Constellation
Represents a centaur, home to Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to the Sun.
| Type | Constellation |
|---|---|
| Area of sky | 1,060 sq° |
| Brightest star | Alpha Centauri A |
| Brightest star magnitude | mag -0.27 |
| Hemisphere | Southern |
| Zodiac constellation | No |
| Discovered | 150 |
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.
Centaurus covers 1,060 square degrees of sky, which is 2.6 percent of the whole celestial sphere.
That makes it the 9th largest of the 88 constellations the International Astronomical Union recognises.
It sits in the southern sky.
Its brightest star reaches magnitude -0.27, bright enough to pick out with the naked eye under a dark sky.
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