Columba - The Dove

Learn about the constellation Columba - The Dove, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.

Columba is a small constellation just south of Canis Major and Lepus; it was cut out of the constellation Canis Major by Augustin Royer, in 1679.

Location: Southern Constellation 6h RA -35° Dec

The constellation is rather inconspicuous, the brightest star &alpha Columbae having a magnitude of 2.65.

Mythology

This constellation is representative of the dove sent from Noah's ark after the great flood. It returned holding an olive branch in its beak which signified dry land and the receding of the water. Columba is also thought to represent the dove sent by the Argonauts to ensure their safe passage between the Clashing Rocks.

Deep Space Objects

NGC 1851 a globular cluster in Columba appears at 7th magnitude in a far part of our galaxy as is 39,000 light-years away - it is resolvable south of at greatest latitude +40° N in medium-sized amateur telescopes under good conditions. NGC 1792 is a spiral galaxy of magnitude 10.2. NGC 1808 is a Seyfert galaxy of magnitude 10.8.

In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.