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Stars and Sticks| Abbreviation | Crv |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Crow |
| Pronunciation Guide is based on “Pronouncing Astronomical Names,” published in 1943 by the American Astronomical Society. | CORE-vuss |
| Genitive The genitive is the Latin possessive form used in star names. For example, Alpha Orionis means “the Alpha of Orion.” | KOR-vye |
| Best Month | May |
| Visibility | Global |
| Origin | AncientThese figures are rooted in the classical Greek and Mesopotamian traditions cataloged by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. |
| Author | PtolemyPtolemy, a 2nd-century Greco-Egyptian astronomer, cataloged the 48 classical constellations in his landmark work, the Almagest. These form the core of the 88 modern constellations recognized today. |
| Type | constellation |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Description | The Crow sits perched on the coils of Hydra in the southern sky. Apollo sent his crow to fetch water in a cup (Crater), but the crow delayed by waiting for figs to ripen before eating them and then lied to Apollo, blaming a water snake for blocking the spring. The furious god punished the crow by turning its feathers permanently black, placing it forever beside the cup it could never reach and the snake that would guard it. The constellation's most interesting deep-sky object is the Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/4039) — two galaxies in the process of colliding and merging, about 45 million light-years away and one of the finest examples of an interacting galaxy pair. |
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Monthly sky charts courtesy of What's Out Tonight? — Copyright ©2026 Ken Graun. Star charts are optimized for mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Click a chart to view or download the PDF. For guidance on using the chart, or to purchase a planisphere and astronomy books, visit kenpress.com.
Images: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/E. Slawik · IAU and Sky & Telescope · Stellarium — Full credits →
