The Fly
| Abbreviation: | Mus |
| Genitive: | Muscae |
| Origin: | Frederick de Houtmann, Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser, Petrus Plancius |
| Fully Visible: | 90°S – 14°N |
Near the end of the sixteenth century, the observations of Dutch explorers Frederick de Houtman (c.1571–1627) and Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser (c.1540–1596) allowed Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius (1552–1622) to place this constellation on his 1598 celestial globe. It has been variously known as Apis (the bee) and Musca Australis (to distinguish it from the now-obsolete constellation Musca Borealis.)
Notable Features
| Visible Named Stars | ||
|---|---|---|
| The brightest star in the constellation, α Mus, is third-magnitude. It is a sub-giant star lying over 300 light years distant from the Sun. None of the visible stars in this constellation have an official name. | ||
| Deep Sky Objects | ||
| C105 | This compact globular cluster is observable through binoculars or a small telescope. Its New General Catalogue number is 4833. | |
| C108 | This is another globular cluster, visible only with optical aids. It is also known by the designation NGC 4372. | |
Copyright © 1995–2023 by L.M. Stockman and David Harper