Pavo

Pavo is a southern constellation representing a peacock. Its brightest star, aptly named Peacock, is a blue-white star of magnitude 1.9. It contains NGC 6752, one of the brightest globular clusters, and NGC 6744, one of the most Milky Way-like galaxies known.

Location in the Sky

When to Observe

Pavo is best observed during August. It is located in the SQ4 quadrant and is primarily visible from the southern hemisphere. The constellation contains 7 main stars forming its asterism, with 27 Bayer/Flamsteed designated stars in total. Its brightest star is Peacock.

Mythology & History

Pavo was introduced by Dutch navigators Keyser and de Houtman in the late 16th century. It represents a peacock, possibly inspired by the mythological bird associated with Hera. In Greek mythology, Hera placed the hundred eyes of the slain giant Argus Panoptes on the tail of her sacred peacock.