Piscis Austrinus

Piscis Austrinus is a southern constellation which lies just south of Aquarius and is highest in the evening sky in the months around August.

Representing a fish, it is the southern counterpart of the faint northern fish, Pisces. It is rather easier to spot than the northern fish since its brightest star, Fomalhaut, has a magnitude of 1.2.

Piscis Austrinus has no other prominent stars or deep sky objects, however. Its next brightest star, ε-PsA, is magnitude 4.2, and the only deep sky objects in this area of the sky are faint galaxies.

According to various accounts, the southern fish may be the parent of the two northern fish. It may also have rescued the Syrian fertility goddess Derceto when she fell into a lake.

Like the northern fish, Piscis Austrinus is almost certainly of Babylonian rather than Greek origin.

In Greek mythology, this constellation is known as the Great Fish and it is portrayed as swallowing the water being poured out by Aquarius, the water-bearer constellation. The two fish of the constellation Pisces are said to be the offspring of the Great Fish.

In Egyptian mythology, this fish saved the life of the Egyptian goddess Isis, so she placed this fish and its descendants into the heavens as constellations of stars.

In India, Piscis Austrinus is called ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಮೀನ (Dakshina Meena).

Piscis Austrinus contains:

• Stars
  • Fomalhaut (mag 1.2)
  • ε-PsA (mag 4.2)
  • δ-PsA (mag 4.2)
  • β-PsA (mag 4.3)
  • ι-PsA (mag 4.3)
  • μ-PsA (mag 4.5)
  • γ-PsA (mag 4.5)
  • τ-PsA (mag 4.9)
  • υ-PsA (mag 5.0)
  • θ-PsA (mag 5.0)
  • HD (mag 5.0)
  • π-PsA (mag 5.1)
  • HD 210271 (mag 5.4)
  • λ-PsA (mag 5.4)
  • HD 217236 (mag 5.5)
  • HD 217484 (mag 5.6)
  • HD 210848 (mag 5.6)
  • HD 217303 (mag 5.7)
  • HD 214484 (mag 5.7)
  • η-PsA (mag 5.7)
  • 8-PsA (mag 5.7)
  • HD 214122 (mag 5.8)
  • HD 214690 (mag 5.9)
  • HD 209522 (mag 5.9)
  • HD 213135 (mag 6.0)
• Open Clusters
  None
• Globular Clusters
  None
• Galaxy
  • • NGC 7172 (mag 9.1)
    • NGC 7176 (mag 11.9)
    • NGC 7173 (mag 12.1)
    • NGC 7221 (mag 12.1)
    • NGC 7174 (mag 12.2)
    • IC 5156 (mag 12.2)
    • IC 5135 (mag 12.3)
    • NGC 7154 (mag 12.3)
    • IC 5131 (mag 12.4)
    • IC 5271 (mag 12.5)
    • NGC 7361 (mag 12.5)
    • NGC 7267 (mag 13.0)
    • IC 5270 (mag 13.0)
    • NGC 7314 (mag 13.1)
    • NGC 7225 (mag 13.2)
    • IC 5157 (mag 13.2)
    • NGC 7135 (mag 13.3)
    • NGC 7229 (mag 13.3)
    • IC 5139 (mag 13.3)
    • NGC 7208 (mag 13.4)
    • NGC 7163 (mag 13.4)
    • NGC 7187 (mag 13.4)
    • IC 5269 (mag 13.5)
    • NGC 7306 (mag 13.5)
    • NGC 7294 (mag 13.5)