Pronunciation:

(koh-ROH-nuh ahs-TRAY-liss)

Abbreviation:

CrA

  Genitive:

Coronae Australis

Right Ascension:

19 hours

  Declination:

-40 degrees

Area in Square Degrees:

128

Crosses Meridian:

9 PM, August 15

Visible Between Latitudes:

40 and -90 degrees

The constellation Corona Australis, the southern crown, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. Known as the Southern Crown, it is visible from latitudes south of 44 degrees from May through July. It can best be seen in the northern hemisphere in August, although it is completely below the horizon at latitudes north of 50 degrees. It is a small constellation occupying 128 square degrees of the sky. It ranks 80th in size among the 88 constellations in the night sky. It is bordered by Sagittarius to the north, Scorpius to the west, Telescopium to the south, and Ara to the southwest.

Corona Australis is one of the 48 constellations cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its name means “southern crown” in Latin. It is an ancient constellation with roots in many cultures. It has been represented as a turtle, an ostrich nest, and even a tent. To the ancient Greeks, it represented a wreath. It was also seen as a circlet of stars near the feet of the centaur represented by the constellation Sagittarius. It is sometimes associated with the myth of Dionysus. In this myth, the stars represent the crown the god placed in the sky after freeing his mother Semele from Hades. This myth is also sometimes associated with Corona Borealis, the constellation of the Northern Crown.