Lynx (constellation)
Constellation Lynx |
|
---|---|
Latin name | Lynx |
Latin genitive | Lyncis |
Abbreviation | Lyn |
Right ascension | 06 h 16 m 14 s to 09 h 42 m 50 s |
declination | + 32 ° 58 ′ 09 ″ to + 61 ° 57 ′ 51 ″ |
surface | 545,386 deg² rank 28 |
Completely visible | 90 ° N to 28.3 ° S |
Observation time for Central Europe | All year round |
Number of stars brighter than 3 mag | 0 |
Brightest star (size) | α Lyncis (3.13) |
Meteor streams |
no |
Neighboring constellations ( clockwise from north ) |
|
swell | IAU , |
The lynx (Latin Lynx ) is an inconspicuous constellation in the northern sky.
description
The lynx consists of a chain of faint stars. Only the brightest, α Lyncis, reaches the 3rd size class . It is also the only star in the constellation that was designated with a Greek letter. The remaining stars are generally indicated by their Flamsteed numbers . The lynx is difficult to spot in the sky. It is located in a relatively star-poor area between the Great Bear and the Gemini . The northern part of the lynx is circumpolar .
history
The constellation was introduced in the sky by the Gdańsk astronomer Johannes Hevelius and first appeared in his sky atlas in 1690 . When John Flamsteed numbered the stars at the beginning of the 18th century, there were no precisely defined constellation boundaries. These were not established by the IAU until 1930 . Some stars that were too far away from the original constellation were reassigned to new constellations. Therefore, the star 10 UMa (Ursa Majoris = Big Bear) is in the lynx today. Conversely, there is 41 Lyncis in the Big Bear.
Celestial objects
Stars
star | Names | size |
---|---|---|
α Lyn | 3.13 m | |
HR 3579 | 3.97 m | |
31 Lyn | Alsciaukat | 4.3 m |
α Lyncis is a red giant of spectral class K9 III, 170 light years away .
Double stars
object | Sizes | distance |
---|---|---|
15 Lyn | 4.35 m / 10.7 m | |
38 Lyn | 3.82 m / 6.4 m | 2.7 " |
15 Lyn is a quadruple system. The two brightest components - A (4.45 m ) and B (5.50 m ) - can only be separated in a large telescope , distance 0.6 "(2009). Two weaker components, C (12.20 m ) and D (10.74 m ) are 39.8 "and 186.6", respectively, from the main component.
38 Lyncis is a binary star system around 120 light years away. The two components are separated by 2.7 arc seconds and can therefore be resolved in a small telescope .
NGC objects
Messier (M) | NGC | other | size | Type | Surname |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2419 | 10.3 m | Globular clusters | |||
2683 | 10.0 m | Galaxy | |||
2770 | 12.0 m | Galaxy |
In the lynx is the galaxy NGC 2683 .