Centaurus

American  

[sen-tawr-uhs] / sɛnˈtɔr əs /

noun

Centauri genitive

1. Astronomy. the Centaur, a southern constellation between Lupus and Vela, containing the triple-star system Alpha Centauri.

---

Centaurus British  

/ sɛnˈtɔːrəs /

noun

1. Also called: The Centaur.  a conspicuous extensive constellation in the S hemisphere, close to the Southern Cross, that contains two first magnitude stars, Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri, and the globular cluster Omega Centauri

---

Centaurus Scientific  

/ sĕn-tôr′əs /

1. A constellation in the Southern Hemisphere near the Southern Cross and Libra. Centaurus (the Centaur) contains Alpha Centauri, the star nearest Earth.

---

Etymology

Origin of Centaurus

From Latin; see origin at centaur

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Centaurus Centauri

The researchers then tested a ceramide-lowering drug candidate created by Centaurus Therapeutics, a company co-founded by Summers.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2025

Using a telescope in Chile, the Spanish-led team spotted a cloud of debris in the same orbit as an already confirmed planet circling this star, 370 light-years away in the constellation Centaurus.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 19, 2023

It took place at a location more than 8000 light-years away from our Earth in the direction of Alpha Centauri, between the constellations of Circinus and Centaurus.

From Space Scoop ● Mar. 21, 2023

Centaurus is now amassing the animal safety data the U.S.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 15, 2023

In this enumeration Serpens is included in Serpentarius and Lupus in Centaurus; these two constellations were separated by Hipparchus and, later, by Ptolemy.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 2 "Constantine Pavlovich" to "Convention" by Various

The closest star, Proxima Centauri, is marked at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles to reflect its true distance.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

Imagine, he says, wanting to send a single paperclip to our neighboring star, Proxima Centauri.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026

The closest red dwarf to us is Proxima Centauri.

From Space Scoop ● Nov. 28, 2025

The closest Earth-like exoplanet to us -- and possibly the most famous -- is Proxima Centauri b, which is only 4 light-years away.

From Science Daily ● May 23, 2024

The optical sensors seem to have mistaken Alpha and Beta Centauri for Canopus.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan