Apus - The Bird of Paradise

This constellation lies less than 20 degrees from the South Celestial Pole, and it is therefore invisible from most northern latitudes. Apus is not a prominent constellation, and it contains only a handful of stars. Apus can be recognized by a small elongated triangle formed by the stars Beta, Gamma, and Delta.

History and Mythology

Apus, the Bird of Paradise, was named by the astronomer Johann Bayer in 1603 in the first whole-sky atlas. It refers to tropical birds of the East Indies.

Notable Objects

Apus contains only faint stars, none brighter than 4th magnitude. The wide optical double Delta Apodis consists of two 5th magnitude, orange stars separated by 103 arcseconds. It can be seen in binoculars.

Apus has a few star clusters that are visible in a modest telescope. The faint, but rich, globular cluster NGC 6101 is visible in a larger amateur instrument. It measures about 3 arc minutes in diameter.