Editing Centaurus (section)

==History==
[[File:Kentauren, 1602 - Skoklosters slott - 102438.tif|left|thumb|Centaurus, 1602]]
While Centaurus now has a high southern latitude, at the dawn of civilization it was an equatorial constellation. [[Precession (astronomy)|Precession]] has been slowly shifting it southward for millennia, and it is now close to its maximal southern [[declination]]. In a little over 7000 years it will be at maximum visibility for those in the northern hemisphere, visible at times in the year up to quite a high northern latitude.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:44-Centaurus-Constellation.PNG|thumb|Centaurus as depicted on The [[Abu al-Fath Manuchihr Khan|Manuchihr]] Globe made in [[Mashhad]] 1632-33 AD (Adilnor Collection, Sweden)]] -->
The figure of Centaurus can be traced back to a Babylonian constellation known as the Bison-man (MUL.GUD.ALIM). This being was depicted in two major forms: firstly, as a 4-legged bison with a human head, and secondly, as a being with a man's head and torso attached to the rear legs and tail of a bull or bison. It has been closely associated with the Sun god Utu-Shamash from very early times.<ref>''Babylonian Star-lore'' by Gavin White, Solaria Pubs, 2008, page 57ff</ref>

The Greeks depicted the constellation as a centaur and gave it its current name. It was mentioned by [[Eudoxus of Cnidus|Eudoxus]] in the 4th century BC and [[Aratus]] in the 3rd century BC. In the 2nd century AD, [[Claudius Ptolemy]] catalogued 37 stars in Centaurus, including Alpha Centauri. Large as it is now, in earlier times it was even larger, as the constellation [[Lupus (constellation)|Lupus]] was treated as an [[Asterism (astronomy)|asterism]] within Centaurus, portrayed in illustrations as an unspecified animal either in the centaur's grasp or impaled on its spear.<ref name=Allen>{{cite book|last=Allen|first=Richard Hinckley|title=Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning|date=1963|publisher=Dover|isbn=((978-0-486-21079-7))|page=[https://archive.org/details/starnamestheirlo00alle/page/279 279]|url=https://archive.org/details/starnamestheirlo00alle/page/279}}</ref> The [[Crux|Southern Cross]], which is now regarded as a separate constellation, was treated by the ancients as a mere asterism formed of the stars composing the centaur's legs. Additionally, what is now the minor constellation [[Circinus (constellation)|Circinus]] was treated as undefined stars under the centaur's front hooves.

According to the Roman poet [[Ovid]] (''Fasti'' v.379), the constellation honors the centaur [[Chiron]], who was tutor to many of the earlier Greek heroes including [[Heracles]] (Hercules), [[Theseus]], and [[Jason]], the leader of the Argonauts. It is not to be confused with the more warlike centaur represented by the zodiacal constellation [[Sagittarius (constellation)|Sagittarius]]. The legend associated with Chiron says that he was accidentally poisoned with an arrow shot by Hercules, and was subsequently placed in the heavens.{{sfn|Ridpath|Tirion|2017|pp=110-113}}