Centaurus
The constellation in depth
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Data
- IAU abbreviation
- Cen
- Genitive
- Centauri
- Area
- 1 060.4 sq °
- Catalogue stars
- 281
- Of those, named
- 4
- Introduced by
- Ptolemy, the Almagest, 2nd century
- Brightest star
- Rigil Kentaurus · -0.01ᵐ
Stars of the constellation
| Stars of the constellation | Apparent magnitude | Distance | Spectral class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigil Kentaurus | -0.01 | 4 light years | G2V |
| Hadar | 0.61 | 525 light years | B1III |
| Toliman | 1.33 | 4 light years | K1V |
| Menkent | 2.06 | 61 light years | K0-IIIb |
History and myth
The Centaur is Chiron, tutor of Jason, Achilles and Asclepius. Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to the Sun, lies here, as does Omega Centauri, the largest globular cluster in the Galaxy.