Template talk:ConstellationsChangedByBayer

Dubious information

Bayer did not introduce Crux as a constellation. What he did was depict Crux as an asterism in Centaurus. I'll be back with more information, but Johann Bayer was very conservative and presented an essentially unchanged celestial globe. The first great constellation inventor in the modern times of astronomy was Petrus Plancius. Rursus 22:08, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

Indeed. Crux is shown outlined on Centaurus (as reported on the globe by Plancius), but the table for Centaurus makes no mention of it. The stars of the cross (Bayer's ε, ζ, ν, ξ, and f Cen.) are described as being in the feet or the ankles of the Centaur. Leo makes no mention of Coma at all, either on the plate or in the table. The stars of Coma are illustrated as a sheaf of wheat on the plate for Boötes (presumably just cut by him with his scythe), but the table makes no mention of it. The only one of these claims clearly borne out is that various stars in the plate and table for Piscis Austrinus are noted as belonging to other constellations, including Grus (a new constellation introduced by the Dutch in 1597/98). But this was not a case of Bayer dividing the constellation up; rather, he was reporting the arrangement of Plancius / Keyser / De Houtman. -- Elphion (talk) 18:13, 21 August 2021 (UTC)