Pyxis: A small constellation in the southern sky that represents a mariner's compass. It was introduced by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century and is one of the 88 modern constellations.
Stars: Pyxis has three bright stars that form a rough line: Alpha, Beta and Gamma Pyxidis. It also contains several variable stars, binary stars, white dwarfs and brown dwarfs. Three stars have confirmed exoplanets.
Deep sky objects: Pyxis lies in the plane of the Milky Way and contains a planetary nebula (NGC 2818), a globular cluster (Pyxis globular cluster), and several galaxies (NGC 2613, Henize 2-10, etc.).
History and mythology: Pyxis was originally part of the ancient constellation Argo Navis, the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. It was later separated and renamed by Lacaille to honor the Age of Enlightenment. In Chinese astronomy, it was part of a celestial temple.
Read about other constellations