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The mythical single-horned beast, the unicorn, is represented by this constellation. Monoceros was first depicted in 1612 on a globe by the Dutch theologian and cartographer Petrus Plancius, who apparently introduced the constellation because a unicorn appears several times in the Old Testament of the Bible.
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Monoceros prances between Canis Major (below it) and Canis Minor (above) on the Atlas Coelestis of John Flamsteed.


Monoceros fills a large area between Hydra and Orion, separating Orion’s two dogs. It is not prominent (its brightest stars are of fourth magnitude) but it lies in the Milky Way and contains a host of fascinating objects, most notably the Rosette Nebula, a wreath-shaped mass of glowing gas with embedded stars.

There are no legends associated with the constellation, as it is a modern figure, and none of its stars have names.



© Ian Ridpath. All rights reserved


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