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Sextans

Astronomy SETISextant

Sextans, a modern constellation that represents the navigator's Sextant, lies due south of the Sickle of Leo. The bright star at the upper edge is Regulus; the one at lower right is Alphard in Hydra.

 


Sextans (Latin for Sextant) is a minor southern constellation which was introduced in the 17th century by Johannes Hevelius.
Notable features
Sextans is not a particularly bright constellation.

Sextans, the sextant:
A modern constellation created by Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in 1690. Originally it was called Sextans Uraniae.

Sextans
Transit Date of principal star:
22 February
Sextans, "The Sextant" is one of a number of constellations devised by Johannes Hevelius, and published posthumously in 1690. For further remarks on Hevelius, see "Lacerta".

Sextans
Abbreviation: Sex
Genitive: Sextantis
Translation: The Sextant
Peoria Astronomical Society Sextans Page
Interactive star chart (Java applet) ...

Sextans
Map created in Guide 7.0 with the figure outline based on Johannes Hevelius' Uranographia (1690). Click on the object's name to access its image or click on the name of adjacent constellation to see its map.

Sextans was shown by Johannes Hevelius in his Firmamentum Sobiescianum star atlas under the name Sextans Uraniae, Urania being the Greek Muse of astronomy.

Sextans
Abbreviation: Sex English name: Sextant Coordinates see Stellar data
Particulars: ...

Sextans
About this Java applet / Instructions Constellations is written using Java. You must have a Java enabled browser such as Netscape Navigator to be able to see this applet. Back to Constellations Home Page ...

Sextans
Dwarf elliptical galaxies
name type constellation notes
NGC 147 (DDO 3) ...

Sextans Dwarf
A dwarf companion to the Milky Way. Discovered by computer in 1990, Sextans lies about 300 kpc from the Galactic center.
Sextant ...

Sex, Sext International Astronomical Union abbreviations for Sextans. See constellation. sexidemical notation A positional notation based on the integer sixteen. Sext International Astronomical Union abbreviation for Sextans. See constellation.

However, the new galaxy is much less luminous than the Sextans dwarf. It has only about a tenth as many stars. Willman and her colleagues estimate its absolute visual magnitude is roughly -6.

Astronomy
Constellations - Sextans - 8gam Sex
Identification Data
Common Name ...

Some of the dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way are Canis Major Dwarf (the closest), Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy, Ursa Minor Dwarf, Sculptor Dwarf, Sextans Dwarf, Fornax Dwarf, and Leo I Dwarf.

(b) A small, faint galaxy, exemplified by those that orbit the Milky Way: Ursa Minor, Draco, Sculptor, Sextans, Carina, Fornax, Leo II, and Leo I. [C95]
(c) A main-sequence star (Luminosity Class V). [H76] Dwarf Cepheids ...

HEVELIUS, JOHANNES
Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687) was a German astronomer who published the first moon map. He also published a celestial atlas introducing many constellations (including Canes Venatici, Lacerta, Lynx, Sextans, etc.).

The other dwarfs orbiting our galaxy are the Small Magellanic Cloud; Canis Major Dwarf, the closest; Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy, previously thought to be the closest; Ursa Minor Dwarf; Sculptor Dwarf, Sextans Dwarf, Fornax Dwarf, and Leo I.

extends eight degrees north and south of the ecliptic, an additional twelve constellations reside in part within the zodiac's belt of stars: Auriga, Canis Minor, Cetus, Corvus, Crater, Hydra, Ophiuchus, Orion, Pegasus, Scutum, Serpens and Sextans.

Pegasus | Perseus | Phoenix | Pictor | Pisces | Piscis Austrinus | Puppis | Pyxis | Reticulum | Sagitta | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Sculptor | Scutum | Serpens | Sextans | ...

Fish El Rischa Pup Puppis Stern Pyx Pyxis Mariner's Compass Ret Reticulum Net Sge Sagitta Arrow Sgr Sagittarius Archer Rubkat Sco Scorpius Scorpion Antares Scl Sculptor Sculptor's Apparatus Sct Scutum Shield Ser Serpens Serpens Unuk Sex Sextans ...

See also: Constellation, Star, Constellations, Magnitude, Sky