Puppis

Puppis is a southern constellation in the Milky Way representing the stern of the ship Argo. It contains many open clusters and rich star fields. Naos (Zeta Puppis) is one of the hottest and most luminous stars visible to the naked eye, a blue supergiant.

Location in the Sky

When to Observe

Puppis is best observed during February. It is located in the SQ2 quadrant and is primarily visible from the southern hemisphere. The constellation contains 9 main stars forming its asterism, with 35 Bayer/Flamsteed designated stars in total. Its brightest star is Naos.

Mythology & History

Puppis was originally part of Argo Navis, the ship of the Argonauts. Lacaille divided Argo Navis into three parts in the 1750s: Puppis (the stern), Carina (the keel), and Vela (the sails). The ship carried Jason and his crew on the quest for the Golden Fleece.