Noctua (constellation)

The Owl (lat. noctua) is a historical constellation of the southern sky, which is not among the 88 of the International Astronomical Union ( IAU) recognized constellations.

The owl is at the tail end of the official constellation water snake in the border area with the constellations Libra and Centaur, between the stars σ Librae 3.29 m in the east and π Hydrae 3.25 m in the west. Besides the two mentioned stars the owl contains only very faint star of 5m maximum size class.

The actual author of the constellation owl is unknown, but the American astronomer Elijah Burritt it resulted in his 1835 star atlas Geography of the Heavens.

Already in 1776 led the French astronomer Pierre Charles Lemonnier in the same place of the firmament in 1776 the constellation hermit bird ( Hermit Thrush ) (lat. Turdus Solitarius ) a. This is just like the owl obsolete today.

Seen from Germany from the owl ( hermit bird) is in the spring low over the southern horizon.

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