- Sextans
Infobox Constellation
name = Sextans
abbreviation = Sex
genitive = Sextantis, Sextansis
symbology = the Sextant
RA = 10
dec= 0
areatotal = 314
arearank = 47th
numbermainstars = 3
numberbfstars = 28
numberstarsplanets = 2
numberbrightstars = 0
numbernearbystars = 1
brighteststarname = α Sex
starmagnitude = 4.49
neareststarname =LHS 292
stardistance = 14.8
numbermessierobjects = None
meteorshowers =Sextantids
bordering = Leo
Hydra
Crater
latmax = 80
latmin = 80
month = April
notes=Sextans (pronEng|ˈsɛkstənz, _la. sextant) is a minor equatorial
constellation which was introduced in the 17th century byJohannes Hevelius .Being a modern constellation, Sextans has no mythology associated with it. It was designed to represent an astronomical sextant, an instrument that Hevelius made frequent use of in his observations.
Notable features
Sextans is not a particularly bright
constellation . It has only one star above the fifth magnitude, namely α Sextantis at 4.49m. The constellation contains a fewdouble star s, including γ, 35, and40 Sextantis . There are few notablevariable star s, including β, 25,23 Sextantis , andLHS 292 .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
* [http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/sextans/ The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Sextans]
* [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/sextans.htm Star Tales – Sextans]
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