Pictor constellation
Pictor is one of the 88 constellations, and it represents the painter's easel. It is highest in the sky at midnight around 23 December, and its whole figure rises above the horizon from 28°N to 90°S.
Pictor at a glance
- Represents
- the painter's easel
- Highest at midnight
- 23 December
- Highest at 9 pm
- 5 February
- Seen whole from
- 28°N to 90°S
- Stars in the figure
- 3 stars
- Origin
- Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille, 1750s
When to see Pictor
Pictor is highest in the sky at midnight around 23 December and at 9 pm around 5 February. Each month it is highest about two hours earlier than the month before.
The times are local solar time. Clocks on summer time or daylight saving time read about one hour later.
| Date | Highest at |
|---|---|
| 15 January | 10:20 PM |
| 15 February | 8:20 PM |
| 15 March | 6:30 PM |
| 15 April | 4:30 PM |
| 15 May | 2:30 PM |
| 15 June | 12:30 PM |
| 15 July | 10:30 AM |
| 15 August | 8:30 AM |
| 15 September | 6:30 AM |
| 15 October | 4:30 AM |
| 15 November | 2:30 AM |
| 15 December | 12:30 AM |
Where to look for Pictor
From the northern hemisphere
From 40°N, Pictor never rises. You need to be south of 39°N to see any of it.
From the southern hemisphere
From 35°S, Pictor rises in the east and sets in the west. It is highest around midnight on 23 December, 68° above the southern horizon.
Brightest stars in Pictor
None of the stars of Pictor is brighter than magnitude 2.3, so it is best seen from a dark place away from city lights. Its brightest stick-figure stars are about magnitude 3.
Pictor in myth and history
The French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille added Pictor in the 1750s, after he mapped the southern sky from the Cape of Good Hope.
Constellations next to Pictor
Find Pictor in your sky
Questions about Pictor
Pictor is highest in the sky at midnight around 23 December and at 9 pm around 5 February. The weeks around those dates are the best time to look.
The whole figure of Pictor rises above the horizon from 28°N to 90°S, and at least part of it rises from 39°N to 90°S.
Pictor represents the painter's easel. The French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille added Pictor in the 1750s, after he mapped the southern sky from the Cape of Good Hope.