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Darling

Columba

constellation Columba

Columba. © 2003 Torsten Bronger.


Columba (abbreviation: Col), the Dove (as released by Noah), is a small southern constellation, the main part of which is a noticeable triangle of stars set into a fairly blank area of sky.

 

Mu Columbae is a blue star (type O9.5, magnitude 5.16) that is one of three runaway stars diverging from a point in Orion with a speed of about 100 kilometers per second. The other two are AE Aurigae and 53 Arietis. According to one theory, these stars once belonged to a quadruple system, of which the fourth member exploded in a supernova, about 3 million years ago, pushing the other three stars away in different directions.

 

Columba also contains the globular cluster NGC 1851 (magnitude 7.1; diameter 11'; distance 40,000 light-years; RA 05h 14.1m , Dec –40° 2.8'). See below for details of the constellation's brightest stars.

 

NGC 1851
NGC 1851 in ultraviolet. Credit: NASA/Galex.

 


Stars brighter than magnitude 4.0
star vis mag abs mag spec type distance (ly) RA (h m s) Dec (° ' ")
Alpha (Phakt) 2.65 -1.93 B7IVe 268 05 39 39 -34 04 27
Beta (Wasn) 3.12 1.01 K1III 86 05 50 58 -35 46 06
Delta 3.85 -0.46 G7II 237 06 22 07 -33 26 11
Epsilon 3.86 -0.79 K1IIa 277 05 31 13 -35 28 15

 


Constellations
Andromeda | Antlia | Apus | Aquarius | Aquila | Ara | Aries | Auriga | Bootes | Caelum | Camelopardalis | Cancer | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Capricornus | Carina | Cassiopeia | Centaurus | Cepheus | Cetus | Chamaeleon | Circinus | Columba | Coma Berenices | Corona Austrina | Corona Borealis | Corvus | Crater | Crux | Cygnus | Delphinus | Dorado | Draco | Equuleus | Eridanus | Fornax | Gemini | Grus | Hercules | Horologium | Hydra | Hydrus | Indus | Lacerta | Leo | Leo Minor | Lepus | Libra | Lupus | Lynx | Lyra | Mensa | Microscopium | Monoceros | Musca | Norma | Octans | Ophiuchus | Orion | Pavo | Pegasus | Perseus | Phoenix | Pictor | Pisces | Piscis Austrinus | Puppis | Pyxis | Reticulum | Sagitta | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Sculptor | Scutum | Serpens | Sextans | Taurus | Telescopium | Triangulum | Triangulum Australe | Tucana | Ursa Major | Ursa Minor | Vela | Virgo | Volans | Vulpecula