus Tucana Phoenix Sculptor
Visible at latitudes between +34° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of October.

Grus (/ˈɡrʌs/, or colloquially /ˈɡruːs/) is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the crane, a species of bird. It was introduced in the late sixteenth century.

History

The stars that form Grus were originally considered part of Piscis Austrinus (the southern fish). The Arabic name of Gamma Gruis (al-dhanab, "the tail") reflects this origins.

The stars were first defined as a separate constellation by Petrus Plancius, who created twelve new constellations based on the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. Grus first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 (or 1598) in Amsterdam by Plancius with Jodocus Hondius. Its first depiction in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603.

An alternative name for the constellation, Phoenicopterus (Latin for flamingo), was used briefly during the early 17th century.

Equivalents

The stars that correspond to Grus cannot all be seen from China. In Chinese astronomy some of them are located in the Black Tortoise of the North (北方玄武, Běi Fāng Xuán Wǔ), while rest were placed among the Southern Asterisms (近南極星區, Jìnnánjíxīngōu) by Xu Guangqi, based on knowledge of western star charts.

See also

• List of the star names in Grus
• Grus (Chinese astronomy)
• List of brightest stars

References

• Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0-00-725120-9. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0-691-13556-4.

External links

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Grus
• The clickable Grus
• Starry Night Photography - Grus Constellation
• Star Tales – Grus
• StellaNavigator: Grus Constellation
• October Constellations