Noctua
Noctua, the owl, was an extinct constellation introduced by Alexander Jamieson (1822) "Celestial Atlas Comprising A Systematic Display Of The Heavens In A Series Of Thirty Maps".[1][2][3]
Etymology and History
The name "Noctua" first appeared on Jamieson's charts next to a star in the head of the owl, situated about halfway between Spica and pi Hya, a star labeled "X" (see also Fig. 29.11 of "The Lost Constellations" by Barentine 2015).
The joint history of the extinct constellations Turdus Solitarius (Solitaire) and Noctua in the tail of Hydra are discussed at length in Chapter 29 of John Barentine's (2015) "The Lost Constellations: A History of Obsolete, Extinct, or Forgotten Star Lore," with the origins of Noctua discussed on p. 454.
Early 19th century English atlases did not adopted Bode's "Solitaire", but retained figures of birds in the same region. Thomas Young (1807; "A Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts") replaced the Solitaire with a Mockingbird.
Alexander Jamieson (1822) "Celestial Atlas Comprising A Systematic Display Of The Heavens In A Series Of Thirty Maps" (p.49) reimagined the bird constellation. Not mentioning either Bode's or Young's version, but only mentioning Monnier's earlier version:
"L'ERMITE (Oiseau), which appears on Map XIX, was formed some years ago by M. Monnier, under the Southern scale of the Celestial Balance. I have transformed L'Ermite Oiseau into the sage looking Noctua, a bird, which, considering the frequency it is met with on all Egyptian monuments, it appears strange our astronomers have not long ere this transferred among the celestials."
Harper & Stockman (website "SkyEye") draw the star as ET Vir (=HR 5301=HIP 69269, Vmag=4.91) as the head of the owl, and indeed this appears to be the brightest star in the vicinity, within a radius of 3.5 degrees.
Variants of the image
Jamieson (1822). Plate 27 from A celestial atlas comprising a systematic display of the heavens in a series of thirty maps illustrated by scientific description of their contents and accompanied by catalogues of the stars and astronomical exercises
Noctua on the Celestial Atlas of Alexander Jamieson (1822).This file is from Wikimedia Commons and may be used by other projects.
Noctua in Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror. plate 32 in Urania's Mirror, a set of celestial cards accompanied by A familiar treatise on astronomy ... by Jehoshaphat Aspin. London. Astronomical chart, 1 print on layered paper board : etching, hand-colored.
IAU Working Group Star Names
The name "Noctua" was discussed as a proper name for ET Vir (HR 5301, HIP 69269) in October 2024, but withdrawn due to the existence of an asteroid name "Noctua":
- 8962 Noctua (NASA JPL Small Body Database)
