Phoenix was the largest of the 12-constellation described by Petrus Plancius in 1597-98.
It’s an inconspicuous constellation lying near the southern
end of Eridanus the River. The Phoenix represents the mythological bird that was regularly
reborn from its own ashes. It was
introduced into general use in 1603 by Johann Bayer.
The Arab astronomer Al Sufi called this area Al Ri al or the
Young Ostriches, while in China the constellation was Ho Neaou or the Fire
Bird.
There are few bright stars, the brightest is alpha was recorded by the Arab astronomer Al Tizini as Na ir al Zaurak which means The Bright One in the Boat. The star has a magnitude 2.4 and is a K class giant with a temperature of 4,200’C degrees and is 85 light years away.
www.theramblingastronomer.co.uk
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