Puppis - Stern (of the Argo)Learn about the constellation Puppis - Stern (of the Argo), location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.
Puppis is a southern constellation. It is the largest of the three parts into which Argo Navis was split.
Location: Southern Constellation 7.5h RA -30° Dec
As the milky way runs through Puppis, there are a large number of open clusters in the constellation. Messier 46 (M46) and Messier 47 (M47) are two open clusters in the same binocular field. M47 can be seen with the naked eye under dark skies, and its brightest stars are 6th magnitude. Messier 93 (M93) is another open cluster somewhat to the south. NGC 2451 is a very bright open cluster containing the star c Puppis.
Puppis Mythology
Puppis is part of a much larger former constellation, Argo Navis. Argo Navis was the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts on their quest to steal the golden fleece. The Arabs saw this group of stars as two tents with the surrounding stars representing camels.
Puppis Deep Space Objects
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.
| # | Image | Common Name | Constellation | Month | Coords | Direction | Mag | Size (arcmin) | Type | Star Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M46 NGC 2437 | Puppis | Jan | 07h 41.8m RA -14° 49m Dec | S | 6.10 | 27 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M47 NGC 2422 | Puppis | Jan | 07h 36.6m RA -14° 30m Dec | S | 4.20 | 30 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
| M93 C71 NGC 2447 | Butterfly Cluster | Puppis | Jan | 07h 44.6m RA -23° 52m Dec | S | 5.80 | 22 | Open Cluster | 🔍︎ |
More Constellations
| Northern Circumpolar | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camelopardalis | Cassiopeia | Cepheus | Draco | Lacerta | Ursa Major |
| Ursa Minor |
| Northern Spring | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antlia | Boötes | Cancer | Coma Berenices | Crater | Hydra |
| Leo | Leo Minor | Virgo |
| Northern Summer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquila | Corona Borealis | Cygnus | Delphinus | Equuleus | Hercules |
| Libra | Lyra | Ophiuchus | Sagitta | Scutum | Serpens |
| Vulpecula |
| Northern Autumn | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andromeda | Aquarius | Aries | Capricornus | Pegasus | Pisces |
| Triangulum |
| Northern Winter | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auriga | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Cetus | Eridanus |
| Gemini | Lepus | Lynx | Monoceros | Orion | Perseus |
| Taurus |
