Phoenix (constellation)
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Phoenix constellation |
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| Latin name | Phoenix |
| Latin genitive | Phoenicis |
| Abbreviation | Phe |
| Right ascension | 23 h 26 m 46 s to 02 h 25 m 03 s |
| declination | −57 ° 50 ′ 54 ″ to −39 ° 18 ′ 14 ″ |
| surface | 469,319 deg² rank 37th |
| Completely visible | 31.0 ° N to 90 ° S |
| Observation time for Central Europe | not visible |
| Number of stars brighter than 3 mag | 1 |
| Brightest star (size) | Ankaa (2.39) |
| Meteor streams | |
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Neighboring constellations ( clockwise from north ) |
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| swell | IAU , |
The phoenix from the Uranometria by Johann Bayer |
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Phoenix ( Latin : Phoenix ) is a constellation in the southern sky.
description
The phoenix is a less prominent constellation north of the bright star Achernar in Eridanus . Only the main star α Phoenicis ( Ankaa ) is brighter than the 3rd magnitude .
Due to its southern location, the phoenix cannot be seen from Germany. In more southern latitudes such as Switzerland , in Austria south of the Danube and in the extreme south of Germany, the northernmost star rises just above the southern horizon.
history
The phoenix is one of the constellations introduced by Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman at the end of the 16th century . Johann Bayer took it over in his 1603 heavenly atlas Uranometria .
In contrast to the altar, the phoenix does not belong to the 48 ancient constellations, although the altar constellation is a bit further south than the phoenix and does not consist of significantly brighter stars. The reason for this is that due to precession , the phoenix has migrated 15 degrees north in the past 3000 years. Around 1000 BC Chr. On Crete (35 ° N) no star of the phoenix could be seen. Today almost the whole constellation comes over the horizon there, in 600 years the phoenix will be completely visible there. By 9200 the constellation will continue to migrate north and even rise completely above the horizon in Denmark. After that, the precession will move the phoenix back south. With the constellation Altar it was the other way round, it was more northern in antiquity than it is today.
mythology
In Egyptian mythology , the phoenix was a bird that appeared on the primeval hill when the world was created (see Benu ). He was revered as holy and mostly viewed as the personification of the sun god . It was later adopted by the ancient Greeks and Romans , with different meanings over time. The version known today of a bird that burns itself and rises from its own ashes, dates from the 1st century AD.
Celestial objects
Stars
| B. | F. | Names or other designations | size | Lj | Spectral class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| α | Ankaa , Nair al Zaurak, Cymbae | 2.39 m | 77 | K0 III | |
| β | 3.32 m | 200 | G8 III + G8 III | ||
| γ | 3.41 m | 234 | M0 IIIa | ||
| ε | 3.88 m | 140 | K0 III | ||
| κ | 3.93 m | 77 | A7 V | ||
| δ | 3.93 m | 147 | K0 III | ||
| ζ | 3.94 | 280 | B6 V + B9 V | ||
| η | 4.36 | 240 | A0 IV | ||
| ψ | 4.39 | 321 | M4 III | ||
| μ | 4.59 | 247 | G8 III | ||
| ι | 4.69 | 274 | A2 Vp SrCrEu | ||
| HR 8959 | 4.74 | 201 | A2 V | ||
| λ 1 | 4.77 | 717 | A0 V | ||
| HR 574 | 4.82 | 267 | G8 III | ||
| ν | 4.97 | 49 | F8 V | ||
| φ | 5.12 | 309 | A3 V | ||
| π | 5.13 | 257 | K0 III | ||
| χ | 5.15 | 372 | K5 III | ||
| σ | 5.18 | 592 | B3 V | ||
| υ | 5.21 | 198 | A3 IV | ||
| ρ | 5.24 | 250 | F2 III | ||
| HR 299 | 5.39 | 235 | G8 III | ||
| HR 408 | 5.42 | 247 | K0 III | ||
| HR 109 | 5.42 | 415 | M0 III | ||
| HR 519 | 5.49 | 680 | M3 III |
α Phoenicis is an orange star of the spectral class K0 III, 77 light years away . It has 2.5 times the mass and 10 times the diameter of our sun . The name Ankaa is of Arabic origin and refers to a bird from Arabic mythology.
Multiple stars
| system | Sizes | distance |
|---|---|---|
| β | 4.0 / 4.2 m | 1.6 " |
| γ | ||
| ζ | 3.6 to 4.1 / 7.2 / 8.2 m | 0.8 / 6.4 " |
The binary star system β Phoenicis is about 200 light years away.
ζ Phoenicis is a multiple star system , consisting of four stars, 300 light years away. Three stars can be seen in a medium telescope . A fourth star orbits the main star so closely that it cannot be observed directly. He regularly darkens the star.
Variable stars
| Stars | size | period | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| γ | 3.4 m to 3.5 m | Beta Lyrae Star + Slowly Irregularly Changing Star | |
| ζ | 3.9 m to 4.3 m | 1,669 days | Algolstern |
| SX | 6.8 m to 7.5 m | 79 minutes | SX phoenix star |
ζ Phoenicis is an eclipsing star of the Algol type . A faint companion orbits the main star at a close distance in the plane of vision to our earth. Every 1,669 days the weaker star passes in front of the main star and obscures it for the terrestrial observer. SX Phoenicis is the namesake of the SX-Phoenix stars, a group of variable stars that show vibrations similar to the Delta Scuti stars with significantly lower metallicity .
NGC objects
| NGC | other | size | Type | Surname |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 625 | Galaxy | |||
| 7689 | 11.5 m | Barred spiral galaxy |
See also
Web links
