✧ Centaurus

  Centaurus is an asterism in Centaurus.

                     •⡄    ⣠•
                      ⠙⣆ ⣠⠞⠁
                       ⠈·⠁
              ·⠤⠤•⠤⣄⣀⡀  ⡇
                     ⠉⠙⠒•⠤⢤⣀⣀
                        ⠈⣇  ⠈⠉⠉⠓⠒•⡀
                         ⠸⡄       ⠙·⡀
                          •         ⠙•⡀
                         ⣸⠁          ⡇⠙⢦⡀
                        ⢠⠇           ⡇  ⠙·
                      ⣀⡤●            ⡇
                    ●⠋⠁              ⡇
                                     ·

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Centaurus
  Stars           14

  More information about Centaurus

  Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to our own, at 4.3 light
  years, and almost any telescope will show that it is not one star but
  two orbiting each other. A third and much fainter member of the same
  system, Proxima Centauri, is nearer still and cannot be seen without a
  telescope. Centaurus also contains Omega Centauri, the largest globular
  cluster in the sky, which is a ball of several million old stars held
  together by their own gravity, and from a dark site it is an obvious
  fuzzy patch to the naked eye. The Southern Cross used to be part of this
  constellation, drawn between the centaur's front legs, before it was
  separated off as a figure of its own.

  Not settled: The Greek word itself has no agreed derivation.

  Etymology
  From        Latin, from Greek
  Reading     Kentauros  ·  Κένταυρος
  Literally   the centaur

  The evolution of Centaurus over time

  -50,000 years
  
  
                                                Menkent
                                             ⠐•⡀
                                               ⠙⢤
                                                 ⠙⢄⡀  ⢰•
                                                   ⠑⢆ ⡎
                                             ⢀⣀⣀⡀    ⢱·
                                            ·⠉ •⠉⠲⢤⣀ ⡏
                                                   ⠈⠻•⠤⠤⣀⣀
                                                     ⠙⡄   ⠉⠉•⠦⣄⡀
                                                      ⢱        ·⠒•
                                                     ⢀⠇•         ⡇⠑⢄
                                                    ⢀⠎           ⡇ ⠈⠣⡀
                                               ⢀⣀⠤⠔⠚● Hadar     ⢰⠃   ·
                                          ⣀⣠⠤⠒⠊⠉                ⢸
                                    ⢀⣀⠤⠔⠚⠉                      ⠘·
                               ⣀⣀⠤⠒⠊⠉
                               ● Rigil Kentaurus
  
  
  
  now
  
  
  
  
  
                                    Menkent •    ⢀⡰•
                                            ⠈⠳⡀⢀⠔⠋
                                        ⣀⡀    ⢸·
                                     ·⠉⠉•⠉⠒⠤⣀ ⢸
                                             ⠉•⡒⠢⠤⠤⠤⣀⣀⣀
                                               ⢳⡀      •⠢⢄⣀
                                                •        ·⢸•⣄
                                               ⡸⠁         ⢸ ⠈⠲⡀
                                              ⢠⠃          ⢸   ⠈·
                           Rigil Kentaurus ●⠒⠉● Hadar     ⢸⡀
                                                           ⡇
                                                           ·
  
  
  
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
                                                                              ⢀⡤● Rigil Kentaurus
                                                                            ⡠⠖⠁
                                                                         ⡠⠖⠉
                                                                      ⣀⠔⠋
                                                                   ⣀⠔⠋⠁
                                                                ⢀⡤⠊⠁
                                                             ⢀⡤⠊⠁
                                                           ⡠⠖⠁
                                                        ⡠⠖⠉
                                 ⢀⣠⠴•                ⣀⠔⠋
                              ⣀⠴⠚⠉                ⣀⠔⠋⠁
                             ·⠒⠒• Menkent      ⣀⡤⠊⠁
                    ⠤⠖⠒•⠒⠦⢄⣀⡀⢱              ⢀⡤⠊⠁
                    ·       ⠉•⡖⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⢒•⢀⡠⠖⠁
                              ⠘⢆       ⡠·⠉•⢄
                               ⢸•   ⣀⠔⠋   ⢹ ⠑⠦⡀
                               ⡎ ⣀⠔⠋      ⠸⡀  ⠉·
                              ⢰⡥⠊⠁         ⡇
                              ● Hadar      ⢣
                                           ·

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 0%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 81.5 degrees. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not
  the sky turning or the pole moving.

  curl 'skymap.sh/Centaurus/evolution.gif'

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Centaurus