Volans (the Flying Fish) is a small southern constellation introduced by Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius in the late 16th century. It represents the tropical flying fish, an animal known for leaping from the water and gliding above the surface to escape predators.
Although Volans contains no particularly bright stars, it is home to several remarkable galaxies, including the Lindsay–Shapley Ring, whose unusual shape was produced by a galactic collision, and the distorted spiral known as the Meathook Galaxy.
Where Is Volans and When Can You See It?
Volans is the 76th-largest constellation, covering approximately 141 square degrees of the southern sky. It borders Carina, Chamaeleon, Dorado, Mensa, and Pictor.
The best time to observe Volans is February through April, particularly March, when it is well positioned in the evening sky. The constellation is visible from the Southern Hemisphere and some tropical northern locations, but cannot be seen from Britain.
To locate Volans, begin with Canopus, the second-brightest star in the night sky, in neighboring Carina. Look eastward toward the region north of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Volans lies between these landmarks, although its faint stars can make its outline difficult to recognize without a star chart.
History of the Volans Constellation
Volans was introduced by Petrus Plancius using observations gathered by Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman during voyages to the East Indies in the late 1500s. The constellation originally appeared under a Dutch name meaning flying fish. Johann Bayer subsequently included it in his 1603 star atlas, Uranometria, under the Latin name Piscis Volans. During the 19th century, the name was shortened to Volans, which remains its official designation today.
Flying fish are known for escaping predators by launching themselves from the water and gliding considerable distances using their enlarged fins. This behavior provides an interesting connection with neighboring Dorado, which represents the dolphinfish, a predator that frequently hunts flying fish in tropical waters.
Because Volans lies far south, it was unknown to ancient Greek astronomers and has no established classical mythology.
Notable Stars in Volans
- Beta Volantis – The constellation’s brightest star, an orange giant approximately 108 light-years away, shining at magnitude 3.8. It has expanded considerably since leaving the main sequence and is substantially more luminous than the Sun.
- Gamma Volantis – A binary system approximately 140 light-years away, with a combined magnitude around 3.8. It consists of an orange giant and a yellow-white companion separated by a considerable distance.
- Zeta Volantis – An orange giant approximately 135 light-years away, shining at magnitude 3.9. It has a much fainter stellar companion visible through suitable telescopes.
- Delta Volantis – A yellow-white giant approximately 660 light-years away, with an apparent magnitude around 4.0.
- Epsilon Volantis – A multiple-star system whose brightest component is a hot blue-white star.
- HD 76700 – A Sun-like star approximately 195 light-years away. It is known to host a giant exoplanet orbiting relatively close to the star.
Notable Deep-Sky Objects in Volans
Volans contains no Messier objects, but several of its galaxies provide striking examples of how gravitational encounters can alter galactic structure and trigger new star formation.
Lindsay–Shapley Ring — A Galaxy Shaped by Collision
The Lindsay–Shapley Ring (AM 0644-741) is an unusual ring galaxy approximately 300 million light-years away.
Its most distinctive feature is an enormous ring of bright blue stars surrounding a yellowish central region. The ring measures approximately 150,000 light-years across, making it larger than the diameter of the Milky Way’s main stellar disk.
Astronomers believe the ring formed when another galaxy passed through the disk of the original galaxy, producing a gravitational disturbance that spread outward. As this expanding wave compressed clouds of gas, it triggered widespread star formation. The resulting population of hot, young stars gives the ring its striking blue appearance.
The Lindsay–Shapley Ring is extremely faint, with an apparent magnitude around 14, making it primarily a target for large telescopes and astrophotography.
Meathook Galaxy — NGC 2442
The Meathook Galaxy (NGC 2442) is a distorted barred spiral galaxy approximately 50 million light-years away.
Its two prominent spiral arms extend from the central region in an uneven, hook-like pattern, giving the galaxy its distinctive nickname. Astronomers believe its unusual shape may have resulted from a close gravitational encounter with a smaller neighboring galaxy.
NGC 2442 contains dark dust lanes, young blue stars, and regions of active star formation, particularly along its extended spiral arms.
With an apparent magnitude around 11, it is a challenging but rewarding target for larger amateur telescopes under dark southern skies.
NGC 2397 — A Spiral Galaxy
NGC 2397 is a spiral galaxy approximately 60 million light-years away. Its central region contains a population of older, yellowish stars, while its outer spiral arms are home to younger blue stars and clouds of gas and dust.
The galaxy provides an interesting example of the different stellar populations found within spiral galaxies.
Although relatively faint, NGC 2397 can be photographed with amateur astronomical equipment under favorable conditions.