Pavo – The Peacock

Pavo is one of the 88 constellations within the celestial sphere.

Pavo is one of the 42 constellations that represents an animal.

Symbolism: Pavo is also known as ‘The Peacock’

History & Mythology

One of the newer constellations on the southern sky, Pavo means Peacock in Latin. First depicted in 1598 by the Dutch navigators who cataloged the stars of the southern hemisphere. The constellation was renamed Peacock in the 1930’s as the star formation is similar to that of the colorfully winged bird. The constellation is located at the edge of the Milky Way in a quite featureless area of the sky, however can be located easily due to its very bright star, Alpha Pavonis, at the tip of the constellation.

Key Data

Bordering Constellations: Pavo is bordered by constellations Ara, Apus, Octans, Indus & Telescopium.

Sky Chart #: 2.

Star Raking: 44th largest constellation in the celestial sphere. 

Main Stars: Pavo consists of 7 main stars.

Brightest Star: Alpha Pavonis.

Kids Fun Facts Corner

# 1. Pavo has 6 stars with planets.

# 2. Pavo has 3 Deep-Sky Objects NGC 6744, NGC 6752 & NGC 6782.

# 3. Alpha Pavonis is the brightest star in Pavo.

Q&A Corner

Q. What is Pavo also known as?

Q. How many main stars does Pavo have?

Q. What is the brightest star in Pavo?

Q. How many have planets in Pavo?

Q. What number star ranking is Pavo in the celestial sphere?

Download questions about the Pavo Constellation here: Pavo Constellation (answers are on this page)

Teachers. For more in depth work sheets on constellations. Click on Kidskonnect Worksheets  

For further reading and more information on the Pavo Constellation visit www.constellation-guide.com/Pavo