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 December 23, 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
- December 23
- Highest at 9 pm
- February 5
- 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 December 23 and at 9 pm around February 5. Each month it is highest about two hours earlier than the month before.
The times are local solar time. Clocks on daylight saving time read about one hour later.
| Date | Highest at |
|---|---|
| January 15 | 10:20 PM |
| February 15 | 8:20 PM |
| March 15 | 6:30 PM |
| April 15 | 4:30 PM |
| May 15 | 2:30 PM |
| June 15 | 12:30 PM |
| July 15 | 10:30 AM |
| August 15 | 8:30 AM |
| September 15 | 6:30 AM |
| October 15 | 4:30 AM |
| November 15 | 2:30 AM |
| December 15 | 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 December 23, 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 December 23 and at 9 pm around February 5. 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.