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Star Lore Gallus The Rooster

Gallus is a now obsolete constellation, created in 1612 by Petrus Plancius.

In 1612, Dutch-Flemish astronomer and cartographer Petrus Plancius designed six new constellations in the northern hemisphere and along the celestial equator. They were first shown in 1613 on a globe published by Pieter van den Keere and later in two star maps by Jakob Bartsch (in 1624) and Isaac Habrecht II (in 1628). Gallus in the maps of Bartsch and Habrecht Gallus was a small constellation, nested between Canis Major and Argo Navis. Its main stars (by modern designation) were τ CMa and η CMa. Plancius did not leave any record other than his globes and maps, so, his reasoning behind the creation of this constellation is unknown. German astronomer Jakob Bartsch looking for Christian interpretations of constellations saw Gallus as the rooster Jesus referred to in his prediction "This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." (Matthew 26:33-35). This, of course, is only Bartsch's interpretation, not necessarily Plancius' reasoning. But it may have been Bartsch's reason to include the rooster in the map of his book Usus Astronomicus Planisphaerii Stellati, published in 1624. This may have ensured the survival of the constellation for another 50 years. It also appeared in Isaac Habrecht's 1628 star map Planiglobium coeleste et terrestre and in Andreas Cellarius's famous collection Harmonia Macrocosmica in 1660. Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius did not include the Rooster in his trendsetting star atlas Firmamentum Sobiescianum, published in 1690. Soon after that, Gallus was forgotten. So much so that the only depiction in the last 300 years that I could find was a beautiful painting called Quasar Cockerel by US-American artist Lisa Bohnwagner. Sources: Wikipedia, Ian Ridpath, John C. Barentine: The Lost Constellations

Gallus on Plancius' globe of 1613 Source:atlascoelestis.com Gallus (mirrored) in Harmonia Macrocosmica Quasar Cockerel - The Lost Constellations © Lisa Bohnwagner

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