Dictionary term
Peacock
Direct answer
Peacock is Alpha Pavonis, a hot blue-white spectroscopic binary and the brightest star in Pavo.
Peacock is the bright named star at the head of the southern Peacock.
Peacock is the bright named star at the head of the southern Peacock.
A symbolic locator, not a substitute for an observational chart at a specific place and time.Quick reference
- Use when
- Find Peacock between Indus and Telescopium, then trace Pavo southward toward Octans.
- Do not use it for
- Not every familiar-looking proper name is ancient; Peacock has a documented modern navigation origin.
- Reference category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Related terms
- Nunki, Alnair, Avior, Little Dipper
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The story behind Peacock
The English proper name was coined for navigational use and is now approved by the IAU.
Peacock in spiritual tradition
Peacock shows that living navigation practice can still add disciplined names to the sky.
Peacock: fact and faith, kept distinct
This is a factual sky reference. It can support wonder and orientation without turning a measured position or inherited pattern into a claim of fate or private revelation.
Peacock in numerology
Peacock is not a numerology claim. Any numbers attached to it should retain their ordinary scientific, calendrical, navigational, or historical meaning unless a separate symbolic interpretation is clearly labeled.
Why Peacock matters
Its clear southern position made it useful enough for twentieth-century navigational almanacs to assign a practical proper name.
Peacock at work: an example
Spectroscopy reveals orbital motion in a system that unaided eyes perceive as one blue-white point.
Where interpretation stops
Peacock is presented as sourced astronomy, calendrical, Earth-science, cultural, or instrument-history reference. Definitions should distinguish measured phenomena from civil convention and historical interpretation, preserve location and time dependencies, and avoid turning factual sky data into a deterministic personal claim.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- IAU Division C Working Group on Star Names - Official IAU working group responsible for standardizing star names used in international astronomy.
- CDS SIMBAD Astronomical Database - Professional astronomical database for stellar identifiers, positions, classifications, and bibliography.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Also appears in
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-16
Open Pavo from its brightest star
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Common questions
What is Peacock?
Peacock is Alpha Pavonis, a hot blue-white spectroscopic binary and the brightest star in Pavo.
How is Peacock used in an almanac?
Find Peacock between Indus and Telescopium, then trace Pavo southward toward Octans.
What should I avoid when interpreting Peacock?
Not every familiar-looking proper name is ancient; Peacock has a documented modern navigation origin.
