h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Apus, Bird of Paradise - A1064279
Author: Deke - U27380

Another constellation from the H2 Astronomy Soc Constellation Project.

Nice entry Deke, only two reak complaints:

1) You really need to make it clear from the title the entry relates to a costellation, not a bird.

2) Can you explain this 'magnitude' business as it relates to light?

Otherwise, well done.

Hi there, thanks for your comments.

I had omitted to complete the title correctly. Adjustment now made.

Magnitude. I've added a footnote. This was originally part of a project to do all 80 odd constellations which foundered. There should have been an introductory page which would have explained details such as this. At some point in the future no doubt that will come about.

DK

Hi Deke
Are you going to insert the star names in the column? I don't think readers will understand just the Greek letter.

GB

Thanks for your comments GB

These constellations were too far south and are too 'young' to have been given 'Proper' names by the ancient astronomers. I've written that into the text and filled in their interpretation in place of the name.

Thanks agin

DK

Neat

Houtman named this constellation. Bayer just compiled the first star atlas to include it.

Added a few links.

Hi Pinniped, thanks for your comments.
I've reworded the attribution of the name bit slightly.
My Boys Own Book of Naming Constellations shows the stars were 'mapped' by Keyser and Hautman. Bayer attributed the formation of the constellations and their names to various navigators of the 16th Century, in particular one Petrus Theodorus, and their publication to Andrea Corsali in 1516. There are other earlier references. One of the earlier recorders stated that '...their origin is involved in an obscurity that it is scarcely possible to penetrate'.

DK

Houtman also gave his name to the chain of coral islands off Western Australia that the Batavia ran aground on. That's why I knew about him.

Ignore me. I'm rambling.

The 'History' section of this is a beauty but needs a bit of rewriting:

'During the AD 1595 expedition Pieter Keyser and Friedrich Houtmann from that expedition...'

Lose the AD (which we presume) and also the 'from that expedition' (which we also presume, because that's the expedition you're talking about).

'Attributed by Bayer to earlier Dutch seafarers who recorded that gifts of live birds were made to European travellers.' - the sentence has no subject, and it's not clear what was attributed to Bayer.

You have a lovely balance between technical details and more general interest here, and I think it's a lovely little Entry.

Hi Deke

I prefer to see the cells filled in, could you add that
Gamma Aps is a yellow G-type giant and Beta Aps is Orange with possible companion.

<> lose the "and Nebulae" as you've not listed any.

Distance 50.000 ly = change the full-stop to a comma

Principle Stars header = I changed mine to "Principal" from Cefpret's template but the edited versions have just "Stars" on the header.

Any chance you could sneak in a mention of Wilma's fabulous of a flower A23245391 maybe in a modern culture section?


GB

Hi Skankyrich.
Thanks for your comments. I've made amendments as you have indicated. I hope it's now clearer.

DK

Hi GB

I've made the additions as you've indicated. I've left in 'Principal' as it's in the other ones that I've done. I think it should be there as it indicates that those stars listed are only the predominant ones and is not a complete list.

I've added a bit about the flower and a ref.

DK

That's lovely, thank you Deke

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