Navicula S. Petri

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Authors: Doris Vickers


Navicula Sancti Petri, the constellation of the Barque of Saint Peter the Apostle, is an Early Modern, European constellation in Ursa Major. It was introduced by Julius Schiller.  

Julius Schiller (d. 1627) was an Augustinian monk and astronomer from Augsburg. In collaboration with Johann Bayer, he published the Coelum Stellatum Christianum, an attempt to "Christianize" the heavens. Schiller organized the heavens by placing New Testament symbols in the north and Old Testament figures in the south, while famously replacing the twelve zodiac signs with the Twelve Apostles.

Unlike Bayer’s famous Uranometria, Schiller’s work remained a historical curiosity. He depicted the stars mirror-reversed, viewing the firmament from "God’s perspective" looking down toward Earth, a style common for celestial globes but rare for printed maps. Despite its radical imagery, the atlas remained scientifically rigorous for its time. Schiller utilized Johann Bayer's data, which was largely based on the precise observations of Tycho Brahe.  

Concordance, Etymology, History

Origin of Constellation

where was it mentioned, what is the earliest source ...

Spelling Variants

  • ... (Latin Genitive)
  • ... (Latin Nominative)
  • ... (Latin Dative? / Translation )

Identifications

Depending on the season and context, the term "..." can have the following identifications:

  • (a) The ... (also ..., ...)
  • (b) The ... (also ..., ...)
  • (c) The tail of ... (... Scorpii)

Sources, Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

Here we give a list of all sources where the name is attested.

Source Identification
Pleiades
The Hyades
The tail of Scorpius (η, θ, ι, κ, λ, and υ Scorpii)

Religion/ Mythology

mnemonic tales and cultural significance

References