Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Crater
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Quizzes
Ursa major constellation illustration art. (Big Dipper) stars, space, night sky)
Stars: Explosions in Space
Read Next
Colorful winter sunset
What's the Difference Between a Solstice and an Equinox?
Discover
Adolf Hitler (Nazi, nazism, German leader).
9 Things You Might Not Know About Adolf Hitler
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece
Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
Confucius statue at a Confucian Temple in Shanghai, China. Confucianism religion
What is the Difference Between Daoism and Confucianism?
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
Plato (left) and Aristotle, detail from School of Athens, fresco by Raphael, 1508-11; in the Stanza della Segnatura, the Vatican. Plato points to the heavens and the realm of Forms, Aristotle to the earth and the realm of things.
Plato and Aristotle: How Do They Differ?

Crater

constellation
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/Crater-constellation
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Written by
Erik Gregersen
Erik Gregersen is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica, specializing in the physical sciences and technology. Before joining Britannica in 2007, he worked at the University of Chicago Press on the...
Erik Gregersen
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Latin:
“Cup”
See all related content

Crater, constellation in the southern sky at about 11 hours right ascension and 20° south in declination. The brightest star in Crater is Delta Crateris, with a visual magnitude of 3.56. In Greek mythology this constellation is associated with Corvus (Latin: “Raven”) and Hydra (Latin: “Water Snake”). The god Apollo sent the crow to fetch water in a cup for a sacrifice. The crow landed near a fig tree and neglected its mission for several days while it waited for the figs to ripen. The crow returned to Apollo with a water snake, which it blamed for blocking the spring. Angered by the crow’s failure, Apollo cast the crow, the cup, and the water snake into the sky.

Erik Gregersen