Corvus constellation
Latin Corvus, genitive Corvi, abbreviation Crv
North up, east to the left, as you see the sky. The lines are a common figure; the stars are from the catalogue.
The myth
Apollo sent the raven to fetch water in a cup. The raven dawdled, brought a water snake as an excuse and was punished: it sits on the Water Snake in the sky, the cup just out of reach, and must thirst forever. Four stars in a lopsided quadrilateral, low in the south in spring.
When can Corvus be seen?
It stands highest around 10 pm in April. It can be seen from everywhere south of 59°N, and it never sets south of 73°S.
The brightest stars
| Star | Designation | Magnitude | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gienah | γ Crv | 2.59 | bluish |
| Kraz | β Crv | 2.65 | yellow |
| Algorab | δ Crv | 2.95 | bluish |
| Minkar | ε Crv | 3.00 | orange |
| Alchiba | α Crv | 4.02 | yellowish white |
| – | η Crv | 4.31 | yellowish white |
The smaller the number, the brighter: below 1 are the brightest stars of the sky, 4 is hard to see under a city sky. Greek letters after Johann Bayer (1603).