Photograph of Nebula in Argo

Photograph of Argo nebula by David Gill of Royal Observatory at the Cape.

The southern constellation Argo (full name Argo Navis - the ship of Jason and the Argonauts) was broken up in the 18th century by the French astronomer, LaCaille into 4 much smaller constellations Carina (the keel), Puppis (the stern), Pyxis (the compass) and Vela (the sails). While nebulae exist in a number of these constellations it seems likely that the nebula this is a depiction of is Eta-Carinae which at its brightest in 1843 was brighter than the brightest star in Carina.

Object Details

ID: AST1105
Collection: Astronomical and navigational instruments
Type: Photoprint
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Gill, David
Date made: 1892
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Herschel Collection
Measurements: 260 mm x 285 mm