Volans

Volans is a faint southern constellation near the Large Magellanic Cloud representing a flying fish. Its brightest star is magnitude 3.8. It includes several faint galaxies and the Lindsay-Shapley ring galaxy (AM 0644-741).

Location in the Sky

When to Observe

Volans is best observed during March. It is located in the SQ2 quadrant and is primarily visible from the southern hemisphere. The constellation contains 6 main stars forming its asterism, with 12 Bayer/Flamsteed designated stars in total. Its brightest star is Beta Volantis.

Mythology & History

Volans was introduced by Dutch navigators Keyser and de Houtman, originally as Piscis Volans (the Flying Fish). It represents the tropical flying fish seen during their southern voyages. It appeared on Plancius's globe and later in Bayer's Uranometria.