The Flying Fish
| Abbreviation: | Vol |
| Genitive: | Volantis |
| 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. An early name for this constellation was Piscis Volans but this was eventually shortened to just Volans. None of its stars are brighter than fourth-magnitude and none have a proper name.
Notable Features
| Visible Named Stars | ||
|---|---|---|
| None of the naked-eye stars in this constellation have official names. The brightest stars, β Vol and γ Vol, are only fourth-magnitude. | ||
| Other Interesting Stars | ||
| GJ 3483 | Maru | This fourteenth-magnitude star has at least one exoplanet. It is a high-proper motion star and is currently found near the fourth-magnitude star β Vol. |
Copyright © 1995–2025 by L.M. Stockman and David Harper