Constellations of the Month: November – Phoenix:
We continue November with the next constellation of the month, Phoenix, “The Mythical Bird.”

Phoenix constellation map courtesy of Openverse

Phoenix, “The Mythical Bird” – The Phoenix constellation is located in the southern hemisphere, symbolizing the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes. Phoenix was initially introduced by the Dutch astronomer and cartographer Petrus Plancius, based on the observations made by Dutch navigators Frederick Houtman and Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser in the late 16^th century. Although it is a relatively small constellation, it holds the distinction of being the largest among the twelve constellations that were created and named by Plancius. It was first illustrated on his globe in 1598 and subsequently featured in Johann Bayer’s atlas, Uranometria, in 1603. The Phoenix constellation is easily visible to anyone in Australia and South Africa during the summer months of the southern hemisphere; however, it is generally not observable by individuals residing north of the 40^th parallel and appears quite low in the sky for those observing from north of the equator.

NASA’s Hubble Spots a Relic from a Shredded Galaxy courtesy of Openverse

Key points regarding Phoenix:

• Meaning: The term “Phoenix” translates to “The Mythical Bird” in Greek, Persian, Arabic, Egyptian, Roman, Turkish, Indian and Chinese among others. Phoenix, Pavo (the Peacock), Tucana (the Toucan), and Grus (the Crane) are referred to collectively as the Southern Birds. These four constellations are situated in the far southern sky and are not visible from mid-northern latitudes. Phoenix features several significant deep sky objects, including the Phoenix Cluster of galaxies, the black hole candidate HLX-1, and Robert’s Quartet, which is a compact group of galaxies. The constellation Phoenix comprises five stars that are known to have planets, yet it lacks any Messier objects. The most luminous star in this constellation is Ankaa, also referred to as Alpha Phoenicis, which has an apparent magnitude of 2.40. Additionally, there is one meteor shower linked to this constellation, known as the Phoenicids, which takes place annually around December 5. Phoenix is home to three stars that have been officially named. The names recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) include Ankaa, Nenque, and Wurren.
• Notable stars: Ankaa is the brightest star in the Phoenix constellation, named after the Arabic word for “phoenix. ” It is a binary star about 85 light years away, classified as an orange giant. Beta Phoenicis, the second brightest in Phoenix, is around 198 light years distant and is a binary star of yellow giants. Gamma Phoenicis is a red giant, about 234 light years away and variable in brightness. Kappa Phoenicis is an A5 main sequence star located 77 light years from the Sun. Zeta Phoenicis is an eclipsing binary system, roughly 300 light years away, with variable brightness. Nu Phoenicis is a dwarf star similar to the Sun, located 49.3 light years away. SX Phoenicis serves as a prototype for variable stars with short pulsation periods. HE0107-5240 is a very old, metal-poor star about 36,000 light years away, while Gliese 915 is a white dwarf, approximately 26.7 light years from our solar system.
• Other features: Robert’s Quartet is a small group of galaxies located about 160 million light years from the Sun. It consists of four galaxies: NGC 87, NGC 88, NGC 89, and NGC 92, which are colliding and merging in an area of 75,000 light years. Discovered by John Herschel in the 1830s, this group was named by Halton Arp and Barry F. Madore in 1987. NGC 92 is the largest, appearing as a spiral galaxy with a magnitude of 13.8 and many active star-forming regions. NGC 87 is a barred irregular galaxy with a magnitude of 14.1, while NGC 88 and NGC 89 are both spiral galaxies, with magnitudes of 14.1 and 14.2 respectively. NGC 625 is a barred spiral galaxy located 12.7 million light years away, with a magnitude of 11.7, and part of the Sculptor Group. HLX-1 is a potential intermediate-mass black hole in the galaxy ESO 243-49, discovered in 2004. The Phoenix Cluster is a massive galaxy cluster with high star formation rates and significant X-ray emissions. It contains a rapidly growing supermassive black hole at its center.
• Mythology: The legendary bird known as the phoenix is referred to as the sacred fire bird in numerous mythologies, including Greek, Persian, Arabic, Egyptian, Roman, Turkish, Indian, and Chinese, among others. It was described as resembling an eagle adorned with purple, red, and gold feathers, complemented by a scarlet and gold tail. In his work Metamorphoses, Ovid stated that the phoenix had a lifespan of 500 years. Upon reaching the end of its life, the phoenix would construct a nest atop a palm tree, utilizing incense and cinnamon bark, and subsequently ignite the nest, meeting its demise in the flames. From the remains of its predecessor, a new bird would emerge, and according to the legend, once the young phoenix gained sufficient strength, it would transport the nest to the temple of Hyperion, one of the twelve Titan deities and the embodiment of light. In an alternative rendition of the story, the young phoenix would preserve the ashes of its predecessor within an egg crafted from myrrh and carry this egg to the Egyptian city of Heliopolis, which translates to “sun city” in Greek.
• Visibility: Phoenix is the 37^th largest constellation, covering 469 square degrees. It is situated in the first quadrant of the southern hemisphere (SQ1) and is observable at latitudes ranging from +32° to -80°. The constellations that border it include Eridanus, Grus, Fornax, Hydrus, Sculptor, and Tucana. The name of the constellation, Phoenix, is pronounced /ˈfiːnɪks/. In English, it is referred to as the Phoenix. The genitive form of Phoenix, which is utilized in the naming of stars, is Phoenicis (pronunciation: /fɪˈnaɪsɪs/). The three-letter abbreviation, which was established by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1922, is Phe. Phoenix is part of the Johann Bayer family of constellations, which also includes Apus, Chamaeleon, Dorado, Grus, Hydrus, Indus, Musca, Pavo, Tucana, and Volans.

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Constellations:

phoenix courtesy of Openverse

Constellations of the Month:
November – Phoenix

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