Bird of Paradise · pronounced Apus. Apus, meaning “Bird of Paradise,” is an official IAU constellation centred near right ascension 16.0 hours and declination -74°. Its observing character is defined by the named stars and targets below. Apus was created from southern-sky observations published by Petrus Plancius, based on voyages by Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. Its bird-of-paradise name reflects European reports that the birds lacked feet—an old misconception echoed in Apus’s original depiction. The line figure is only a guide: the IAU boundary is the scientifically meaningful region, while historical and cultural interpretations require their own context.
About Apus
Apus is one of the 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Its standard three-letter abbreviation is Aps, and astronomers use the genitive form Apodis when naming stars associated with it. The constellation's reference position lies around right ascension -8.0 hours and declination -74 degrees.
Its location places it in the southern sky. For a typical mid-latitude observer, this part of the celestial sphere is especially well placed during spring evenings. Exact visibility depends on latitude, local horizon, date and time.
History and mythology of Apus
Origins and cultural history
Apus was created from southern-sky observations published by Petrus Plancius, based on voyages by Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. Its bird-of-paradise name reflects European reports that the birds lacked feet—an old misconception echoed in Apus’s original depiction.
From figure to official region
The IAU retained Bird of Paradise as one of 88 official constellations in 1922; Eugène Delporte’s boundaries later turned the traditional figure into an exact cataloguing region.
How to find Apus
- Use the south celestial pole and bright Alpha Trianguli Australis as large-scale guides.
- Search between Octans and Triangulum Australe, near the poleward side of Pavo.
- Match Alpha and Gamma Apodis first; the remaining naked-eye stars are faint.
- Apus is circumpolar from much of the Southern Hemisphere and never rises for most northern observers.
Bright stars in Apus
Alpha Apodis
Notable star- Magnitude
- 3.83
- Distance
- about 430 light-years
Orange giant and brightest point in Apus.
Gamma Apodis
Notable star- Magnitude
- 3.86
- Distance
- about 150 light-years
Yellow giant nearly matching Alpha in brightness.
Beta Apodis
Notable star- Magnitude
- 4.24
- Distance
- about 160 light-years
Orange giant in the compact southern figure.
Delta Apodis
Notable star- Magnitude
- 4.7 combined
- Distance
- about 760 light-years
Wide naked-eye pair of unrelated stars.
Deep-sky objects in Apus
NGC 6101
Loose outer-halo globular cluster discovered by James Dunlop.
IC 4499
Remote Milky Way globular with numerous RR Lyrae variables.
NGC 5612
Faint inclined spiral accessible mainly to larger telescopes.
Interesting facts about Apus
- Apus’s traditional name refers to bird of paradise, while its official IAU boundary defines a precise region of the sky.
- Alpha Apodis, at magnitude 3.83, is a key star in Apus. Orange giant and brightest point in Apus.
- NGC 6101 is a notable globular cluster in Apus. Loose outer-halo globular cluster discovered by James Dunlop.
- IC 4499, a globular cluster, is another observing target within the constellation.
- Apus was created from southern-sky observations published by Petrus Plancius, based on voyages by Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman.