The Crow
| Abbreviation: | Crv |
| Genitive: | Corvi |
| Origin: | [antiquity] |
| Fully Visible: | 90°S – 65°N |
Known as a raven since Babyloniona times, this constellation is related to the sea serpent and the cup in a Greek myth about Apollo. Apollo sent a crow to fetch him a cup of water but the crow was lazy and took his time. The crow finally returned with the water but also with a water snake, claiming the snake had delayed him. Apollo saw through the lie and threw all three objects into the sky.
Notable Features
| Visible Named Stars | ||
|---|---|---|
| α Crv | Alchiba | This star appears as Minkar al Ghyrab (from the Arabic al‑minkhar al‑ghurāb meaning 'the beak of the raven') in Mohammad Al Achsasi Al Mouakket's calendarium. In Chinese astronomy, this star is known as Youxia, from Yòu Xiá meaning 'the right linchpin'. |
| β Crv | Kraz | The derivation of this name is unknown but it may be from the Arabic al‑ʿajz meaning 'the rump [of the lion]'. |
| γ Crv | Gienah | This is the brightest star in the constellation. |
| δ Crv | Algorab | This appears as a double star through a telescope. The components have vastly different brightnesses. |
| Deep Sky Objects | ||
| C60, C61 | The Antennae | C60 (NGC 4038) and its partner C61 (NGC 4039) are undergoing a galactic collision. They are called The Antennae because of their appearance in ground-based telescopes; there are two long tails of gas, dust and stars being ejected from the galaxies as a result of their collision. It is likely that our own Milky Way will suffer a similar fate when it collides with the Andromeda Galaxy. |
Copyright © 1995–2023 by L.M. Stockman and David Harper