✧ Phoenix

  Phoenix is an asterism in Phoenix.

                                 ⢀⣠•⡀
               ·⣄             ⢀⡤⠖⠋  ⠙⣆
               ⡇⠈⠳⢤⡀       ⣀⡴⠚⠉      ⠈⠳⡄
               ⡇   ⠙⢦⣀ ⢀⣠⠴⠋⠁           ⠙·
               ⡇     ⠈·⠋
               ⡇      ⡇
               ·⡀     ⡇
                ⢳⡀    ⡇
                 ⠳⡄   ⡇
                  ⠹⡄  ⡇
                   ⠙⣆ ⡇
                    ⠘⣆⡇
                     ⠈·

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Phoenix
  Stars           6

  More information about Phoenix

  Phoenix is a modest figure below Achernar, with one reasonably bright
  star, Ankaa, and not much else. The bird that burns itself and rises
  from its own ashes is a very old story, but this constellation is not
  old at all: there was nothing drawn in this part of the sky until Pieter
  Keyser and Frederick de Houtman measured these stars on the Dutch voyage
  to the East Indies in the 1590s, and the German astronomer Johann Bayer
  printed them in his atlas in 1603. Everything this far south was blank
  on European charts before that, because no European chart-maker had been
  there.

  Etymology
  From        Latin, from Greek
  Reading     phoinix  ·  φοῖνιξ
  Literally   the phoenix, and also purple red

  The evolution of Phoenix over time

  -50,000 years
  
                                                               ⣀• Ankaa
                                                             ⡠⠖⠁⠘⡄
                                                           ⡠⠊⠁   ⡇
                                                        ⢀⡤⠋      ⢇
                                  ⡀                   ⢀⠔⠃        ⢸
                                  ·⢦                ⢀⠔⠉          ⢸⡀
                                  ⠘⡆⠱⡀            ⣠⠜⠁             ⡇
                                   ⢱ ⠙⢄         ⡠⠚                ⠇
                                    ⡇ ⠈⠣⡀    ⢀⡰⠊                  ·
                                    ⢸⡀  ⠘⢆ ⢀⠴⠉
                                     ⢇    ·⠁
                                     ⠘⡄   ⢸
                                      ⢳   ⠸⡀
                                      ⠈⡆   ⡇
                                       ⢱⡀  ⡇
                                        ·⡀ ⢣
                                         ⠱⡀⢸
                                          ⠱⣸
                                           ⠹⡇
                                            ·
  
  now
  
  
  
  
                                                         ⢀⡠• Ankaa
                                    ·⣀               ⢀⣠⠴⠊⠁ ⠘⢄
                                    ⢸⠈⠑⠤⡀         ⣀⠤⠒⠉      ⠈⠣⡀
                                    ⢸   ⠈⠓⢄⡀  ⢀⡠⠔⠊            ⠹⡄
                                    ⢸      ⠉·⠒⠁                ⠈·
                                    ⢸       ⢸
                                    ⢸       ⢸
                                    ⠈·      ⢸
                                      ⠱⡄    ⢸
                                       ⠘⢄   ⢸
                                        ⠈⠣⡀ ⢸
                                          ⠑⣄⢸
                                           ⠈⠺
                                            ·
  
  
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
  
  
  
  
  
                                       ⣀⡠·⠤⠤⠤⢤⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀        Ankaa
                                    ·⡒⠉⠁         ·⠈⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠒•⠦⣄
                                     ⠙⢆          ⡇          ⠉⠒⠤⢄
                                       ⠳⡀       ⢠⠃              ·
                                        ⠘⢆      ⢸
                                          ⠳⡀    ⡼
                                           ⠈⠢⡀  ⡇
                                             ⠙⢄ ⡇
                                              ⠈⠻
                                                ·
  
  
  
  
  

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 4%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 7.3 degrees. HR 322, HR 338, HR 429 and HR 440 drift the opposite
  way to the other 2, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not
  the sky turning or the pole moving.

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

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Phoenix