Puppis
The Stern
A winter constellation in the Milky Way southeast of Canis Major, rich in star clusters, including M46 and M47, which binoculars show as hazy patches.
- Best season
- Winter
- Best months
- January through March, low in the south on winter evenings
- Visibility
- Visible from the United States, low in the south, best from southern states
- Abbreviation
- Pup
How to find it
- Find Sirius in Canis Major and look to the left (east) for two hazy patches in binoculars.
Brightest stars
- Naos (a very hot supergiant, visible from the southern states)
What to look for
- M46 and M47, two open clusters side by side in binoculars.
Binocular and telescope targets
- M47: a bright open cluster, visible in binoculars
- M46: a rich open cluster beside M47, with a small planetary nebula in front of it
- M93: another open cluster in Puppis
Using it to find other things
- Puppis lies east of Canis Major, along the winter Milky Way.
About this constellation
Puppis is the stern of the old constellation Argo Navis, the ship of the Argonauts, which was split into three parts: Puppis, Carina, and Vela.
From the northern United States, the clusters M46 and M47 are the main reason to look: they are among the best binocular sights of winter.
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.
Star positions: Hipparcos and Bright Star catalogues via d3-celestial (BSD-3-Clause, © 2015 Olaf Frohn).