Pavo constellation
Pavo is one of the 88 constellations, and it represents the peacock. It is highest in the sky at midnight around 14 July, and its whole figure rises above the horizon from 17°N to 90°S.
Pavo at a glance
- Represents
- the peacock
- Highest at midnight
- 14 July
- Highest at 9 pm
- 28 August
- Seen whole from
- 17°N to 90°S
- Brightest star
- Peacock
- Stars in the figure
- 11 stars
- Origin
- Dutch navigators, 1590s
When to see Pavo
Pavo is highest in the sky at midnight around 14 July and at 9 pm around 28 August. 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 | 11:50 |
| 15 February | 09:50 |
| 15 March | 08:00 |
| 15 April | 05:50 |
| 15 May | 04:00 |
| 15 June | 01:50 |
| 15 July | 23:50 |
| 15 August | 21:50 |
| 15 September | 19:50 |
| 15 October | 17:50 |
| 15 November | 15:50 |
| 15 December | 13:50 |
Where to look for Pavo
From the northern hemisphere
From 40°N, Pavo never rises. You need to be south of 33°N to see any of it.
From the southern hemisphere
From 35°S, Pavo never sets. It circles the pole and is highest around midnight on 14 July, 59° above the southern horizon.
Brightest stars in Pavo
| Star | Magnitude |
|---|---|
| Peacock | 1.94 |
Pavo in myth and history
Pavo was added in the 1590s from the southern stars that the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman recorded.
Constellations next to Pavo
Find Pavo in your sky
Questions about Pavo
Pavo is highest in the sky at midnight around 14 July and at 9 pm around 28 August. The weeks around those dates are the best time to look.
The whole figure of Pavo rises above the horizon from 17°N to 90°S, and at least part of it rises from 33°N to 90°S.
Peacock is the brightest star in Pavo, at magnitude 1.94.
Pavo represents the peacock. Pavo was added in the 1590s from the southern stars that the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman recorded.