- Argo Navis
Argo Navis (or simply Argo) was a large southern
constellation representing the "Argo ", the ship used byJason and theArgonauts inGreek mythology . The abbreviation was "Arg" and the genitive was "Argūs Navis".It is the only one of
Ptolemy 's list of 48 constellations that is no longer officially recognised as a constellation. French astronomerNicolas Louis de Lacaille in1752 subdivided Argo Navis into Carina (the keel of the ship),Puppis (thePoop deck ), and Vela (the sails). Were this still considered to be a single constellation, it would be the largest of all, being larger than Hydra.When Argo Navis was split, its
Bayer designation s were also split. Carina has the α, β and ε, Vela has γ and δ, Puppis has ζ, and so on.The constellation
Pyxis occupies an area which in antiquity was considered part of Argo's mast. However, Pyxis is not now (usually) considered part of Argo Navis, and in particular its Bayer designations are separate from those of Carina, Puppis and Vela.ee also
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Malus (constellation)
*Asterism (astronomy) External links and references
* [http://www.starrynightphotos.com/constellations/argo_navis.htm Starry Night Photography : Argo Navis Image]
* [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/argo.htm Star Tales – Argo Navis]
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