Genitive: Pictoris
Abbreviation: Pic
Size ranking: 59th
One of the constellations representing technical and artistic apparatus
introduced into the southern sky by the Frenchman Nicolas Louis de Lacaille
after his observing expedition to the Cape of Good Hope in 1751–52. It lies under the keel of the now-dismembered Greek constellation Argo
Navis, the ship of the Argonauts, next to the bright star Canopus.
Lacaille’s original title for the constellation, as given on his planisphere of 1756, was le Chevalet et la Palette, the easel and palette, although in the accompanying star catalogue it was
given simply as le Chevalet. In 1763 Lacaille Latinized the name to Equuleus Pictorius (sic), while Johann Bode in his Uranographia of 1801 termed it Pluteum Pictoris, as illustrated below.
In 1844 the English astronomer John Herschel proposed shortening the name to Pictor. This suggestion was adopted by Francis Baily in his British Association Catalogue of 1845 and it has been known as Pictor ever since.
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Pictor, shown with the name Pluteum Pictoris on Chart XX of the Uranographia star atlas of Johann Bode (1801). Bode closely followed Lacaille’s original depiction of this constellation, unlike in many other cases. The bright star at centre right is Canopus on the steering oar of the ship Argo.
© Ian Ridpath. All rights reserved
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