Capricornus: The Sea Goat
Pronunciation: CAP-rih-CORN-us
| Capricornus Constellation Profile | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation: Cap | Genitive: Capricorni |
| Origin: Ancient | Location: Southern Hemisphere |
| Best View (North): Autumn | Best View (South): |
| Bordering Constellations: Aquarius, Aquila, Sagittarius, Microscopium, Piscis Austrinus | |
The Myth Behind the Constellation Capricornus
Capricornus, “the sea-goat”, is most commonly associated with Pan, the half-man, half-goat Greek god that invented the pan flute. When the monster Typhon attacked Olympus and incapacitated Zeus, Pan convinced the other gods to go to Egypt and take the form of animals to hide. When Pan leapt into the Nile, his bottom half turned into a fishtail, while his top half remained that of a goat. After Typhon had left to look elsewhere, Pan and Hermes went and restored Zeus, who then went on to defeat Typhon. After his victory Zeus put the constellation Capricorn into the night sky, to honor Pan and serve as a reminder of this great event.Capricornus Constellation Points of Interest
| Interesting Objects in the Constellation Capricornus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Messier | NGC | Type | Visibility |
| M30 | NGC 7099 | Globular Cluster | Binoculars | |
Bright Stars in Capricornus
These are the stars in Capricornus with a minimum magnitude of 3.0.| Name | Bayer Name | Magnitude | Color | Luminosity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deneb Algedi | Alpha Capricorni | 2.85 | White | 8.5 suns | 39 ly |