Lupus is a prominent southern constellation east of Centaurus and south of Libra. For northern observers, Lupus can be seen during the spring, low along the southern horizon.
History and Mythology
The Greeks saw Lupus as a wild animal which Centaurus is carrying on his spear to the altar (the constellation Ara), as a sacrifice to the gods. One legend claims Lupus was the wolf into which Lycaon was transformed by Zeus for the crime of serving human flesh at a banquet for the gods. This constellation was sometimes called the leopard or panther by the Arabs.
Notable Objects
Lupus is sometimes overlooked because of its bright neighbors, Centaurus and Scorpius. A portion of the Milky Way runs southwest through Lupus. There are several multiple stars as well as galactic open clusters in Lupus.
Alpha Lupi is a magnitude 2.3 blue giant star. Epsilon Lupi is a multiple star with a blue-white primary of magnitude 3.4 and a wide 9th magnitude companion that is visible in small telescopes. Kappa Lupi is an easily visible double star for small telescopes; it consists of blue-white stars of magnitudes 3.7 and 5.7.
NGC 5822 is a large, loose, open cluster of 120 stars which is visible in binoculars or small telescopes. It is 7th magnitude, and lies near Lupus's southern boundary. NGC 5986 is a small globular cluster of 9th magnitude. NGC 5643 is an 11th magnitude spiral galaxy on the western side of Lupus.
NGC 5986 is a 7th-magnitude globular cluster in Lupus, about 34,000 light years from the Sun.