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Sky Chart and Artist Rendering of Lupus
Origin:
The history of Lupus is confused and different sources conflict. In
ancient times, this star group seems to be an unidentified wild animal
known only as Therion for both the Greeks and Romans. Some cultures,
including the Greeks and Romans, thought Centaurus
was offering this animal as a sacrifice on the altar, Ara.
Arab culture identified the star group with a wild cat such as a leopard
or panther. Johann Bayer drew the
constellation as a wolf in the star atlas Uranometria in 1603 Polish astronomer Johannes
Hevelius evidently preferred (or knew only
of) the legend involving the wolf and Centaur since he drew the Centaur
attacking the wolf in his 1690 atlas, Prodromus Astronomiae
Information:
Lupus is a distinct constellation the head of which is found between Scorpius and Centaurus.
The hind end of the Wolf gets very close to the southern horizon for
observers north of 30° N lat. and dips below the horizon for those north
of 40° N lat. Lupus culminates at the same time as Libra (being
directly south of Libra) at 9 pm on July 8. Lupus is rich with deep
sky objects including many fine planetary nebulae (gas ejected from dead
stars), open clusters, and globular clusters. Lupus is also a good
constellation for binary and multiple star hunters. |
