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Concept
Lupus (constellation)
Summary
Lupus is a constellation of the mid-Southern Sky. Its name is Latin for wolf. Lupus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations but was long an asterism associated with the just westerly, larger constellation Centaurus.
In ancient times, the constellation was considered an asterism within Centaurus, and was considered to have been an arbitrary animal, killed, or about to be killed, on behalf of, or for, Centaurus. An alternative visualization, attested by Eratosthenes, saw this constellation as a wineskin held by Centaurus. It was not separated from Centaurus until Hipparchus of Bithynia named it Therion (Fera meaning "beast") in the 2nd century BC.
The Greek constellation is probably based on the Babylonian figure known as the Mad Dog (UR.IDIM). This was a strange hybrid creature that combined the head and torso of a man with the legs and tail of a lion (the cuneiform sign 'UR' simply refers to a large carnivore; lions, wolves and dogs are all included). It is often found in association with the sun god and another mythical being called the Bison-man, which is supposedly related to the Greek constellation of Centaurus.
In Arab folk astronomy, Lupus, together with Centaurus were collectively called الشماريخ al-Shamareekh, meaning the dense branches of the date palm's fruit.
Later, in Islamic Medieval astronomy, it was named السبع al-Sab', which is a term used for any predatory wild beast (same as the Greek therion), as a separate constellation, but drawn together with Centaurus. In some manuscripts of Al-Sufi's Book of Fixed Stars and celestial globes, it was drawn as a lion; in others, it is drawn as a wolf, both conforming to the Sab''' name.
In Europe, no particular animal was associated with it until the Latin translation of Ptolemy's work identified it with the wolf.
Lupus is bordered by six different constellations, although one of them (Hydra) merely touches at the corner.
Official source
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