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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
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Musca (The Fly) Constellation

Altitude: -33.0°   Azimuth: 193.2°   Direction: South-South-West

Musca (pronounced ˈmʌskə) is the Latin name of a constellation situated south of the celestial equator. As such, it is more easily visible from the southern hemisphere.

In English language this constellation is also known as "The Fly" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Mus" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Musc" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).

The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Muscae" (pronounced ˈmʌsiː) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Muscae (the brightest star of Musca based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Muscae (the 23th star in the constellation of Musca based on the Flamsteed catalog).

Musca is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.
Available Resources for Musca

Sky Chart of Musca Constellation

Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Musca constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Musca in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Chart of  constellation
This constellation image is derivatve work based on original work by IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) CC-BY-3.0.

Visibility of Musca Constellation

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Musca is currently not visible from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt

The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations these times can have little relevance.

Bright Stars in Musca Constellation

The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Musca constellation. See also the complete list of 58 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Musca. Click on each star to see more details about it.

HR Number(*) Star designation Proper name Visual magnitude Color Notes
HR4798 α Muscae 2.69 Variable; Double;
HR4844 β Muscae 3.05 Double;
HR4923 δ Muscae 3.62
HR4520 λ Muscae 3.64 Double;
HR4773 γ Muscae 3.87
HR4671 ε Muscae 4.11 Variable;
HR4530 μ Muscae 4.72 Variable;
HR4993 η Muscae 4.8 Variable; Double;
HR5002 4.87 Variable;
HR4549 4.9 Double;
HR4538 4.97
HR5042 ι1 Muscae 5.05
HR4401 5.11 Double;
HR4703 ζ2 Muscae 5.15 Double;
HR4492 5.17 Variable; Multiple;
HR4617 5.18
HR4604 5.35
HR4952 θ Muscae 5.51 Variable; Double;
HR4862 5.55
HR4406 5.59
...go to the complete list of 58 bright stars in the constellation of Musca

(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.

Deep Sky Objects in Musca Constellation

The table below lists all the deep sky objects in the Musca constellation. See also the complete list of 9 deep sky objects in the constellation of Musca. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).

Name Type Magnitude
NGC 4463 Open Cluster 7.2 (V)
NGC 4833 Globular Cluster 7.79 (V)
NGC 4815 Open Cluster 8.6 (V)
NGC 4372 Globular Cluster 9.85 (V)
NGC 5189 Planetary Nebula 10.3 (B)
IC 4191 Planetary Nebula 10.6 (V)
NGC 4071 Planetary Nebula 13 (V)
IC 2980 Galaxy 14.6 (B)
IC 2966 Reflection Nebula N/A