Argo Navis

Argo Navis was a large southern constellation representing the ship Argo from Greek mythology. In 1763, Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille divided it into Carina, Puppis, and Vela.

Argo: The ship sailed by Jason and the Argonauts in Greek mythology. Argo Navis depicts this vessel in the southern sky.
Constellation: A named region of the celestial sphere, often associated with a pattern of stars. Argo Navis was one of the largest named regions in early constellation maps.
Carina: A southern constellation representing the keel of the mythological ship Argo. It inherited the keel portion of Argo Navis after the division.
Carina, Puppis, and Vela: Three southern constellations formed from the division of the ancient constellation Argo Navis. Together they replace the single oversized constellation on modern star maps.
Jason: A Greek mythological hero who led the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece. His voyage aboard Argo supplied the constellation's mythic subject.
Celestial sphere: An imaginary sphere surrounding Earth on which celestial objects appear projected. Argo Navis occupied a broad area of this apparent sky.
Puppis: A southern constellation representing the stern of the mythological ship Argo. It inherited the stern portion of Argo Navis after the division.
Orion: A prominent constellation straddling the celestial equator and depicting a hunter in Greek mythology. Unlike Argo Navis, Orion remains a single constellation in the modern sky.
Argonauts: The band of heroes who sailed with Jason aboard Argo in Greek mythology. Their voyage made the ship a familiar subject for celestial mapping.
Southern celestial hemisphere: The half of the celestial sphere south of the celestial equator. Argo Navis lay in southern skies, where European maps had fewer established constellations.

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