Editing Centaurus (section)

==Equivalents==
In [[Chinese astronomy]], the stars of Centaurus are found in three areas: the [[Azure Dragon|Azure Dragon of the East]] (東方青龍, ''Dōng Fāng Qīng Lóng''), the [[Vermilion Bird (Chinese constellation)|Vermillion Bird of the South]] (南方朱雀, ''Nán Fāng Zhū Què''), and the [[Chinese constellations#The Southern Asterisms|Southern Asterisms]] (近南極星區, ''Jìnnánjíxīngōu''). Not all of the stars of Centaurus can be seen from China, and the unseen stars were classified among the Southern Asterisms by [[Xu Guangqi]], based on his study of western star charts. However, most of the brightest stars of Centaurus, including α Centauri, [[Theta Centauri|θ Centauri]] (or Menkent<ref name="IAU-LSN">{{cite web | url=https://www.iau.org/public/themes/naming_stars/ | title=Naming Stars |publisher=IAU.org |access-date=30 July 2018}}</ref>), [[Epsilon Centauri|ε Centauri]] and [[Eta Centauri|η Centauri]], can be seen in the Chinese sky.

Some [[Polynesian people]]s considered the stars of Centaurus to be a constellation as well. On [[Pukapuka]], Centaurus had two names: ''Na Mata-o-te-tokolua'' and ''Na Lua-mata-o-Wua-ma-Velo''. In [[Tonga]], the constellation was called by four names: ''O-nga-tangata'', ''Tautanga-ufi'', ''Mamangi-Halahu'', and ''Mau-kuo-mau''. Alpha and Beta Centauri were not named specifically by the people of Pukapuka or Tonga, but they were named by the people of [[Hawaii]] and the [[Tuamotus]]. In Hawaii, the name for Alpha Centauri was either ''Melemele'' or ''Ka Maile-hope'' and the name for Beta Centauri was either ''Polapola'' or ''Ka Maile-mua''. In the Tuamotu islands, Alpha was called ''Na Kuhi'' and Beta was called ''Tere''.{{sfn|Makemson|1941|p=281}}

The Pointer (α Centauri and β Centauri) is one of the asterisms used by [[Bugis]] sailors for navigation, called ''bintoéng balué'', meaning "the widowed-before-marriage". It is also called ''bintoéng sallatang'' meaning "southern star".<ref name="kelley11">{{cite book|author1=Kelley, David H. |author2=Milone, Eugene F. |author3=Aveni, A.F. |title=Exploring Ancient Skies: A Survey of Ancient and Cultural Astronomy|publisher=Springer|location=New York, New York|year=2011|page=344|isbn=978-1-4419-7623-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ILBuYcGASxcC&pg=PA307}}</ref>