Background:
Centaurus, the half-man, half-horse creature, is a large constellation in the southern region of the sky enveloping Crux. Centaurus contains the two "pointer" stars - alpha and beta Centauri. The triple star Alpha Centauri is the nearest solar system to our own (Proxima Centauri, faintest and smallest of the three Alpha Centauri Suns, is closest to our Sun). Centaurus partly lies within the Milky Way region of the sky and contains a few exquisite deep sky objects, most prominently the open cluster NGC 3766, the globular cluster Omega Centauri and the large galaxy, Centaurus A. Centaurus in ancient Greek mythology, was a wise Centaur named Chiron, unlike the wild and savage centaurs normally found. It taught heroes such as Hercules and Jason.

Where is it?
Centaurus lies partly within a relatively rich part of the Milky Way region in the southern skies. It envelops the constellation of Crux and borders on Vela to the west and Lupus to the east. It is most prominent from early to mid winter for its southern hemisphere observers, in the evenings.

Finding it:
Centaurus can be difficult to learn in its complete form, but certain of its stars are extremely easy to identify. Starting with the bright pointer stars is a good idea. Work your way up and to the west through the stars enveloping Crux. Fill in the rest as you get more experienced. Its bright stars near Lupus can become confusing - excercise and revision will help you identify it quicker.