Sculptor (constellation)
| Constellation | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | Scl |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Sculptoris |
| Pronunciation | /ˈskʌlptər/, genitive /skəlpˈtɒrɨs/ |
| Right ascension | 0 |
| Declination | −30 |
| Area | 475 sq. deg. (36th) |
| Main stars | 4 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 18 |
| Stars with planets | 2 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 0 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 0 |
| Brightest star | α Scl (4.31m) |
| Messier objects | 0 |
| Bordering constellations | Cetus Aquarius Piscis Austrinus Grus Phoenix Fornax |
| Visible at latitudes between +50° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of November. | |
Sculptor is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. It represents a sculptor. It was introduced by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the eighteenth century. He originally named it Apparatus Sculptoris (the sculptor's studio), but the name was later shortened.
Notable features
No bright stars brighter than 3rd magnitude are located in Sculptor. The brightest star is α Sculptoris, an SX Arietis-type variable star with the magnitude of only 4.31m. This is explained by the fact that Sculptor contains the south galactic pole where stellar density is very low.
The constellation contains the Sculptor Dwarf, a dwarf galaxy which is a member of the Local Group, as well as the Sculptor Group, the group of galaxies closest to the Local Group. The Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253), a barred spiral galaxy and the largest member of the group, lies near the border between Sculptor and Cetus. Another prominent member of the group is the irregular galaxy NGC 55.
References
- Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.
External links
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