Star Lore Of All Ages/The Minor Constellations/Monoceros

by William Tyler Olcott

Monoceros

Monoceros
The Unicorn

The Unicorn is generally supposed to have been designed by the astronomer Bartsch, but Olbers and Ideler claim that it was invented as early as 1564, and Scaliger is said to have found it on an ancient Persian sphere.

It is situated in the space between Orion, the two Dogs, and the Hydra, The Chinese asterisms, "the Four Great Canals" and "the Outer Kitchen," lay in this region of the sky.

Argelander assigned sixty-six stars to it, and Heis one hundred and twelve.

Monoceros contains many fine star clusters, but no stars brighter than a 3.6 magnitude.