Poniatowski’s Bull Constellation Survives as Asterism in Ophiuchus

Summary: The obsolete Poniatowski’s Bull constellation survives as a v-shaped asterism in Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer constellation.

Taurus Poniatovii (Poniatowski’s Bull) in German astronomer Johann Elert Bode’s 1801 star atlas, Uranographia: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Hovering near the celestial equator in the celestial northern hemisphere, the obsolete Poniatowski’s Bull constellation survives as a v-shaped asterism, marking the bull’s face, in Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer constellation.

In 1777, Polish-Lithuanian Jesuit astronomer Marcin Odlanick Poczobutt (Oct. 30, 1728-Feb. 7, 1810) designated stars in northeastern Ophiuchus as a new, bull-themed constellation. His new constellation honored Stanisław II August (Jan. 17, 1732-Feb. 12, 1798), a member of Poland’s noble, prominent House of Poniatowski. A conscientious patron of arts and sciences, he reigned as last King and Grand Duke of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from Sept. 6, 1764, until his abdication Nov. 25, 1795.

The House of Poniatowski numbers among the szlachta (“nobility”) using the Ciołek clan’s coat of arms. The Ciołek coat of arms features a bull and a crown. King Stanisław II August’s coat of arms comprises a quarterly-parted escutcheon (Latin: scutum, “shield”) topped with a crown. An inescutcheon, or smaller shield, is placed over the middle of the escutcheon. The white-fielded inescutcheon displays a red bull.

Abbot Poczobutt’s inspiration for seeing a new constellation in a space of loose stars was a v-shaped pattern of stars located near Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer’s shoulder. The v-shaped pattern reminded him of the v-shaped Hyades star cluster representing the bovine face in the zodiacal constellation of Taurus the Bull. The abbot mostly constructed his new constellations with stars from Ophiuchus. Aquila the Eagle constellation contributed to the new constellation’s rear edges.

Abbot Poczobutt included his new constellation in his star catalogue, Cahiers des Observations Astronomiques Faites à l’Observatoire Royal de Vilna en 1773, Présentés au Roi, which was published in 1777. German astronomer Johann Elert Bode (Jan. 19, 1747-Nov. 23, 1826) gave the new constellation a wider audience by reprinting Abbot Poczobutt’s starry list in Astronomisches Jahrbuch, an astronomical ephemeris almanac published by Bode since 1776.

French scientific instrument maker Jean Nicolas Fortin (Aug. 9, 1750-1831) claims publication of the first depiction of le Taureau Royal de Poniatowski (“Poniatowski’s Royal Bull”). Fortin collaborated with French astronomers Pierre Charles Le Monnier (Nov. 20, 1715-April 3, 1799) and Charles Messier (June 26, 1730-April 12, 1817) in updating Atlas Coelestis by John Flamsteed (Aug. 19, 1646-Dec. 31, 1719), English astronomer and First Astronomer Royal of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. The star atlas, based upon Flamsteed’s astronomical observations, was posthumously published by the First Astronomer Royal’s widow, Margaret Cooke Flamsteed (ca. 1670-ca. 1730/1739).

In 1776, Fortin published Atlas Céleste, replacing Latin-named constellations with French, as the second edition of Flamsteed’s Atlas Coelestic. Beginning in 1778, the first depiction of Poniatowski’s Bull was added to the copper plates for the Fortin-Flamsteed atlas. Le Taureau Royal de Poniatowski appeared in revisions to Fortin’s second edition. A third edition, published in 1795, also depicted the new constellation.

In the 20th century, Poniatowski’s Bull joined other constellations in obsolescence. The International Astronomical Union (IAU), founded in 1919, whittled the confusing parade of global constellations to 88 modern constellations, which were approved May 1922 at the international association’s inaugural General Assembly, held in Rome, Italy. Constellation boundaries, established in 1930, were ratified in 1933.

As with other obsolete constellations, stars in Poniatowski’s Bull are now firmly settled components of adjacent constellations. The stars that shaped Poniatowski’s Bull are officially restored to the neighboring constellations of Aquila the Eagle and Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

Although no longer listed as a constellation, Poniatowski’s Bull remains as a noticeable, v-shaped asterism in the celestial sphere, the imaginary, Earth-centered sphere projected outward into space. Poniatowski's Bull asterism resides to the east of Beta Ophiuchi (β Ophiuchi; Beta Oph; β Oph) and Gamma Ophiuchi (γ Oph; γ Ophiuchi) in the Serpent Bearer's shoulder.

The takeaway for obsolete Taurus Poniatovii is that Poniatowski’s Bull constellation survives as a v-shaped asterism in Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer constellation.

1810 portrait of Martynas Počobutas (Marcin Odlanick Poczobutt) by Polish-Lithuanian painter Juozapas Oleškevičius (1777-Oct. 5, 1830), Lietuvos Dailės Muziejaus (Lithuanian Art Museum), Vilnius, southeastern Lithuania: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Taurus Poniatovii (Poniatowski’s Bull) in Johann Elert Bode’s 1801 star atlas, Uranographia: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bode_pontowski.jpg

1810 portrait of Martynas Počobutas (Marcin Odlanick Poczobutt) by Polish-Lithuanian painter Juozapas Oleškevičius (1777-Oct. 5, 1830), Lietuvos Dailės Muziejaus (Lithuanian Art Museum), Vilnius, southeastern Lithuania: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marcin_Poczobutt-Odlanicki_1.PNG

For further information:

“Autorius: Oleškevičius, Juozapas, 1777-1830.” Lietuvos Dailės Muziejaus Rinkinys (Lithuanian Art Museum Collection).
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