A small southern constellation invented by
the Frenchman Nicolas Louis de Lacaille during his survey of
the southern skies in 1751–52. Pyxis represents a
magnetic compass as used by seamen. It is located near the
stern of the ship Argo in the same area as the ship’s
mast. For Lacaille’s original depiction of it under the
French name la Boussole see here. The
brightest stars in Pyxis are of only fourth magnitude and there
are no legends associated with it – indeed, the magnetic
compass was completely unknown to the ancient Greeks.
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Pyxis hovers over the mast of Argo in the Uranographia of Johann Bode.
Curling around it is a Bode invention, the now-obsolete Lochium Funis,
the log and line.
In 1844 the English astronomer John
Herschel (son of the famous William) suggested replacing Pyxis with a fourth subdivision of Argo which he
called Malus, the mast. However, the suggestion was not widely
adopted and Pyxis was retained.
In this same area of sky the German
astronomer Johann Bode introduced the constellation Lochium
Funis, the Log and Line, now
obsolete.
© Ian Ridpath. All rights reserved
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