Additional Information
Piscis Austrinus is a constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere. The name is Latin for "the southern fish", in contrast with the larger constellation Pisces, which represents a pair of fish. Before the 20th century, it was also known as Piscis Notius. Piscis Austrinus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. The stars of the modern constellation Grus once formed the "tail" of Piscis Austrinus. In 1597 (or 1598), Petrus Plancius carved out a separate constellation and named it after the crane.
Pisces Austrinus originated with the Babylonian constellation simply known as the Fish (MUL.KU). Professor of astronomy Bradley Schaefer has proposed that ancient observers must have been able to see as far south as Mu Piscis Austrini to define a pattern that looked like a fish. Along with the eagle Aquila, the crow Corvus and the water snake Hydra, Piscis Austrinus was introduced to the Ancient Greeks around 500 BCE; the constellations marked the summer and winter solstices, respectively.
In Greek mythology, this constellation is known as the Great Fish and it is portrayed as swallowing the water being poured out by Aquarius, the water-bearer constellation. The two fish of the constellation Pisces are said to be the offspring of the Great Fish. In Egyptian mythology, this fish saved the life of the Egyptian goddess Isis, so she placed this fish and its descendants into the heavens as constellations of stars. In the 5th century BC, Greek historian Ctesias wrote that the fish was said to have lived in a lake near Bambyce in Syria and had saved Derceto, daughter of Aphrodite, and for this deed was placed in the heavens. For this reason, fish were sacred and not eaten by many Syrians. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piscis_Austrinus)
From a series of 36 constellations after Michael Scotus in the Heidelberger Schicksalsbuch. The Heidelberger Schicksalsbuch (Heidelberg Book of Fate) consists of two volumes: Cod. Pal. germ. 831 (today: Cod. Pal. germ. 298) and Cod. Pal. germ. 832.
Further information on the books: Numerous rotae, diagrams, and tables. In the margin of the plates, frequent reference to the explanatory texts (e.g.: Canon 15 a). Two full-page astrological-astronomical rotations in opaque color painting on a gold ground by Berthold Furtmeyr, the 542 further, mostly framed miniatures in opaque color painting, partly on a gold ground, are by Thomas Schilt; on the illumination see Zimmermann, Das Heidelberger Schicksalsbuch. The manuscript was no longer bound after the partial facsimile in 1981. The former binding is kept separately: brown calf leather binding over wood on six frets (four of which are double frets) with individual stamps (coats of arms) and strike-iron lines in gold for Pope Alexander VII. (Fabio Chigi; officiated 1655-1667). Round signature plate, modern: Pal. Germ. 832. On the back cover is an astrolabe, a device for measuring angles in the sky, with movable discs and hands.
Further information to provenance: The large format and the other upscale features make it likely that the codex was made for a wealthy client, probably from noble circles. There are indications that the manuscript was written for Elector Philip the Sincere of the Palatinate and his wife, Margarethe of Bavaria-Landshut. This is supported by the coats of arms of the Palatinate and Bavaria in the spandrels of the two rotations (16r, 103r). In terms of content, the text of the manuscript is a compilation of various astrological-astronomical prints that originate from the Augsburg workshop of Erhard Ratdolt. Among them, the latest is the edition (GW n0376) of the so-called "German Hyginus", an astronomical-mythological manual, published in 1491.
The miniatures are also directly dependent on the woodcut illustrations of Ratdolt's incunabula. From the fact that the lunar plates of the calendar also begin in 1491, it can be concluded that the manuscript was created in that year or shortly thereafter. Listed in the inventory of the Church of the Holy Spirit when it was cataloged in 1581: Vatican BAV Pal. lat. 1939, 83r [MathematiciJ: Calender/ Finsternuß/ Geomantia etc. geschrieben perment, in fol bretter weiß leder schloß, schon illuminirt (identically Pal. lat. 1938, 72v). (https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/miller2016/0586/image; translated by Danica Brenner)