Constellation Columba (Dove)
Date:
Southern Hemisphere
Winter
Dove
Columba
The Dove (lat. Columba) is an inconspicuous constellation of the south. The main star of the constellation is Phact (α Columbae), a 2.65m bright star whose name is derived from "Al-Fakhita" (dove).
How to spot Columba
With an area of 270 square degrees, Columba is located south of Lepus, between Caelum and Canis Major, and north of the constellation Puppis. It is best viewed in winter.
History
In 1579, the French astronomer Augustin Royer took some stars of Canis Major and thus created the constellation Columba. Thirteen years later, Peter Plancius included the constellation in his new Sky Atlas and called it "Columba Noachi". It should remember the dove that returned to Noah's Ark with a green branch. Later, the name was shortened to Columba.