The Myth of Carina

Argo Navis

The Ship Argo Against the tail of the Great Dog is dragged Sternward the Argo with no usual course But motion contrary. . . . . So sternward labors the Jasonian Argo Obscure in parts and starless, as from prow To mast, but other portions blaze with light.                       ---Frothingham's Aratos

The constellation Carina was originally one part of the large constellation outlined by the ancient Greeks, the Great Ship Argo Navis. When the International Astronomical Union officially defined the 88 constellations and their boundaries, they split Argo Navis into 4 parts: Carina (the keel), Vela (the sail), Puppis (the poop), and Pyxis (the compass). There are also two animal constellations associated with this group: Volans the Flying Fish and Columba the Dove. Lying low on the southern horizon, these stars are the crown jewels of spring equatorial skies.

Carina the Keel is the bottom of the Great Ship Argo Navis, and it can be seen in its entirety only from south of 15 degrees north. The Milky Way flows though the entire constellation and the whole area is full of many astounding deep sky objects including Eta Carinae. Carina also contains Canopus, the second brightest star in the sky. Canopus is not visible from most of the mainland U.S. and it reaches its highest point above the horizon in early evening skies in March. Canopus, one of the few stars named after a real person, was named after the pilot of the Greek fleet of King Menelaus, who sailed the ships to the destruction of Troy.

Puppis the Poop is the high stern of the Great Ship Argo Navis. Puppis contains many double and triple stars, 25 open clusters and several star-forming regions as well as condensations of stars in the Milky Way main body. Puppis contains Puppis A, the remnant of a supernova that exploded about 4,000 years ago.

At right angles to the deck of the Great Ship Argo Navis there is a faint line of stars. This is Pyxis the Ship's Compass. Since no compass is a straight line, there are those who call Pyxis the Ship's Tiller. Pyxis was named by La Caille in the 1700's who considered the constellation separate from the ship. Pyxis contains T Pyxidis the most active of all known recurring novae. T Pyxidis brightens roughly every twenty years from its normal 14th magnitude to magnitude 6. Since the last maxima occurred in 1967, we should expect an outburst soon.

Above the deck of the Great Ship Argo Navis is a ragged circle of stars. This is Vela the Ship's Sail, fully opened to catch the wind. Although many references call this constellation Vela the Sails, there appears to be only one sail. The Milky Way runs through Vela from northwest to southeast and Vela contains what appears to be the only complete break in the glowing band of light. This is called the Great Rift and is caused by dark nebulae composed of dust and cold gas. Vela also contains many double and triple stars, several small star clusters and one of the most famous supernova remnants in the sky.

There are two animals associated with the Great Ship Argo Navis. One is Columba the Dove, forever leading the way westward for the ship. Columba can be viewed as either sitting on the stern of the ship or flying before it. The other animal associated with the Great Ship is Volans, the Flying Fish. Volans is too far south to contain any of the Milky Way.

In Star Lore of All Ages , William T. Olcott (co-founder of the AAVSO) states some mythology on the Great Ship Argo Navis:

According to mythology Argo was built either by Glaucus, Jason, Argos, or Hercules. It was famous as the first craft that ever ventured to sea, and as the one that bore the Argonautic expedition to Colchis on its quest of the Golden Fleece.

To the Egyptians it represented the ark that bore Osiris and Isis over the Deluge.

Sir Isaac Newton fixed the date of the building of this celebrated craft as 936 B.C.

With the Romans it was generally "Argo" or "Navis," and the Arabs called it "a Ship." To the Biblical school it represented Noah's Ark.