Volans
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Volans
Constellation
Volans
List of stars in Volans
AbbreviationVol
GenitiveVolantis
Pronunciation/ˈvoʊlænz/,
genitive /vɒˈlæntɪs/
Symbolismthe Flying Fish
Right ascension06h 31m 04.9703s–09h 04m 22.7345s[1]
Declination−64.1070251°–−75.4954681°[1]
QuadrantSQ2
Area141 sq. deg. (76th)
Main stars6
Bayer/Flamsteed
stars		12
Stars with planets2
Stars brighter than 3.00m0
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)1
Brightest starγ2 Vol (3.62m)
Nearest starGliese 293
Messier objects0
Meteor showers0
Bordering
constellations		Carina
Pictor
Dorado
Mensa
Chamaeleon
Visible at latitudes between +15° and −90°.
Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of February.

Volans is a constellation in the southern sky. It represents a flying fish; its name is a shortened form of its original name, Piscis Volans.[2] Volans was one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman and it first appeared on a 35-cm (14") diameter celestial globe published in 1597 (or 1598) in Amsterdam by Plancius with Jodocus Hondius. The first depiction of this constellation in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603.[2]

History

[edit]
Volans as Piscis Volans (middle right) along with other constellations from Johann Bayer’s Uranometria

Volans is one of the 12 constellations that were introduced by the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman in the late 16th century. It was first depicted on Petrus Plancius’ globe in 1598. Plancius called the constellation Vliegendenvis (flying fish).[3]

In 1603, Johann Bayer included the constellation in his star atlas Uranometria under the name Piscis Volans, the flying fish.[3] John Herschel proposed shrinking the name to one word in 1844, noting that Lacaille himself had abbreviated his constellations thus on occasion.[4] This was universally adopted.[3]

Volans represents a type of tropical fish that can jump out of the water and glide through the air on wings. In early celestial maps, the flying fish was often depicted as accompanying the ship Argo Navis, and being chased by the predatory fish represented by the adjoining constellation Dorado.[3]

On 10 May 2023, TOI-715 b, the first exoplanet in the conservative habitable zone, about 1.55 times larger than Earth, was discovered in Volans by TESS.

Features

[edit]
The constellation of Volans, the flying fish, as it can be seen by the naked eye

Stars

[edit]
See also: List of stars in Volans

There are two double stars within the constellation which can be observed using a small telescope, Gamma Volantis and Epsilon Volantis, along with two galaxies which may be more difficult to see clearly, NGC 2442 and NGC 2434. The magnitudes of the Gamma Volantis stars are 3.8 and 5.6, and of Epsilon Volantis 4.4 and 7.3.[5]

The Astronomical Society of Southern Africa in 2003 reported that observations of the variable stars R and S Volantis in Volans were very urgently needed as data on their light curves was incomplete.[6]

HD 76700 is a sunlike star some 195 light-years distant that has been found to have a planet.

Deep-sky objects

[edit]

Volans has several deep-sky objects within its borders.

The Lindsay-Shapley ring, also categorized as AM0644-741, is a ring galaxy located 300 million light-years from Earth. Named for its discoverers, the Lindsay-Shapley ring was found near the Large Magellanic Cloud in 1960. Like the Cartwheel Galaxy in Sculptor, the unusual shape of this galaxy results from a collision many millions of years ago. The blue ring, 150,000 light-years in diameter, was formed when a shock wave from the collision created a ring of hot blue stars; the yellow core is an amalgamation of the progenitors' cores.[7] NGC 2442, an intermediate-spiral galaxy, is also located in this constellation, with a distance of 50 million light-years from Earth.

Graham's Object, aka Das Rheingold or Nibelungen Ring is a ring shaped galaxy at R.A. 6h 41.4m / Decl. -74° 19' (2000.0) in Volans [8][9]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Sources

[edit]
  • "Volans". The Constellations. International Astronomical Union. Archived from the original on 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  • Ridpath, Ian; Tirion, Wil (2017), Stars and Planets Guide (5th ed.), Princeton University Press, ISBN 978-0-69-117788-5
  • Staal, Julius D.W. (1988), The New Patterns in the Sky, McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company, ISBN 0-939923-04-1
  • Wilkins, Jamie; Dunn, Robert (2006). 300 Astronomical Objects: A Visual Reference to the Universe. Firefly Books. ISBN 978-1-55407-175-3.
[edit]
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Volans

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Volans is a small, faint constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere, representing a flying fish, and ranks as one of the 88 modern constellations officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).[1] Covering an area of 141 square degrees, it is the 76th largest constellation and lies in the second quadrant of the southern sky (SQ2), bordered by the constellations Carina, Chamaeleon, Dorado, Mensa, and Pictor.[2] Visible to the naked eye from latitudes between +15° and -90°, it is best observed in late summer to early autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, with its brightest stars reaching fourth magnitude.[2][3] The constellation has no associated mythology from ancient cultures, as it was introduced relatively recently in astronomical history.[2] It was first charted by Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman during their late 16th-century voyages to the East Indies, and first depicted by cartographer Petrus Plancius in 1598 as Vliegendenvis, the "Flying Fish," later known as Piscis Volans.[2] The name was later shortened to Volans by British astronomer John Herschel in the 1840s, and the IAU adopted this form when standardizing the 88 constellations in 1922.[2][1] Volans contains 32 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5, with Beta Volantis as the brightest at magnitude 3.77, an orange giant star situated approximately 108 light-years from Earth.[2][3] Other notable stellar features include the binary system Gamma Volantis, composed of two stars of magnitudes 3.78 and 5.68 separated by 14.1 arcseconds and observable with small telescopes, located about 142 light-years away.[2][4] The constellation also hosts several stars with confirmed exoplanets, including TOI-715 b, a super-Earth in the conservative habitable zone discovered in 2023, and one named star, Maru (WD 0806-661).[2] Among its deep-sky objects, Volans features the Meathook Galaxy (NGC 2442), an 11th-magnitude spiral galaxy approximately 50 million light-years distant, noted for its distinctive hooked shape resembling a meat hook.[4][2] Additional highlights include the Lindsay-Shapley Ring (AM 0644-741), a 14th-magnitude gravitational lens system 300 million light-years away, and the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723, observed by the James Webb Space Telescope at a distance of 4.24 billion light-years.[2] These objects make Volans a target for amateur astronomers equipped with telescopes, despite the constellation's overall dimness.[4]

Etymology and History

Name Origin

The constellation Volans derives its name from the Latin word volans, meaning "flying," and was originally designated Piscis Volans, translating to "flying fish," to represent a tropical marine species known for leaping out of the water and gliding on outstretched fins.[5] This etymology reflects the constellation's depiction as a dynamic, airborne creature in the southern sky.[2] Petrus Plancius, a Dutch theologian and cartographer, first introduced Volans in late 1597 or early 1598, incorporating it into his celestial globe based on stellar observations recorded by Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman during their exploratory voyages to the East Indies from 1595 to 1597. Plancius named it Vliegendenvis in Dutch, emphasizing the fish's gliding flight, and it appeared alongside 11 other new southern constellations to fill gaps in the existing Ptolemaic catalog.[5] The name was shortened to simply Volans in 1844 by British astronomer John Herschel, who sought to streamline nomenclature for southern constellations in his comprehensive catalog, with the revision officially adopted by the British Association in 1845 under Francis Baily.[5] In early celestial illustrations, such as Johann Elert Bode's Uranographia of 1801, Volans was portrayed as leaping toward the stern of the ancient ship constellation Argo Navis while evading pursuit by the adjacent Dorado, mirroring the real-world predatory dynamics between flying fish and dorado species.[5]

Historical Development

The constellation Volans, representing a flying fish, originated from observations made by Dutch navigators in the late 16th century during voyages to the southern seas. It was first charted in 1598 on a celestial globe by the Dutch cartographer Petrus Plancius, based on data from explorers Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, under the Dutch name Vliegende Visch (flying fish). This depiction highlighted the tropical marine life encountered, positioning the figure near the large ancient constellation Argo Navis to evoke scenes of oceanic voyages.[5] In 1603, German astronomer Johann Bayer formalized its inclusion in his influential star atlas Uranometria, naming it Piscis Volans and depicting it as one of the new southern constellations among the "southern fishes." Early star maps often showed Piscis Volans leaping alongside the ship of Argo Navis, symbolizing pursuit by predatory fish like Dorado, though it remained distinct from Argo itself. During the 18th-century reforms of southern skies, French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille incorporated Piscis Volans into his comprehensive catalog Coelum Australe Stelliferum, published in 1763 from observations conducted between 1751 and 1752 at the Cape of Good Hope; this work helped standardize its boundaries and stellar assignments, solidifying its modern configuration amid the division of Argo Navis into Carina, Puppis, and Vela.[5][6] The name was shortened to Volans in 1844 by British astronomer John Herschel in his catalog of southern stars, a change adopted widely by 1845 in the British Association Catalogue to align with Latin grammatical conventions. In 1922, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially recognized Volans as one of the 88 modern constellations during its first General Assembly, establishing definitive boundaries for all celestial figures.[5] Due to its exclusively southern location, invisible from ancient Northern Hemisphere observatories, Volans holds no place in Greek or other Northern mythologies. Indigenous southern hemisphere traditions, including Aboriginal Australian sky knowledge, emphasize flying creatures and avian lore in stellar patterns, but documented correlations with Volans remain limited and indirect, with no specific mappings identified in traditional narratives.[5][7]

Visibility and Observation

Location in the Sky

Volans occupies a position entirely within the southern celestial hemisphere, with its boundaries defined by right ascension ranging from 6h 31m to 9h 04m and declination from -64° to -75°.[8] This placement situates the constellation close to the south celestial pole, rendering it invisible from most northern latitudes and visible year-round for observers in the far southern hemisphere, where it appears circumpolar.[9] The constellation spans an area of 141 square degrees, making it the 76th largest among the 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).[2] Its boundaries, delineated along lines of constant right ascension and declination for precision, were proposed by astronomer Eugène Delporte and officially approved by the IAU in 1928, with publication in 1930.[10] Volans shares borders with five neighboring constellations: Carina to the east, Pictor to the north, Dorado to the west, Mensa to the southwest, and Chamaeleon to the south.[2] Its proximity to the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way located primarily in Dorado, enhances its interest for southern sky observers, as the cloud's irregular extent brushes near Volans' western edge.

Observing Tips

Volans offers optimal viewing opportunities for observers in the Southern Hemisphere, where it remains visible year-round from latitudes south of approximately 25°S due to its circumpolar nature in those regions.[11] For locations further south, such as below 65°S, the constellation maintains a consistently high elevation throughout the night, facilitating extended observation sessions without it dipping below the horizon.[2] In contrast, Northern Hemisphere viewers face more restricted access, with Volans only partially visible from latitudes south of 15°N, and entirely inaccessible north of that.[12] The prime observing window for northern observers spans February to April, when the constellation reaches its highest point in the evening sky.[13] To maximize visibility, target late January, when Volans culminates at midnight local time, positioning its stars directly overhead for southern observers.[14] Seek out dark sites far from urban light pollution, as the constellation's faint stars demand clear, moonless nights to stand out against the sky.[15] Its proximity to the bright Carina region, embedded in the Milky Way's dense star fields, can create interference, making it challenging to isolate Volans' features without careful scanning.[2] From mid-northern latitudes, the constellation hugs the southern horizon at low elevation, further complicating views due to atmospheric distortion and potential obstructions.[12] For casual observers, the brightest star, Beta Volantis (magnitude 3.77), is readily visible to the naked eye under dark skies, serving as an entry point to locate the pattern.[16] Fainter members and any associated clusters require binoculars (7x50 or larger) to resolve details, enhancing the view of the flying fish shape against the backdrop.[11] Modern aids like the Stellarium or SkySafari apps provide invaluable simulations, allowing users to preview Volans' position from their specific location and time, complete with augmented reality overlays for fieldwork.[17][18] Professional viewing benefits from facilities like Australia's Siding Spring Observatory, situated at 31°S with minimal light pollution, offering access to southern skies ideal for deep imaging of Volans.[19]

Stellar Composition

Brightest Stars

The brightest stars in the constellation Volans are all visible to the naked eye and form the primary asterism of the flying fish figure. These include Beta Volantis, Gamma Volantis, Delta Volantis, and Alpha Volantis, with apparent visual magnitudes ranging from 3.75 to 3.99. Their distances vary significantly, from about 108 light-years for Beta Volantis to over 680 light-years for Delta Volantis, reflecting a mix of nearby giants and more distant supergiants. Spectral types span from cool giants to hot main-sequence stars, providing a diverse sample of stellar evolution stages observable in this small southern constellation. Data on their positions, parallaxes, and proper motions have been refined by the Gaia mission, enabling precise distance estimates and tangential velocity calculations.
Star NameApparent MagnitudeSpectral TypeDistance (light-years)Parallax (mas, Gaia DR3)Proper Motion (mas/yr)
β Volantis3.76K2 III (orange giant)10830.21 ± 0.11RA: -35.05; Dec: -151.99
γ Volantis (system)3.75 (primary); 5.62 (secondary)K0 III (primary, orange giant); F2 V (secondary)13324.48 ± 0.11 (primary)RA: 23.62; Dec: 108.65 (primary)
δ Volantis3.98F6 II (yellow-white giant)6864.75 ± 0.21RA: -4.29; Dec: +8.49
α Volantis3.99kA3hA5mA5 V (white main-sequence, Am-type)12625.97 ± 0.20RA: -1.93; Dec: -95.46
Beta Volantis, the brightest star in Volans, is an evolved orange giant located 108 light-years away, with a Gaia DR3 parallax of 30.21 mas confirming its proximity.[20] Its high proper motion of -35.05 mas/yr in right ascension and -151.99 mas/yr in declination indicates significant tangential velocity across the sky.[20] Gamma Volantis forms a wide visual double star system 133 light-years distant, where the primary component shines at magnitude 3.75 as a K0 III giant, accompanied by a fainter F2 V secondary at magnitude 5.62 separated by about 14 arcseconds.[21] The system's Gaia DR3 parallax for the primary is 24.48 mas, with proper motion components of +23.62 mas/yr (RA) and +108.65 mas/yr (Dec).[21] Delta Volantis, a luminous yellow-white giant of spectral type F6 II, appears at magnitude 3.98 from a much greater distance of 686 light-years, its brightness sustained by its evolved status.[22] Its Gaia-measured parallax is 4.75 mas, with modest proper motion of -4.29 mas/yr (RA) and +8.49 mas/yr (Dec).[22] Alpha Volantis, the westernmost of the main stars, is a white main-sequence star of peculiar Am chemical composition (kA3hA5mA5 V) at 126 light-years, with an apparent magnitude of 3.99.[23] The Gaia DR3 parallax value of 25.97 mas supports this distance, alongside proper motion of -1.93 mas/yr (RA) and -95.46 mas/yr (Dec).[23]

Notable Stellar Systems

Epsilon Volantis is a visual double star system consisting of a primary component with an apparent magnitude of 4.4 and a fainter companion at magnitude 8.0, separated by 6.1 arcseconds.[24] The primary is a B-type giant, making the system a notable example of multiplicity in the constellation.[25] Among the variable stars in Volans, V Volantis stands out as a Mira-type long-period variable with a magnitude range of 8.5 to 16.5 and a pulsation period of 157 days. This red giant undergoes significant brightness changes due to pulsations in its outer layers, typical of asymptotic giant branch stars. Volans hosts several exoplanet systems of interest. TOI-715, an M4 dwarf star, was found to host the super-Earth TOI-715 b via the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in 2023; the planet has a radius of 1.55 Earth radii and orbits within the habitable zone at a distance of 137 light-years from Earth.[26][27] Another system, HD 76700, a G6V star similar to the Sun, harbors the hot Jupiter HD 76700 b, discovered in 2003 through radial velocity measurements with an orbital period of 3.98 days. The proximity and transiting nature of TOI-715 b make it a prime target for follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) after 2023, potentially revealing atmospheric compositions and additional planets in the system.[26] A notable substellar system in Volans is Maru (WD 0806-661), a DQ white dwarf located approximately 63 light-years away, with an extremely cold Y-type brown dwarf companion designated WD 0806-661 B. The companion has a temperature of about 370 K and an estimated mass of 6-10 Jupiter masses, orbiting at a separation of about 20 AU. This system, discovered in 2011, represents one of the coldest known brown dwarfs.

Deep-Sky Objects

Galaxies

Volans hosts several notable galaxies, primarily observable with moderate to large telescopes due to their apparent faintness and southern location. Among them, NGC 2442 stands out as a peculiar barred spiral galaxy (SAB(s)bc pec), located approximately 50 million light-years away.[28] It exhibits a distinctive warped disk, resembling a meathook or cobra, resulting from gravitational interaction with its companion NGC 2443, which has distorted its spiral arms.[29] With an apparent magnitude of 11.2, NGC 2442 spans about 5.5 by 4.9 arcminutes and is best viewed under dark southern skies, where its asymmetric structure becomes evident in telescopes of 8-inch aperture or larger.[29] Its redshift is z ≈ 0.0049, corresponding to a recession velocity of 1,466 km/s, placing it within the local cosmic flow.[29] Further highlighting the constellation's extragalactic diversity are ring galaxies formed through rare collisional events. The Lindsay-Shapley Ring (AM 0644-741, also known as Graham's Object or the Nibelungen Ring), an unbarred lenticular ring galaxy approximately 300 million light-years distant, features a prominent blue ring of star clusters spanning about 150,000 light-years, encircling a brighter central nucleus.[30][31] This structure likely arose from a head-on collision with a smaller galaxy, compressing gas and triggering star formation along the ring.[30] Discovered in the 1960s during surveys of southern skies, it appears faint at around magnitude 14 and requires telescopes of 12-inch aperture or more for clear resolution of its ring morphology.[32] Another notable deep-sky object is the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 (also known as SMACS J0723.3-7327), a massive gravitational lens located at a redshift of z = 0.39, corresponding to a light-travel distance of approximately 4.6 billion light-years.[33] It served as the subject of the James Webb Space Telescope's first deep field image, released in July 2022, which revealed thousands of galaxies in the field, many magnified by the cluster's gravitational lensing effect. This observation provided insights into early universe galaxy formation and structure. The cluster itself contains hundreds of galaxies bound by gravity and is best studied with professional telescopes due to its faintness and complexity.[33] Galaxies in Volans, including NGC 2442 and its group companions, belong to loose associations rather than dense clusters like the Virgo Cluster. The NGC 2442 group, with recession velocities around 1,100–1,500 km/s, forms part of the southern extension of nearby structures such as the Eridanus Group, a filamentary assembly of about 200 galaxies spanning 75 million light-years on average. This positioning situates Volans' galaxies within the broader cosmic web of the local universe, influenced by the gravitational pull of larger aggregates like the Fornax-Eridanus complex.[34]

Star Clusters and Nebulae

Volans contains few notable star clusters and nebulae, owing to its position in a relatively sparse region of the southern sky, distant from the Milky Way's dense core and plane.[4] Unlike constellations near the galactic equator, Volans lacks prominent emission or reflection nebulae, as interstellar gas and dust concentrations are minimal in this area.[2] The constellation hosts one faint open cluster, NGC 2348, visible only under dark southern skies with moderate telescopes. This poorly populated cluster spans approximately 10 arcminutes and consists of stars primarily between magnitudes 11 and 13, but detailed parameters such as age, distance, and stellar composition remain sparsely documented in astronomical catalogs.[35][36] It was cataloged as part of the New General Catalogue in the 19th century, though specific discovery attribution is unclear beyond general NGC surveys. Planetary nebulae in Volans are equally elusive, with no prominent examples identified; faint candidates, if any, require advanced imaging for detection due to the constellation's low density of evolved stellar remnants.[2] Recent astrometric surveys, such as those from the Gaia mission, have begun to map proper motions in southern fields but have not yet yielded significant membership probabilities or structural insights for objects like NGC 2348, highlighting the challenges of studying such remote, low-contrast features.
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