The starry sky always beckons with its mystery and mystery. Many constellation names are associated with mythical characters (Cassiopeia, Perseus, Andromeda , etc.). There are clusters of stars that resemble the image of animals and birds (Peacock, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, Hare, Snake, etc.) and even objects. The stars were guided by sailors who traveled around the world. One way or another, human life is connected with these cosmic objects, take at least the signs of the zodiac circle. Today we will talk about the constellation Paradise Bird, which can be contemplated while in the southern hemisphere of the Earth. In this part of the world you can also see the Southern Cross, Compass, Peacock and other clusters of stars.
When the constellation was discovered
The combination of stars, which was called the Bird of Paradise, was discovered in the 16th century by Petrus Plansius, an astronomer from Holland. During the study of outer space, he focused on research data obtained by sailors Peter Dirkzun Keyser and Frederick Hautman.
In 1603, another well-known astronomer, Johann Bayer, created a stellar atlas called "Uranometry", which also recorded the constellation Bird of Paradise. Since this publication was very popular, many mistakenly attributed the discovery to Bayer, although it was first identified by Petrus Plansius.
There are many constellations discovered by this Dutch astronomer, but many of them have been attributed to other scientists or completely canceled. Among the existing ones, the most famous are the Southern Cross, Unicorn, Pigeon, Southern Triangle, Peacock, Chameleon, South Hydra and others. Names that have been canceled: Guardian of the Pole, Jordan River, Small Cancer, Native American, Rooster, Flying Fish, Northern Fly, Tiger River and South Arrow.
Name origin history
After Peter Planzius discovered this constellation in 1598 , he gave it a name that in Latin sounds like Paradysvogel Apis Indica. Translated into Russian, the first word means "bird of paradise", but with the second phrase there was an incident: it means "Indian bee." Many scientists believe that an elementary error occurred, since the words “apis” (bee) and “avis” (bird) are very similar in spelling.
Many names of celestial objects are closely intertwined with ancient Greek myths, but they do not include the bird of paradise constellation. There is still a legend about this mysterious bird: such creatures are mentioned in the beliefs of the Malay peoples. "Bird of paradise" they called one of the species of legless birds, allegedly living in their area. According to the traditions of the Malays, birds always soared in heaven and never made nests. Then the question arises: "How did they breed their offspring?" The legends of this people say that a bird of paradise carries an egg directly in the air, and as long as it reaches the ground, the embryo inside it will fully form into an adult. Having broken on the soil, the egg will release the bird, fully adapted to life. However, it is not clear how, having fallen to the ground, a legless feathered creature carried out its first flight.
Description of the stars in the constellation
The Bird of Paradise constellation has a very colorful and promising name. However, all the stars included in it are not very bright. As scientists suggest, the reason for the decrease in brightness lies in the features of their atmosphere, in which a large amount of a substance resembling soot condenses. A prerequisite for this accumulation of condensate is low temperatures and a high carbon content.
All stars of the constellation described do not have official names. Three main objects are distinguished by brightness: alpha, beta and gamma. The brightest star is alpha - a giant of orange color, which belongs to the class K. The Earth is 410 light-years distant from it. Alpha is currently in a state of change, turning into a white dwarf. Its dimensions are 3.825 m.
The gamma star takes the second position. It is less bright than alpha, and is located 160 light-years from our planet. Gamma refers to the yellow giants. Its size is about 3.872 m.
The third brightest star is the beta star, which consists of two objects: A (orange giant) and a smaller B. The total size is 4.24 m. A double star is 158 light-years distant from the earth.
Neighborhood Bird of Paradise
Since the constellation is located in the Southern Hemisphere, the inhabitants of the North cannot observe it in their latitudes. The Bird of Paradise soars above the South Pole of the Earth, and you can determine it by finding the South Triangle in the sky. This sight is inaccessible to the inhabitants of Russia, since the state is located in the Northern Hemisphere.
The area of the constellation Paradise Bird is 206 square degrees. In its dimensions, it occupies 67th place among other stellar objects. The neighbors of the constellation are:
- Compass.
- Chameleon.
- South Triangle.
- Fly.
- Altar.
- Octane.
- Peacock.
How to Find a Bird of Paradise in the Sky
In the Southern Hemisphere, you can clearly see the Bird of Paradise constellation when the sky is not obscured by clouds. In total, it consists of 20 stars visible to the naked eye.
The constellation is not so bright, so it’s best opened to the gaze during the winter season. At this time, at night, the Bird of Paradise moves across the starry sky toward the western meridian. To the right of it you can see the alpha of Peacock, which is called Peacock, just below the right is the alpha of the Southern Triangle.