Lupus is a wolf shaped constellation. It has a double star: Epsilon, Lupa, Kappa, Mu, Xi, and Pi. It has a starcluster NGC 5822.
What makes constellations?
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Scorpius
This is scorpion shaped. Its brightest star is Antares which is a rival to Mars. It has a double star Beta Scorpii. Its gobular cluster is M4 and M80. M6 and M7 are its two open star clusters.
Perseus
This is a legendary Greek hero. The constellation has red giant stars known as Eta Persei , Beta Persei and Rho Persei which are red giants. It has a double cluster consisting of NGC 869 and NGC 884. It has a meteor shower every August and this is one of the strongest.
Octans
This constellation is the celestial South Pole. Lambda Octanis is a double star within this. lowing: M9, M10, M12, M14, M19,w M62, and M107. It also has one open cluster which is IC4665. The single star within it is called the Bernard Star which is approximately six lightyears away.
Pegasis
This is a winged horse constellation. This however is also seen as a square. It has a gobular cluster M15.
Lepus
This constellation is located beneath Orions feet. R Leporis is a deeply red star, which has a 430 day life. It also has five other stars within the cluster NGC 2017.
Rigel
This constellation has blue/white star, which is approximately 48,000 times larger then are sun. It is 900 lightyears year away. It has a double star Delta Zeta and Lota Lamba.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Gemini
Within the Gemini constellation there are 2 striking stars which are Pullox, both Alpha and Beta stars. Within this there are six stars.
Cygnus
Cygnus is swan shape also known as Denub. Denub is one of the most luminous stars in this constellation. It is a point of the summer triangle. Its the closest constellation to us at only 11 lightyears away.
Hercules
Hercules contains over 300,000 stars. It formed a gobular cluster. Alpha Herculis is a double red giant star. They are Ro Kappa and 95 Hercules
Hydra
Hydra is in the form of a water snake. It is one of the largest and brightest constellations in the sky. Alphard contains three Messier clusters. M48 is a cluster of eighty stars. M68 is a small gobular cluster. The third Messier cluster is a spiral galaxy and Nebula, NGC 3242.
Leo
This is shaped is in the formation of a lion. It is made up of several galaxies the sun travels through; M65, M66, M95, M96, M105 which is a faint elliptical, Rleonis which is faint at a 310 rotation, and Zeto. TauLeonis is a spectacular meteor shower within this constellation.
Eridanus
This constellation is at the other end of Orion. It is 10.7 lightyears away. It has a double star Theta 32 Erandi and NYC-1535.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Coma Berenices
Coma Berenices is a constellation in a V formation. It is made up of many galaxies. It shares a few with Virgo.
Carina
Carina was part of Argo Navis. Its brightest star is Canopus. Its the second brightest constellation in the sky. It also is the home of the Nova Star.
Canis Minor
Canis Minor is a little dog. Its brightest star is Procyon.In Canis Major, the brightest star is Sirius. It is 8.6 lightyears away. Sirius is 36 times brighter then our sun.
Canes Venatici
Canes Venatici contains a whirlpool, which is the finest spiral galaxy. Lord Rosse first detected this in 1845, he was located in Ireland.
Bootes
Bootes is one of the brightest constellation in the sky. One of the brightest in the Bootes constellation is Arcturus. This constellation has a double star within it.
Camelpardais
Camelpardais is a constellation which is far north close to the celestial north pole. It has a double star Strave which was discovered in 1964 and a cluster NGC 1502 and NGC 2403.
Auriga
Auriga is a polygonal shaped constellation. Some auraras are neighboring this constellation, it is known as Beta Tauri. The brightest star is Capella and Alpha Aurigue.
It has a rich star cluster around it, M-36 to M-38, and M-37 which is an open cluster. Auriga fades every 27 years due to cloud debris. It eclipses every two years.
Centaurus
This constellation has both alpha and beta stars in it. The alpha is the star closest to our own sun.
Aries
Aries is the Greek god of war. It also is a constallation. It was the earliest double star found. Lamba and Pi are two other stars found within this consellation. Their is a "First point of Aries," when the Sun appears to cross the celestial equator.
Aquarius
Our Sun passes through Aquarius every February. This is a Helix Nebula. It is located 700 lightyears away. It appears as a giant eye.
Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia is rich with Milky Way stars. This constellation has two open clusters. However it slowed down over the past few decades.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Ara
Ara contains NGC 6397. It is the closest globular cluster to us. It is 8400 lightyears away. It has seven planets.
Apus
Apus was identified in the sixteenth century. It has a double star known as Delta. It has four main stars. Two of the stars have planets. Its brightest star is Aps.
Andromeda
Andromeda is a constellation.
Its brightest star is Alpheratz. It is a quarter of the size of Pegasis.