Fact sheet
- Latin name
- Volans (Vol)
- Brightest star
- β Volantis (β Vol)
- Relative brightness
- 3.75 mag
- Hipparcos catalogue
- HIP 41312
- Area
- 141 deg² (rank: 76 out of 88)
- Right ascension
- 6h 31m 05s to 9h 04m 23s
- Declination
- -75° 29' 44'' to -64° 06' 25''
- Neighbouring constellations
- Carina, Pictor, Dorado, Mensa, Chamaeleon
Visibility
The constellation Volans
Volans (flying fish) is a constellation of the southern hemisphere. It is circumpolar around the South Pole. This means that its stars are so close to the celestial pole that they never set as seen from Sydney. The constellation is therefore above the horizon all year round there.
The constellation Volans lies below the keel of the mighty ship Argo (the constellation Carina), near the star Miaplacidus (β Car). Since ancient times, the ship Argo has been regarded as one of the most famous constellations of the southern sky. However, the astronomers of the 18th century divided it into three parts because it seemed too large and too confusing to them. In this way, the keel (Carina), the afterdeck (Puppis) and the sails (Vela) of the ship were created.
History
While the constellations of the northern hemisphere have been known since ancient times and are based on many different mythologies, many constellations of the southern hemisphere remained unnamed for a long time. It was not until the 16th century that people began to deal with them. Between 1595 and 1597, the Dutch seafarers Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser (chief navigator) and Frederick de Houtman (brother of the captain) mapped the southern sky on an expedition on behalf of Petrus Plancius. Influenced by their experiences on their voyage to the East Indies, they named a dozen constellations: Chamaeleon, Musca, Volans, Indus, Grus, Apus, Pavo, Phoenix, Dorado, Hydrus, Triangulum Australe and Tucana.
It is probably no coincidence that the constellation Volans seems to swim in the wake of the ship Argo. However, there is no record of whether the Dutch seafarers ever saw a flying fish with their own eyes, or whether they knew these fish only from stories or as food. In any case, they were so impressed by these fish with their huge side fins, which can glide for up to several hundred metres when escaping from their predators, that they gave them their own constellation, named “Piscis Volans” (flying fish). Today, the constellation is officially called only Volans (“flying”).
