Cuervo
Crow (Corvi)
Corvus, the Crow or Raven, is a small but distinctive constellation with four main stars forming a quadrilateral south of Virgo. This ancient constellation is easy to spot despite its modest brightness and lies near the rich galaxy fields of the Virgo Cluster. It contains the interacting pair of galaxies known as the 'Antennae Galaxies.'
📜 Mitología
Corvus was the sacred bird of Apollo. According to myth, Apollo sent the crow to fetch water in a cup (Crater, the adjacent constellation). The crow found a fig tree with unripe fruit and waited days for the figs to ripen instead of completing its errand. To excuse its delay, the crow brought back a water snake (Hydra), claiming it had blocked the spring. Apollo saw through the lie and angrily threw all three into the sky, cursing the crow with eternal thirst - which is why crows have harsh, croaking voices.
💡 Datos curiosos
- ✦The Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/4039) are a famous pair of colliding galaxies in Corvus
- ✦Corvus appears to sit on Hydra's back, with Crater nearby - illustrating the mythological story
- ✦Algorab, the second brightest star, is a binary system with a striking color contrast