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Sextans
Constellation on the celestial equator / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the constellation. For the ancient Roman coin, see sextans (coin). For the Sextans dwarf galaxy, see Sextans Dwarf Spheroidal.
Sextans is a faint, minor constellation on the celestial equator which was introduced in 1687 by Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius. Its name is Latin for the astronomical sextant, an instrument that Hevelius made frequent use of in his observations.
Quick Facts Abbreviation, Genitive ...
Constellation | |
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Abbreviation | Sex |
---|---|
Genitive | Sextantis, Sextansis |
Pronunciation | /ˈsɛkstənz/, genitive /sɛksˈtæntɪs/ |
Symbolism | the Sextant |
Right ascension | 09h 41m 04.8653s–10h 51m 30.2447s[1] |
Declination | 6.4327669°–−11.6621428°[1] |
Quadrant | SQ2 |
Area | 314 sq. deg. (47th) |
Main stars | 3 |
Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 28 |
Stars with planets | 5 |
Stars brighter than 3.00m | 0 |
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 5 |
Brightest star | α Sex (4.49m) |
Messier objects | 0 |
Meteor showers | Sextantids |
Bordering constellations | Leo Hydra Crater |
Visible at latitudes between +80° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of April. |
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