Apus
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- For other meanings, see Apus (disambiguation).
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| List of stars in Apus | |
| Abbreviation: | Aps |
| Genitive: | Apodis |
| Symbology: | the bird of paradise |
| Right ascension: | 16 h |
| Declination: | −75° |
| Area: | 206 sq. deg. (67th) |
| Main stars: | 4 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars: | 12 |
| Stars known to have planets: | 0 |
| Bright stars: | 0 |
| Nearby stars: | 0 |
| Brightest star: | α Aps (3.83m) |
| Nearest star: | HD 122862 (93.5 ly) |
| Messier objects: | None |
| Meteor showers: | None |
| Bordering constellations: | Triangulum Australe Circinus Musca Chamaeleon Octans Pavo Ara |
| Visible at latitudes between +5° and −90° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of July |
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Apus (IPA: /ˈeɪpəs/, (Latin for anciently the swallow, but applied later to birds of paradise), from Greek: απους, meaning "no-feet") is a faint southern constellation, not visible to the ancient Greeks. The constellation was one of twelve constellations created by Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman between 1595 and 1597, and it first appeared in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603. Its genitive is "Apodis".
This constellation was originally named "Avis Indica" [1]. It first appeared on Petrus Plancius's 1598 celestial globe as "Paradysvogel Apis Indica": "Apis Indica" is Latin for "Indian Bee", likely an error for "Avis Indica" = "Indian Bird"; this confusion seems to have prompted a rename of two constellations: "Avis Indica" to "Apus" and "Apis" to "Musca".
[edit] Notable deep sky objects
Apus has several impressive clusters, NGC 6101 and IC 4499, as well as a very unusual nebular structure IC 4633.
[edit] References
- Ridpath, Ian; Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide. London: Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-725120-9. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691135564.
[edit] External links
- The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Apus
- Peoria Astronomical Society - Apus
- NightSkyInfo.com: Constellation Apus
- WIKISKY.ORG: Apus on WIKISKY
- Star Tales – Apus
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