Fornax
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 List of stars in Fornax |
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| Abbreviation | For |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Fornacis |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfɔrnæks/, genitive /fɔrˈneɪsɨs/ |
| Symbolism | the furnace |
| Right ascension | 3 h |
| Declination | −30° |
| Family | La Caille |
| Quadrant | SQ1 |
| Area | 398 sq. deg. (41st) |
| Main stars | 2 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
27 |
| Stars with known planets |
3 |
| Stars brighter than 3m | 0 |
| Stars within 10 pc (32.6 ly) | 2 |
| Brightest star | α For (3.87m) |
| Nearest star | HD 14412 ( ly, pc) |
| Messier objects | None |
| Meteor showers | None |
| Bordering constellations |
Cetus Sculptor Phoenix Eridanus |
| Visible at latitudes between +50° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of December. |
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Fornax is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for furnace. It was created in the eighteenth century and is now one of the 88 modern constellations.
Contents |
[edit] History
Fornax was identified by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1756. He originally called it Fornax Chemica ("chemical furnace"), representing a small solid fuel heater used for heating chemical experiments.
[edit] Notable features
Fornax has been the target of investigations into the furthest reaches of the universe. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field is located within Fornax, and the Fornax Cluster, a small cluster of galaxies, lies primarily within Fornax. At a meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society in Britain, a team from University of Queensland described 40 unknown "dwarf" galaxies in this constellation; follow-up observations with the Hubble Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope revealed that Ultra Compact Dwarfs are much smaller than previously known dwarf galaxies, about 120 light-years across (Hilker M. et. al., 2007).
NGC 1316 is a notably bright elliptical galaxy within the Fornax Cluster. The galaxy is also one of the brightest radio sources in the sky.
[edit] References
- Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.
- Hilker M. et. al.Weighing Ultracompact Dwarf Galaxies in the Fornax Cluster, Astronomical Science, The Messenger 129 – September 2007. The Messenger is a quarterly journal presenting ESO's activities to the public.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fornax |
- The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Fornax
- Starry Night Photography - Fornax Constellation
- Star Tales – Fornax
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