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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
wb_twilight Astronomical TwilightWhat's Visible Now?
All Constellations » 

Pyxis (The Mariner's Compass) Constellation

Altitude: -38.9°   Azimuth: 271.2°   Direction: West

Pyxis (pronounced ˈpɪksɪs) 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 Mariner's compass" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Pyx" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Pyxi" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).

The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Pyxidis" (pronounced ˈpɪksɪdɪs) 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 Pyxidis (the brightest star of Pyxis based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Pyxidis (the 23th star in the constellation of Pyxis based on the Flamsteed catalog).

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

Sky Chart of Pyxis Constellation

Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Pyxis constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Pyxis 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 Pyxis Constellation

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

Today's Pyxis rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 118.8°
Max altitude: 9.8°
Azimuth: 241.2°
Pyxis is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom

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 Pyxis Constellation

The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Pyxis constellation. See also the complete list of 48 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Pyxis. Click on each star to see more details about it.

HR Number(*) Star designation Proper name Visual magnitude Color Notes
HR3468 α Pyxidis 3.68 Variable;
HR3438 β Pyxidis 3.97 Double;
HR3518 γ Pyxidis 4.01
HR3628 κ Pyxidis 4.58 Variable; Double;
HR3733 λ Pyxidis 4.69
HR3718 θ Pyxidis 4.72
HR3556 δ Pyxidis 4.89 Double;
HR3433 ζ Pyxidis 4.89 Variable; Double;
HR3430 5.05 Multiple;
HR3512 5.21 Variable;
HR3420 η Pyxidis 5.27 Double;
HR3367 5.42 Double;
HR3644 ε Pyxidis 5.59 Multiple;
HR3362 5.65 Variable; Double;
HR3343 5.75 Variable; Multiple;
HR3479 5.76 Variable;
HR3513 5.87
HR3402 5.96
HR3483 6.1
HR3745 6.1 Variable; Double;
...go to the complete list of 48 bright stars in the constellation of Pyxis

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

Deep Sky Objects in Pyxis Constellation

The table below lists all the deep sky objects in the Pyxis constellation. See also the complete list of 13 deep sky objects in the constellation of Pyxis. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).

Name Type Magnitude
NGC 2627 Open Cluster 8.4 (V)
NGC 2658 Open Cluster 9.2 (V)
NGC 2613 Galaxy 10.42 (V)
NGC 2635 Open Cluster 11.2 (V)
NGC 2818 Planetary Nebula 11.6 (V)
IC 2469 Galaxy 12.07 (B)
NGC 2663 Galaxy 12.33 (V)
NGC 2818A Star Cluster + Nebula 12.5 (B)
NGC 2883 Galaxy 13.1 (B)
NGC 2717 Galaxy 13.21 (B)
NGC 2888 Galaxy 13.28 (B)
NGC 2821 Galaxy 13.87 (B)
NGC 2772 Galaxy 14.19 (B)