Crater is a small constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere,
one of 48 listed by the second-century astronomer Ptolemy. It depicts a
krater, a type of cup used by the Greeks to water down wine, perched on
the back of Hydra, the water snake, to its south and west. It has been
associated with the mythological god Apollo. It is also bordered by Leo
and Virgo to the north, Corvus to the east, and Sextans to the
northwest. There is no star brighter than third magnitude in the
constellation. Its two brightest stars, Delta Crateris of magnitude 3.56
and Alpha Crateris of magnitude 4.07, are ageing orange giant stars that
are cooler and larger than the Sun. Beta Crateris is a binary star
system composed of a white giant star and a white dwarf. Seven star
systems have been found to host planets. A few galaxies, including
Crater 2 and NGC 3981, and a quasar lie within the borders of the
constellation.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crater_%28constellation%29>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1864:
Canada's worst railway accident took place when a passenger
train fell through an open swing bridge into the Richelieu River near
present-day Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St-Hilaire_train_disaster>
1927:
The United States Army Air Corps aircraft Bird of Paradise
landed at Wheeler Field on the Hawaiian island of Oahu to complete the
first transpacific flight.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_of_Paradise_%28aircraft%29>
1974:
Isabel Perón was sworn in as the first female acting President
of Argentina, replacing her ill husband Juan, who died two days later.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Mart%C3%ADnez_de_Per%C3%B3n>
1995:
The Shuttle–Mir Program began when Space Shuttle Atlantis
became the first space shuttle to dock with the Russian space station
Mir.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuttle%E2%80%93Mir_Program>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
citerior:
(literary) Chiefly in place names: situated on the nearer side.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/citerior>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man
contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.
--Antoine de Saint Exupéry
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Antoine_de_Saint_Exup%C3%A9ry>