The Constellation Lupus
by Dominic Ford
The constellation Lupus.
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Source: Stellarium.
Source: Stellarium.
Lupus is a southern constellation which appears highest in the midnight sky in May.
Its name is Latin for ‘wolf’, and the creature depicted here is usually depicted impaled on a long pole held by Centaurus the centaur, perhaps about to be sacrificed on Ara the altar.
The outline of the wolf's body is traced out by second and third magnitude stars. This sky area also offers several bright open clusters and globular clusters since it lies close to the plane of the Milky Way.
There appear to be few Greek myths associated with Lupus, perhaps because it is a much older Babylonian constellation which the Greeks adopted without change.
Date First Appeared
Ancient
Ancient
Sky Area
0.8% of the sky
333.7 square degrees
0.8% of the sky
333.7 square degrees
Messier Objects
Lupus contains no Messier objects
Lupus contains no Messier objects
Caldwell Objects
Lupus contains no Caldwell objects
Lupus contains no Caldwell objects
| Stars | Open Clusters | Globular Clusters | Galaxies |
| Stars | Open Clusters | Globular Clusters | Galaxies |
| α-Lup (mag 2.3) | NGC 5822 (mag 6.5) | NGC 5986 (mag 7.6) | NGC 5530 (mag 11.0) |
| β-Lup (mag 2.6) | NGC 5749 (mag 8.8) | NGC 5927 (mag 8.0) | NGC 5688 (mag 12.6) |
| γ-Lup (mag 3.0) | NGC 5764 (mag 12.6) | NGC 5824 (mag 9.6) | IC 4402 (mag 12.8) |
| δ-Lup (mag 3.2) | NGC 5593 | NGC 5670 (mag 13.0) | |
| ε-Lup (mag 3.4) | NGC 5843 (mag 13.1) | ||
| η-Lup (mag 3.4) | IC 4523 (mag 13.2) | ||
| ζ-Lup (mag 3.4) | NGC 5643 (mag 13.6) | ||
| ι-Lup (mag 3.5) | IC 4472 (mag 13.9) | ||
| φ¹-Lup (mag 3.6) | NGC 5968 (mag 14.3) | ||
| κ¹-Lup (mag 3.8) | IC 4529 (mag 14.8) | ||
| χ-Lup (mag 3.9) | IC 4527 (mag 15.0) | ||
| ρ-Lup (mag 4.0) | IC 4518 (mag 16.5) | ||
| λ-Lup (mag 4.0) | IC 4444 | ||
| θ-Lup (mag 4.2) | |||
| O-Lup (mag 4.3) | |||
| ω-Lup (mag 4.3) | |||
| f-Lup (mag 4.4) | |||
| τ²-Lup (mag 4.4) | |||
| σ-Lup (mag 4.4) | |||
| HD (mag 4.5) | |||
| φ²-Lup (mag 4.5) | |||
| τ¹-Lup (mag 4.5) | |||
| π-Lup (mag 4.6) | |||
| k-Lup (mag 4.6) | |||
| π-Lup (mag 4.6) |