Puppis is a constellation that you can see in the southern hemisphere sky, but it depends on your location and time of the year. There are 88 constellations, of which 44 can be found in the southern hemisphere. The light from the Sun prevents the stars from appearing during the day, so you will need specialised equipment to study them.
Contents
Puppis Facts
- Puppis is a Latin word; the English meaning/translation is the stern.
- Puppis's pronunciation is Pup-pis.
- The genitive form is Puppis, which means any object with Puppis at the end of its name infers a relationship to the constellation. Typically, the thing is within the constellation's boundaries or was once until it (the borders) was redrawn.
- Puppis can be shortened or abbreviated to Pup. Puppis is a modern constellation rather than one created by Claudius Ptolemy, such as Aquarius, Leo and Taurus.
- Puppis (Constellation) takes up 673.434 sq. degrees of the night sky, equating to 1.63% of the night sky. Puppis is the 20th largest constellation in the night sky.
- Twelve Extrasolar Planets in the Puppis constellation are detailed on this site. There is a dedicated page for exoplanets in Puppis.
- Charles Messier catalogued three deep-space object(s) within the Puppis's boundary.
- The following constellations border Puppis:-
- Monoceros
- Canis Major
- Columba
- Pictor
- Carina
- Vela
- Pyxis
- Hydra
Puppis Stars
Here are a few facts about the stars in the constellation.
- Puppis has eight stars that make up the constellation's shape.
- The Hipparcos satellite scanned and detailed two thousand four hundred and eighteen stars.
- You can see two hundred and seventy-five stars within the Puppis constellation borders with the naked eye on a clear night sky.
- HIP 33499 is Puppis's nearest star, about 26.12 light-years from the Earth.
- The nearest star in Puppis to the Earth with an exoplanet is HD 69830, about 40.75 light-years away.
- Naos is Puppis's largest star in the constellation.
Other Major Stars
This is a list of other stars that make up part of the constellation but have been detailed above yet. Other visible stars in the constellation can be found Puppis Star List page.
| Name | Bayer | Spectral Type | Distance | Exoplanets |
| Naos | Zeta Puppis | O5IAf | 1083.60 | |
| Nu Puppis | Nu Puppis | B8III SB | 371.48 | |
| Azmidi | Xi Puppis | G6Ia | 1199.13 | |
| Ahadi | Pi Puppis | K3Ib | 807.34 | |
| Hadir | Sigma Puppis | K5III SB | 193.68 | |
| Tau Puppis | Tau Puppis | K0III... | 182.01 | |
| L2 Puppis | M5e | 208.95 |
Puppis Mythology
Despite its similarity, it doesn't mean animal pup. The Puppis constellation was created when Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille broke up the Argo Navis. The constellation was too large so breaking it up seemed sensible at the time. The other two constellations were created are Carina and Vela. The Puppis is the stern (back) of the Argo Navis, the ship according to the mythology that carried Jason to find the Golden Fleece.
Zodiac
Puppis is not a member of the Zodiac group of twelve constellations that appear when the Sun sets. The Zodiac constellations are the ones astrologers use to predict a person's future based on their birth date.
Puppis Constellation Distance From Earth
You cannot just go to one location and arrive in the Puppis constellation, and this is because it is made up of stars at different positions and distances. The nearest main star (Tureis) in the constellation is at a distance of 63.54 light-years, and the furthest main star is Azmidi, at a distance of 1,199.13 light-years. The average distance to the major stars is 513.72 light years. Main stars refer to the stars that make up the constellation outline.
Because of the distances of objects, we see how they looked in the past. To know how far back we are looking, take the amount and remove the word "Light", and you will get an idea of how long ago they looked like that. By now, the object may look different.
Puppis Constellation Facts
| Name | Puppis |
| Abbreviation | Pup |
| Zodiac Sign | No |
| Area | 673.434 sq. deg. |
| Night Sky | 1.63% |
| Size Position | 20th |
| Celestial Hemisphere | South |
| Meteor Shower(s) | 17 |
| Nearest Star | HIP 33499 |
| ...with Exoplanet(s) | HD 69830 |
| Largest Star | Naos |
| Brightest Star | Tureis |
| Dimmest Star | V468 Puppis |
| Furthest Star | HIP 39314 |
| Bright Star Count | 275 |
| Hipp. Star Count | 2418 |
| Main Star Count | 8 |
| Messier D.S.O. Count | 3 |
| Lists | Deep Space Objects |
| Exoplanets | |
| Meteor Showers | |
| Stars | |
| Main Stars | Naos |
| Nu Puppis | |
| Azmidi | |
| Ahadi | |
| Tureis | |
| Hadir | |
| Tau Puppis | |
| L2 Puppis | |
| Modified Date | 7th June 2024 |
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