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Puppis, the Stern

Pup

Puppis

Sky Chart and Artist Rendering of Puppis

Origin:
Puppis the raised stern or "poop deck" of the famous ship Argo Navis that carried Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece and is one of the four constellations that once formed the Argonauts' ship.  That is, until Nicolas Louis de Lacaille dissected the largest of the constellations into three smaller constellations: Carina the Keel, Vela the Sails, and Puppis in 1763.  Lacaille also added Pyxis the Compass where the mast of Argo Navis once was located. Puppis is the largest remnant of the former Argo Navis.

Information:
Pyxis is a southern constellation which has its most northerly aspect just east of Sirius in Canes Major. The southern-most part of Puppis is just above Carina so will be at or below the southern horizon for northern observers north of about 35°N lat. The constellation will be as high it can be at 9 pm on February 15. Even though there is no discernable shape in the star pattern, the stars are bright enough that, once found, the constellation is unmistakable.  There are at least 25 open clusters of stars in the constellation, one globular cluster, a couple planetary nebula, and one emission nebula.  The Milky Way runs right through the middle of the constellation making it a rich constellation for binocular viewing.