Chamaeleon
Encyclopedia : C : CH : CHA : Chamaeleon
- For the type of lizard, see chameleon. For other uses of the word, see chameleon (disambiguation).
| Chamaeleon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Abbreviation | Cha | ||
| Genitive | Chamaeleontis | ||
| Symbology | Chameleon | ||
| Right ascension | 11 h | ||
| Declination | −80° | ||
| Area | List of constellations by area>Ranked 79th | ||
| Number of stars (magnitude < 3) | 0 | ||
| Brightest star | (Apparent magnitude>App. magnitude 4.1) | ||
| Meteor showers | None | ||
| Bordering constellations | |||
| Visible at latitudes between +0° and −90° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of April | |||
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Chamaeleon (Latin for chameleon) is a minor southern constellation. The constellation was one of twelve constellations created by Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman between 1595 and 1597, and it first appeared in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603. In Australia it is sometimes unofficially called "the Frying Pan" when finding the south by the stars.
Contents
Notable StarsStars with Bayer designations
Stars with Flamsteed designations
Notable Deep-sky ObjectsIn 1999, a nearby open cluster was discovered centered on the bright star Eta Chamaeleontis. The cluster, known as either the "eta Chamaeleontis cluster" or "Mamajek 1" is 6 million years old, and lies 316 light years from Earth.The constellation contains a number of molecular clouds (called the "Chamaeleon dark clouds") that are forming low-mass T Tauri stars. The cloud complex lies some 400 to 600 light years from Earth, and contains tens of thousands of solar masses of gas and dust. HistorySince it is an invention of the 17th century and was not visible to early Mediterranean cultures, there is no mythology associated with it.MythologySee also
ReferencesExternal links
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