Pyxis
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9.9
A faint group of stars in the southern sky near Puppis and Antlia
- proper noun
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Pyxis
- In the southern sky, Pyxis can be found near the larger constellations of Puppis and Antlia.
Examples
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She used a star chart to locate Pyxis among the other faint constellations.
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Look at Pyxis!
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Astronomers identified Pyxis close to the constellations Puppis and Antlia.
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The constellation Pyxis is best seen in the Southern Hemisphere during late winter.
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The constellation Pyxis is often overlooked by stargazers.
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Astronomers often refer to Pyxis as the Compass constellation due to its distinct shape.
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During the clear nights of summer, stargazers can easily locate Pyxis among the southern constellations.
Surface Forms
Pyxis main
Etymology
Pyxis comes from the Greek word pyxis, which means 'box'. In the 1700s an astronomer named a small southern constellation after the little box used for a sailor's compass, so Pyxis is easy to remember as a tiny 'box' of stars near Puppis and Antlia.