Apus Constellation

The Bird of Paradise

Pronunciation: APE-us/APP-us

Apus, The Bird of Paradise Apus as depicted by Johannes Hevelius in his Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia (1687).
Apus Constellation Profile
Abbreviation: Aps Genitive: Apodis
Origin: Keyser/de Houtman Location: Southern Hemisphere
Best View (North): Best View (South):
Bordering Constellations: Triangulum Australe, Circinus, Musca, Chamaeleon, Octans, Pavo, Ara

The Myth Behind the Constellation Apus

The constellation Apus, “the Bird of Paradise”, was created by explorers in the 16th century.  It does not represent the bird of paradise flower, but the colorful bird found in New Guinea.  Apus comes from the Greek word apous, meaning “footless.”  Some sources say this may be from the Indian practice of cutting off the unsightly legs of the bird before offering it as a gift.

Apus Constellation Points of Interest

Interesting stars and objects.

Bright Stars in Apus

There are no stars in Apus with a magnitude of 3.0 or brighter.