Centaurus

IAU star chart (CC By: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)

One of the 88 IAU constellations. The ancient Greek constellation of the Centaur forms a super-constellation with Lupus and Ara. It is unknown whether or not Centaurus had a Babylonian predecessor: The Mesopotamian uranologies in this area mention a god (Numushda) whose appearance and exact location in the sky are not preserved, and the constellation UR.IDIM which is commonly translated as "Mad Dog" (or rabid dog) but also associated with a benevolent door keeper daemon who is a lion-man. Such a lion-man may possibly be depicted in seal imprints and mythologically named Urmahlullu.

Etymology and History

The Greek constellation is possibly derived from a Babylonian one. There were several centaur-like creatures and other mixed man-animal beings in Mesopotamian culture; seal imprints and reliefs witness them.

Kugel Globe: Centaurus sacrifices Lupus on Ara (drawing by SMH 2024).

Kugel Globe: two centaurs in Cen and Sgr with Lup+Ara in between (drawing by SMH 2024).

Origin of Constellation

Greco-Roman

Aratos

[400] This cluster as a whole men call The Water. But others low beneath the forefeet of the Archer (Centaur) [Centaurus], a tuned in a circled ring, go wheeling round the sky.

[436] The constellation of Centaur [Centaurus] thou wilt find beneath two others. For part in human form lies beneath Scorpio, but the rest, a horse’s trunk and tail, are beneath the Claws. He ever seems to stretch his right hand towards the round Altar, but though his hand is drawn and firmly grasped another sign – the Beast [Fera], for so men of old have named it.

[660?] So she is borne towards the West, but other signs in the East the vault of heaven brings from below, the remaining half of the Crown and the tail of the Hydra, and uplifts the body and head of the Centaur and the Beast that the Centaur holds in his right hand. But the fore-feet of the Centaur-Knight await the rising of the Bow.

[694] But opposite the Horse starry Night draws the Centaur, tail-first, beneath the horizon, but cannot yet engulf his head and his broad shoulders, breast and all. (Kidd 1997)

Hyginus, Astronomica

He is said to be Chiron, son of Saturn and Philyra, who surpassed not only the other Centaurs but also men in justice, and is thought to have reared Aesculapius and Achilles. By his conscientiousness and diligence, therefore, he won inclusion among the stars.

When Hercules was once visiting Chiron, and while sitting with him was examining his arrows, one of them is said to have fallen on the foot of Chiron, and thus brought about his death. Others say that when the Centaur wondered at his being able to kill such huge creatures as Centaurs with such slight arrows, he himself tried to draw the bow, and the arrow, slipping from his hand, fell on his foot. For this reason Jupiter, pitying him, put him among the constellations with a victim which he seems to hold above the altar for sacrifice.

Others have said that he is Pholus the Centaurus, who was more skilled in augury that the rest. Consequently, by the will of Jove, he was represented coming to the altar with a victim. (Mary Ward 1960)

Almagest Κένταυρος

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Κευταύρου ἀστερισμός
1	τῶν ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ δ ὁ φοτιώτατος.	The southernmost of the 4 stars in the head	2 Cen
2	ὁ βορειότατος αὐτῶν	The northernmost of them	4 Cen
3	τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ μέσων β ὁ ἠγούμενος	The more advanced of the other, middle 2	1 Cen
4	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν καὶ λοιπὸς τῶν δ	The rearmost of these, the last of the 4	3 Cen
5	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ καὶ ἠγουμένου ὅμου	The star on the left, advanced shoulder	iot Cen
6	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ὅμου	The star on the right shoulder	tet Cen
7	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀριστερᾶς ὡμοπλάτης.	The star on the left shoulder-blade	HR 5089
8	τῶν ἐν τῷ θύρσῳ ὁ τῶν ἠγουμένωυ β’ ὁ βορειότερος.	The 4 stars in the thyrsus: the northcrnmost of thc advance 2	psi Cen
9	ὁ σοτιώτερορ αὐτῶ	The 4 stars in the thyrsus: the southernmost of these	HR 5378
10	τῶν λοιπῶν β ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ θύρσου	The 4 stars in the thyrsus: that one of the other two which is at the tip of the thyrsus	HR 5485+5489
11	ὁ λοιπὸς καὶ τούτου νοτιώτερος	The 4 stars in the thyrsus: the last one, south of the latter	HR 5471
12	τῶν ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ πλευρῷ ἡ ὁ ἠρούμενος	The most advanced of the 3 stars in the right side	nu Cen
13	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	Tbe middle one	mu Cen
14	ὁ ἐπόμενος τῶν τριῶν	The rearmost of the three	phi Cen
15	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ βραχίουος	The star on the right upper arm	chi Cen
16	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ πήχεως	The star on the right forearm	eta Cen
17	ὁ ἐν ἄκρᾳ τῇ δεξιᾷ χειρύ	The star in the right hand	kap Cen
18	ὁ ἐν τῇ ἐκφύσει τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου σώματος λαμπρός	The bright star in the place where the human body joins [the horse's]	zet Cen
19	τῶν βορειοτέρωυ αὐτοῦ β’ ἀμαυρῶν ὁ ἑπόμενος	The rearmost of the 2 faint stars to the north of this	ups2 Cen
20	ὁ προηγούμενος αὐτῶν	The more advanced of them	ups1 Cen
21	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ νώτου ἐκφύσεως	The star on the place where the back joins [the horse's body]	omega Cen
22	ὁ τούτου προηγούμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ νώτου τοῦ ἴππου	The star in advance of this, on the horse's back	HR 4940
23	τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς ὀσφύος τ ὁ ἐπόμενος	The rearmost of the stars on the rump	gam Cen
24	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	The middle one	tau Cen
25	ὁ προηγούμενος τῶν τριῶν	The most advanced of the three	sig Cen
26	τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ μηροῦ β συνεχῶν ὁ ἠγούμενος	The more advanced of the 2 stars close tagether on the right thigh	del Cen
27	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The rearmost of them	rho Cen
28	ὁ ἐη τῷ στήθει ὑπὸ τὴν μασχάληη τοῦ ἴππου	The star in the chest, under the horse's armpit	HR 5172
29	τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν κοιλίαυ β’ ὁ ἠγούμενος	The more advanced of the 2 stars under the belly	eps Cen
30	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The rearmost of them	Q Cen
31	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγκύλης τοῦ δεξιοῦ ποδός	The star on the knee-bend of the right [bind] leg	gam Cru
32	ὁ ἐν τῷ σφυρῷ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ποδός	The star in the hock of the same leg	bet Cru
33	ὁ ὑπὸ τὴν ἀγκύληη τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ποδός	The star under the knee-bend of the left [hind] leg	del Cru
34	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ βατραχίου τοῦ αὐτοῦ ποδός	The star on the frag of the hoof an the same leg	alf Cru
35	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἄκρου τοῦ ἐμπροσθίου δεξιοῦ ποδός ἡ	The star on the end of the right front leg	alf Cen
36	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ γόνατος τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ποδός	The star on the knee of the left [front] leg	bet Cen
37	ὁ ἐκτὸς ὑπὸ τὸν δεξιὸν ὀπισθόποδα	The star outside, under the right hind leg	mu Cru

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

• 

  Centaurus et Lupus on the ancient Greek Kugel Globe, drawing by SMH 2021.

• 

  Centaurus et Lupus on the ancient Greco-Roman Farnese Globe, drawing by SMH 2017.

• 

  Centaurus et Lupus on the ancient Roman Mainz Globe, drawing by SMH 2021.

• 

  Centaurus & Lupus on Dürer's map.

• 

  Centaurus and Lupus constellations from the Mercator celestial globe 1551 (CC0).

• 

  Centaurus et Lupus on Mercator's 1551 globe gores.

• 

  Centaurus et Lupus on Plancius's globe, first time with Crux

• 

  Centaurus as drawn by Joh. Bayer (1603) and Lupus drawn by the user of this exemplar of the atlas (extra map for Bayer).

• 

  Cen+Lup, Crux, Habrecht's map 1621

• 

  Cen + Lup, Royer's map (1679)

• 

  Centaurus et Lupus at Planisferio celeste (Carlos Simón 1894)

Weblinks

• Ridpath, Ian, “Star Tales: online edition”.

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)