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Winter: Orion   Canis Major   Canis Minor   Monoceros   Lepus   Eridanus   Taurus   Auriga   Camelopardalis   Lynx   Gemini   Cancer

Spring: Hydra   Sextans   Crater   Corvus   Leo   Leo Minor   Ursa Major   Ursa Minor   Canes Venatici   Coma Berenices   Virgo   Bootes

Summer: Draco   Corona Borealis   Hercules   Ophiuchus   Serpens   Libra   Scorpius   Sagittarius   Scutum   Aquila   Sagitta   Vulpecula   Lyra   Cygnus

Autumn: Andromeda   Perseus   Pegasus   Cassiopeia   Cephus   Cetus   Lacerta   Delphinus   Equuleus   Capricornus   Aquarius   Pisces   Aries

Southern Skies: Centaurus   Crux   Lupus   Corona Australis   Piscis Australis   Sculptor   Tucana   Fornax   Dorado   Columba   Puppis   Carina   Vela

(alphabetical links)

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PISCIS AUSTRALIS

The Southern Fish

Piscis Australis - Celestial Atlas by Alexander Jamieson - 1822

Piscis Australis is linked to the constellation Aquarius, in that the stream of water pouring from the jar of Aquarius appears to disappear into the fish's mouth. Perhaps the fish is swimming in it. There does not seem to be a common legend explaining the presence of the southern fish or its connection to the water bearer. There are many theories, as there always are, but since the grouping of stars actually do look somewhat like a fish, perhaps that is all there is to it.

Piscis Australis has only one claim to fame, and that is its very bright alpha star, Fomalhaut, from the Arabic Fum al Hut, the mouth of the fish. With a magnitude of 1.17, it is the eighteenth brightest star in the sky, and far outshines all the other stars around it, which is why it is sometimes called The Solitary One. Since it is so bright and easy to find, Fomalhaut makes a good signpost for the relatively faint constellations around it.

The most exciting aspect of Fomalhaut is that it supports a planetary system. At a distance of only 25 light years, it is one of the closest planetary systems to Earth. In 2005, the Hubble Space Telescope imaged a thick ring of dust and debris around Fomalhaut. The fact that the ring is not exactly centered on the star, indicates other sources of gravity - presumably one or more planets - are pulling the ring off center. Below is a NASA artist's rendering of what the Fomalhaut system may look like.

Fomalhaut Planetary System - NASA Artist - June, 2005

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Alphabetical Links to the Constellations

ANDROMEDA   AQUARIUS   AQUILA   ARIES   AURIGA   BOOTES   CAMELOPARDALIS   CANCER   CANES VENATICI   CANIS MAJOR   CANIS MINOR   CAPRICORNUS   CARINA   CASSIOPEIA   CENTAURUS   CEPHEUS   CETUS   COLUMBA   COMA BERENICES   CORONA AUSTRALIS   CORONA BOREALIS   CORVUS   CRATER   CRUX   CYGNUS   DELPHINUS   DORADO   DRACO   EQUULEUS   ERIDANUS   FORNAX   GEMINI   HERCULES   HYDRA   LACERTA   LEO   LEO MINOR   LEPUS   LIBRA   LUPUS   LYNX   LYRA   MONOCEROS   OPHIUCHUS   ORION   PEGASUS   PERSEUS   PISCES   PISCIS AUSTRALIS   PUPPIS   SAGITTA   SAGITTARIUS   SCORPIUS   SCULPTOR   SCUTUM   SERPENS   SEXTANS   TAURUS   TUCANA   URSA MAJOR   URSA MINOR   VELA   VIRGO   VULPECULA