Name a Star in the Pavo Constellation

The constellation Pavo is one of the 88 modern constellations and is located in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for “peacock”, and it was designated in the 16th century by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius. Although it is not one of Ptolemy’s original 48 constellations, the stars in that area were known as the tail of the peacock before Plancius’s time. The constellation Pavo, the peacock lies south of Sagittarius. The Peacock has long been a symbol of immortality, said to be constantly shedding its yesteryears along with its feathers as it annually renews itself. Its starry tail was sacred to Hera (Juno, Saturna) queen of all the heavens.  

There is a story about Pavo, the peacock, associated with Greek mythology. The peacock was also known as Argus, a giant with many eyes. He was the builder of Jason’s great ship Argo. When he was slain by Hermes, the Goddess Hera (also called Saturna or Juno) transformed him into a peacock. It is said that Hera placed his many eyes upon the tail of her beloved peacock and made him immortal among the stars.   

“Argus lay dead; so many eyes, so bright quenched, and all hundred shrouded in one night. Saturna retrieved those eyes to set in place among the feathers of her bird [the peacock] and filled his tail with starry jewels” – Ovid 

Pavo is a midsized constellation and is bordered by Telescopium, Apus, Ara, Indus, and Octans. It is recognizable by the stars representing the tail of the peacock. It can be viewed from Taiwan to the Earth’s south pole. 

Pavo is a favorite location to name a star for birdwatchers living in the southern hemisphere. It makes an excellent 65th birthday gift for someone who is special to you. International Star Registry has named millions of stars for people around the world.  The constellation Pavo is a fascinating constellation with a long history. The peacock is a beautiful green bird with a bright “eye” on each tail feather. Like the bird it represents, Pavo is recognizable by the grouping of beautiful stars representing the peacock’s tail feathers.  Click here for more information.

Symbol  : Pav  

Right Ascension : 07:55  

Declination : -63  

Diameter (°) : 16  

Area (square °) : 378  

Opposition : Jul 19  

Size Rank : 44th  

Brightness Rank : 37th  

Genitive : Pavonis  

Major stars in Pavo 

Peacock – α Pavonis (Alpha Pavonis) 

β Pavonis (Beta Pavonis) 

δ Pavonis (Delta Pavonis) 

γ Pavonis (Gamma Pavonis) 

φ2 Pavonis (Phi-2 Pavonis, HD 196378) 

HD 181433 

Deep sky objects in Pavo 

NGC 6752 

NGC 6872 and IC 4970 

NGC 6744 (Caldwell 101) 

IC 4687, IC 4689, IC 4687/6, AM 1809-574 

NGC 6782