Corvus

The Crow

A small spring constellation, a lopsided quadrilateral of four fairly bright stars, just southwest of Spica.

Chart drawn as the sky looks when you face the constellation: north is up and east is to the left. Dot size shows brightness, and color hints at temperature. The connecting lines are one common stick figure; other traditions draw them differently.

Best season: Spring
Best months: April through June, low in the south on spring evenings
Visibility: Visible from the United States, low in the south
Abbreviation: Crv

How to find it

Follow the Big Dipper's handle to Arcturus and Spica, then keep going to a small quadrilateral of stars southwest of Spica.
The four stars of Corvus are all about the same brightness, which makes it stand out.

Brightest stars

Gienah
Kraz
Algorab
Minkar

What to look for

The quadrilateral: a compact pattern of four stars of similar brightness in a sparse region.

Binocular and telescope targets

Antennae Galaxies: two colliding galaxies, a challenge for medium and large telescopes

Using it to find other things

Corvus sits southwest of Spica.

About this constellation

Corvus is easy to find because the four stars of its main pattern are bright for such a sparse stretch of sky. They make a lopsided quadrilateral.

The Antennae Galaxies in Corvus are a famous pair of galaxies in collision, but they need a fairly large telescope to see.

Related guides

Visibility depends on your latitude, the date, and the time of night. The months above assume a typical evening from the contiguous United States, so use a planetarium app to confirm what is up tonight. Never look at the Sun through binoculars or a telescope without a proper solar filter.

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