Carina (Pronounciation:Car-e-na, Abbrev:Car, Latin:Carinae) is a constellation, one of 88 constellations that the night sky is divided into. The sky is not divided up equally between the constellations. Carina takes up 494.184 sq. degrees of the night sky which equates to 1.2% of the night sky. The constellation gets its name as it name means The Keel . It was not one of the original constellations that had been devised by Ptolemy, instead it was created by Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille years later.
Carina is not a member of the Zodiac group of twelve constellations that appear when the Sun sets. Carina is a southern hemispheric constellation which means it can't be seen easily or at all from the northern hemisphere.
The brightest star in Carina is Canopus. There are 6 Extrasolar Planets (Exoplanets) in this constellation that are detailed on this site. The current largest star so far identified in the constellation of Carina is EV Carinae.
One of three constellations when Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille broke up the Argo Navis. The other two constellations are Vela and Puppis.
There are 4 Meteor Showers that occur during the year within this constellation based on information gathered from Adam Mickiewicz University (Poland). The ones listed as the ones I've been able to find a date range for. For others if you have the time, you can visit the AMU site, obtains the SL value then use IMO tables to calculate the date. A lot of the Meteor Showers are weak and you need to do a lot of stargazing to spot them.
| Name | Activity | Peak Activity | Closest Star |
| Eta Carinids | 14-Jan - 27 Jan | 21 - Jan | Foramen |
| Eta Carinids | 14-Jan - 27 Jan | 21 - Jan |
| Name | Carina |
| Abbreviation | Car |
| Is a Zodiac Sign | No |
| Largest Star | EV Carinae |
| Brightest Star | Canopus |
| Area | 494.184 sq. deg. |
| Percentage of Night Sky | 1.2% |
| Size Position | 34th |
| Hemisphere | Southern |
| Site Exoplanet Count | 6 |
| Meteor Shower Count | 4 |
| Puppis | |
| Pictor | |
| Volans | |
| Chamaeleon | |
| Musca | |
| Centaurus | |
| Vela | |
The map was generated using Night Vision, an awesome free application by Brian Simpson.
| Star | Distance (Lt. Yrs.) | Exoplanet Count | Declination | Right Ascension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD 51608 | 113.61 | 2 | -55d 15` 32.2 | 06h 54m 51.37 |
| HD 63765 | 108.47 | 1 | -54d 15` 48.5 | 07h 47m 49.57 |
| HD 65216 | 116.03 | 2 | -63d 38` 51.6 | 07h 53m 41.48 |
| HD 95086 | 294.90 | 1 | -68d 40` 02.6 | 10h 57m 03.09 |
As there's so many stars in the cosmos, not all the stars are listed here. The site has lots of stars not listed so if your star isn't listed and you know the Henry Draper or Hipparcos ID, type https://www.universeguide.com/star/ then followed by the HIPNNNNNN or HDNNNN where NNNNN is the number part of the name. The stars that I do list have either a traditional name, a bayer or other classification name.
| Star | Distance (Lt. Yrs.) | Declination | Right Ascension |
|---|---|---|---|
| AG Carinae | 17166.49 | -60d 27` 12.8 | 10h 56m 11.58 |
| Aspidiske | 765.64 | -59d 16` 30.9 | 09h 17m 05.43 |
| Avior | 605.13 | -59d 30` 34.3 | 08h 22m 30.86 |
| C Carinae | 252.84 | -62d 54` 56.2 | 08h 15m 15.95 |
| Canopus | 309.16 | -52d 41` 44.6 | 06h 23m 57.09 |
| Chi Carinae | 454.90 | -52d 58` 56.6 | 07h 56m 46.74 |
| D Carinae | 499.48 | -63d 34` 03.0 | 08h 00m 19.97 |
| E Carinae | 896.05 | -58d 13` 29.1 | 08h 35m 15.58 |
| E2 Carinae | 222.03 | -58d 00` 33.5 | 08h 35m 19.65 |
| EV Carinae | -60d 27` 15.5 | 10h 20m 21.608 | |
| Foramen | -59d 41` 04 | 10h 45m 03 | |
| GG Carinae | -60d 23` 33.5 | 10h 55m 58.92 | |
| GH Carinae | -60d 45` 01.0 | 11h 10m 44.60 | |
| GZ Carinae | 2398.26 | -59d 22` 35.9 | 10h 20m 20.38 |
| H Carinae | 789.74 | -73d 04` 51.3 | 09h 31m 36.32 |
| HR 2554 | 544.51 | -53d 37` 21.0 | 06h 49m 51.32 |
| HR 3153 | 982.42 | -60d 35` 13.5 | 07h 59m 37.55 |
| HR 3220 | 65.17 | -61d 18` 06.1 | 08h 09m 00.86 |
| HR 3643 | 400.69 | -72d 36` 09.7 | 09h 05m 08.83 |
| HR Carinae | 1929.96 | -59d 37` 28.4 | 10h 22m 53.85 |
| I Carinae | 52.91 | -74d 01` 53.6 | 10h 24m 23.74 |
| K Carinae | 260.51 | -71d 59` 33.8 | 10h 30m 20.08 |
| M Carinae | 307.70 | -66d 22` 22.2 | 10h 13m 30.68 |
| Miaplacidus | 113.17 | -69d 43` 02.9 | 09h 13m 12.24 |
| N Carinae | 1364.70 | -52d 58` 32.3 | 06h 34m 58.59 |
| Omega Carinae | 341.89 | -70d 02` 16.5 | 10h 13m 44.28 |
| PP Carinae | 483.20 | -61d 41` 07.3 | 10h 32m 01.48 |
| Q Carinae | 392.49 | -52d 32` 01.7 | 07h 35m 39.70 |
| QU Carinae | 1294.30 | -68d 37` 58.2 | 11h 05m 42.51 |
| QX Carinae | 1606.72 | -58d 25` 16.6 | 09h 54m 33.89 |
| QZ Carinae | 1953.07 | -59d 59` 36.0 | 10h 44m 22.92 |
| R Carinae | 514.45 | -62d 47` 20.1 | 09h 32m 14.65 |
| RT Carinae | 1430.54 | -59d 24` 48.1 | 10h 44m 47.16 |
| S Carinae | 1782.31 | -61d 32` 57.1 | 10h 09m 22.01 |
| T Carinae | 304.83 | -60d 31` 01.9 | 10h 55m 17.26 |
| Theta Carinae | 455.54 | -64d 23` 40.1 | 10h 42m 57.43 |
| U Carinae | 15531.59 | -59d 43` 55.9 | 10h 57m 48.19 |
| Upsilon Carinae | 1436.84 | -65d 04` 19.3 | 09h 47m 06.14 |
| UX Carinae | 2528.40 | -57 d 36` 48.3 | 10h 29m 11.25 |
| V Carinae | 5623.51 | -60d 07` 21.3 | 08h 28m 43.70 |
| V337 Carinae | 657.59 | -61d 19` 56.4 | 10h 17m 05.01 |
| V343 Carinae | 1443.20 | -59d 45` 39.7 | 08h 40m 37.04 |
| V344 Carinae | 605.13 | -56d 46` 11.3 | 08h 46m 42.56 |
| V345 Carinae | 967.84 | -70d 32` 18.7 | 09h 05m 38.38 |
| V357 Carinae | 446.80 | -58d 58` 00.9 | 09h 10m 58.11 |
| V368 Carinae | 801.38 | -58d 49` 40.2 | 10h 11m 35.49 |
| V372 Carinae | 1336.74 | -54d 22` 01.9 | 07h 52m 29.75 |
| V375 Carinae | 1199.13 | -62d 50` 10.9 | 08h 04m 42.94 |
| V376 Carinae | 673.89 | -59d 13` 45.7 | 08h 56m 58.43 |
| V382 Carinae | 6272.37 | -58d 58` 30.2 | 11h 08m 35.40 |
| V386 Carinae | 300.89 | -56d 44` 59.0 | 07h 04m 18.32 |
| V390 Carinae | 626.03 | -53d 16` 24.2 | 07h 39m 00.34 |
| V399 Carinae | 54360.56 | -57d 38` 19.7 | 10h 27m 24.48 |
| V448 Carinae | 601.78 | -55d 32` 24.2 | 06h 47m 18.71 |
| V450 Carinae | 493.44 | -59d 10` 41.3 | 07h 03m 15.11 |
| V461 Carinae | 1347.78 | -54d 30` 56.0 | 08h 01m 23.05 |
| V469 Carinae | 729.67 | -54d 12` 42.5 | 08h 29m 29.82 |
| V473 Carinae | 712.15 | -58d 14` 22.9 | 08h 54m 54.05 |
| V478 Carinae | 1284.11 | -67d 03` 03.2 | 09h 17m 51.67 |
| V482 Carinae | 967.84 | -58d 21` 42.9 | 09h 30m 23.45 |
| V486 Carinae | 521.86 | -66d 54` 53.4 | 09h 42m 12.99 |
| V487 Carinae | 929.24 | -57d 11` 09.8 | 09h 45m 40.64 |
| V492 Carinae | 1208.01 | -69d 06` 06.6 | 09h 56m 59.84 |
| V495 Carinae | 686.66 | -62d 13` 17.2 | 10h 07m 56.64 |
| V507 Carinae | 1164.87 | -63d 09` 52.5 | 10h 28m 18.28 |
| V514 Carinae | 1006.68 | -57d 15` 22.7 | 10h 38m 02.66 |
| V518 Carinae | 453.63 | -64d 27` 59.2 | 10h 42m 14.14 |
| V520 Carinae | 1140.43 | -60d 33` 59.9 | 10h 43m 32.31 |
| V522 Carinae | 6040.06 | -59d 55` 09.0 | 10h 48m 05.42 |
| V524 Carinae | 6154.03 | -57d 14` 25.5 | 10h 52m 30.85 |
| V532 Carinae | 791.66 | -58d 25` 24.1 | 11h 12m 03.60 |
| V533 Carinae | -60d 19` 03.5 | 11h 12m 36.02 | |
| V535 Carinae | 2434.05 | -67d 49` 24.6 | 11h 17m 19.02 |
| V655 Carinae | 876.78 | -66d 59` 04.8 | 10h 30m 08.81 |
| VY Carinae | 9060.09 | -57d 33` 55.4 | 10h 44m 32.70 |
| WR 16 | -57d 43` 38.3 | 09h 54m 52.91 | |
| WR 18 | 6272.37 | -57d 54` 46.9 | 10h 17m 02.28 |
| WR 22 | 40770.42 | -59d 40` 36.9 | 10h 41m 17.52 |
| WR 23 | 3362.51 | -58d 46` 18.8 | 10h 41m 38.33 |
| WR 24 | 3749.00 | -60d 07` 04.0 | 10h 43m 52.27 |
| WR 40 | 5930.24 | -65d 30` 35.2 | 11h 06m 17.21 |
| WR25 | -59d 43` 11.41 | 10h 44m 10.337 | |
| WZ Carinae | 4727.00 | -60 d 56` 24.0 | 10h 55m 18.73 |
| XY Carinae | -64d 15` 46.5 | 11h 02m 16.07 | |
| XZ Carinae | -60d 58` 47.8 | 11h 04m 13.48 | |
| Y Carinae | 3048.26 | -58d 29` 55.1 | 10h 33m 10.86 |
| YZ Carinae | 5930.24 | -59d 21` 00.7 | 10h 28m 16.85 |
| Name | Type | Distance | Declination | Right Ascension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statue of Liberty Nebula | Nebula | 6,000 | -61:21:44 | 11h 11m 32m 7 |