Carina, the Keel

Named after the keel of a ship in Latin, Carina was previously part of the much larger constellation Argo Navis, the mythical ship that sailed to retrieve the golden fleece. While it was first cataloged in the 2nd century like many other constellations, it was only in the 18th century when Argo was divided into the three constellations Carina the Keel, Puppis the Stern, and Vela the Sails.

Carina contains the second brightest star in the sky, Canopus, and many other notable bright stars. In total, Carina consists of five formally named stars: Aspidiske (Iota Carinae), Avior (Epsilon Carinae A), Canopus (Alpha Carinae A ), Miaplacidus (Beta Carinae), and Tapecue (HD 63765.)

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NAME: The Keel

AREA (in square degrees): 494.184

QUADRANT: SQ2

VISIBLE BETWEEN LATITUDES: 20°N – 90°S