Monoceros constellation
Latin Monoceros, genitive Monocerotis, abbreviation Mon
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
A younger constellation, introduced around 1612 by the Dutch theologian and cartographer Petrus Plancius: a unicorn between Orion and the two dogs. Faint, but in the middle of the winter Milky Way.
When can Monoceros be seen?
It stands highest around 10 pm in February. It can be seen from everywhere south of 80°N.
The brightest stars
| Star | Designation | Magnitude | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| – | α Mon | 3.93 | orange |
| – | γ Mon | 3.98 | orange |
| – | δ Mon | 4.15 | bluish |
| – | ζ Mon | 4.34 | yellow |
| – | ε Mon | 4.44 | white |
| – | 18 Mon | 4.47 | orange |
| – | 13 Mon | 4.50 | white |
| – | β Mon | 4.60 | bluish |
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).