Crater is Latin for goblet, and represents the cup given to the ill fated crow by Apollo, with which he was supposed to fetch some water. Getting distracted on the way by a tree laden with figs, the crow made Apollo wait much too long, and then compounded his disobedience by lying, and blaming his late arrival on a snake that barred his way. In his wrath over the disobedience and the lies, Apollo put the crow and the goblet in the sky beside Hydra, the fearsome water snake, who would bar the crow's way for eternity.

Like Corvus, Crater is a small constellation, but is full of galaxies to challenge backyard astronomers.
The brightest is the elliptical galaxy NGC 3962. Like all ellipticals, it is high in brightness, and low in detail.
It has an apparent magnitude of 11, and is 71 million light years away from Earth.




The next brightest is the slightly barred spiral galaxy, NGC 3887. Seen face-on, much detail is visible.
It has a magnitude of 11.3, and is 43 million light years away.




NGC 3511 is a slightly dimmer spiral galaxy, magnitude 11.5, 46 million light years away.




NGC 3513 is a barred spiral, right beside NGC 3511, and usually visible in the same field of view.
It is magnitude 12, 47 million light years away.




NGC 3672 is another spiral galaxy, magnitude 11.8, 76 million light years away.




NGC 3981 has two widely spaced spiral arms, magnitude 12, 652 light years away.

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