The Peacock
| Abbreviation: | Pav |
| Genitive: | Pavonis |
| Origin: | Frederick de Houtmann, Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser, Petrus Plancius |
| Fully Visible: | 90°S – 15°N |
Near the end of the sixteenth century, the observations of Dutch explorers Frederick de Houtman (c.1571–1627) and Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser (c.1540–1596) allowed Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius (1552–1622) to place this constellation on his 1598 celestial globe.
Notable Features
| Visible Named Stars | ||
|---|---|---|
| α Pav | Peacock | This star, the brightest in the constellation, was named by H.M. Nautical Almanac Office at the behest of the Royal Air Force. |
| Deep Sky Objects | ||
| C93 | This is one of the largest globular clusters in apparent size as seen from Earth. Visible to the naked eye, it is better seen with optical aids. It is also known by its New General Catalogue number 6752. | |
| C101 | This spiral galaxy (NGC 6744) is considered to be very similar to our own Milky Way. A telesceop is necessary to observe this ninth-magnitude object. | |
Copyright © 1995–2023 by L.M. Stockman and David Harper