Constellation
Represents the keel of the ship Argo, home to the bright star Canopus and the Carina Nebula.
| Type | Constellation |
|---|---|
| Area of sky | 494 sq° |
| Brightest star | Canopus |
| Brightest star magnitude | mag -0.74 |
| Hemisphere | Southern |
| Zodiac constellation | No |
| Discovered | 1756 |
A constellation is a pattern drawn on the sky rather than a physical grouping: its stars are usually unrelated and sit at wildly different distances, just lined up as seen from Earth.
Carina covers 494 square degrees of sky, which is 1.2 percent of the whole celestial sphere.
That makes it the 34th largest of the 88 constellations the International Astronomical Union recognises.
It sits in the southern sky.
Its brightest star reaches magnitude -0.74, bright enough to pick out with the naked eye under a dark sky.
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