In the southern hemisphere, next to Sagittarius and Scorpio, there is a very small constellation - South Corona. What is interesting about this constellation, why is it so named? And how far is it from the constellation Northern Crown? In this article you will find answers to all these interesting questions.
Origin of the name of the constellation South Crown
Our entire firmament is dotted with millions of stars, varying in brightness and size. Many of them astronomers in ancient times united into constellations to make it easier to navigate.
At night, two “crowns” can be observed in the sky, each of them is named according to the hemisphere in which it is visible. The constellation in the southern hemisphere is called the Crown of the South, in the northern - the Northern Crown.
The constellation Southern Crown was one of the 48 first constellations that Claudius Ptolemy indicated in his catalog of the starry sky in the second century. Previously, this constellation was called the Wheel of Ixion, Prometheus, Ship, Uranix. His modern name appeared thanks to the Polish astronomer Jan Hevelius.
The origin of the name has no connection with any particular myth, only guesses exist in this regard. According to one version, the arrangement of stars in the constellation symbolizes a wreath on the head of the centaur Chiron - a wise and kind teacher of heroes of Greek mythology. According to another version, the god Dionysus awarded the poetess Corinne with a crown in honor of the victory over Pindar at the competitions in Thebes, after which the golden crown was immortalized in heaven in the form of a constellation. The third legend reports that the crown was placed in heaven after Dionysus freed his own mother from the kingdom of Hades. Often this legend is credited with the constellation Northern Crown.
Many scientists believe that the constellation got its name because of its similarity to the constellation Northern Crown.
How to find the Southern Crown in the sky
This constellation in the southern hemisphere of the sky is rather dim, but you can see it if you wish. There are 40 stars in South Coron, 20 of which are visible to the naked eye. July and August are the best times to watch. The constellation is especially well visible at a latitude of 44 degrees. In the south of Russia it is fully visible, in the central regions - partially.
It is easiest to find the Southern Crown in the sky, relying on the constellation Sagittarius. First you need to find Kaus Australis - the brightest star of Sagittarius. To the southeast of Kaus Australis is in the form of an arc and will be located South Corona. To the south of the Crown are the constellations Altar and Telescope, and to the west is Scorpio.
Stars of the Southern Crown
Alfekka Meridiana is the alpha of this constellation, which means that she is the brightest star in the South Corona. Even the brightest stars of the constellation do not exceed 5m in apparent magnitude. Alfecca is a blue giant. It is 2.5 times larger than the Sun and located at a distance of 130 light years from it. This is the only star with a name in this constellation.
The second brightest star is much farther than the first (about 500 light years from the Sun). This is an orange giant, which is 43 times larger than our luminary. The third largest star (gamma) is a double star.
In Southern Corona there is a cloud of cosmic dust with a length of eight light years, as well as a globular cluster NGC 6541 at a distance of 15,000 light years, which was discovered back in the 19th century.
Other objects that astronomers may be interested in are nebulae. In this constellation, you can observe three of them, all of them are blue. The nebula NGC 6729 has emission and reflective properties.
Conclusion
The constellation in the southern hemisphere is very little like the constellation Northern Crown. And although its name may be due to the northern "namesake", this constellation has many features.