Phoenix (constellation)
Constellation | |
Abbreviation | Phe |
---|---|
Genitive | Phoenicis |
Pronunciation |
|
Symbolism | the 37th) |
Main stars | 4 |
Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 25 |
Stars with planets | 10 |
Stars brighter than 3.00m | 1 |
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 1 |
Brightest star | α Phe (Ankaa) (2.40m) |
Messier objects | 0 |
Meteor showers | Phoenicids |
Bordering constellations | |
Visible at latitudes between +32° and −80°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of November. |
Phoenix is a minor
The brightest star,
in December, and the July Phoenicids.History
Phoenix was the largest of the 12 constellations established by
Celestial historian Richard Allen noted that unlike the other constellations introduced by Plancius and
The Chinese incorporated Phoenix's brightest star, Ankaa (Alpha Phoenicis), and stars from the adjacent constellation Sculptor to depict Bakui, a net for catching birds.[4] Phoenix and the neighbouring constellation of Grus together were seen by Julius Schiller as portraying Aaron the High Priest.[6] These two constellations, along with nearby Pavo and Tucana, are called the Southern Birds.[8]
Characteristics
Phoenix is a small constellation bordered by Fornax and Sculptor to the north, Grus to the west, Tucana to the south, touching on the corner of Hydrus to the south, and Eridanus to the east and southeast. The bright star Achernar is nearby.[9] The three-letter abbreviation for the constellation, as adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1922, is "Phe".[10] The official constellation boundaries, as set by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte in 1930, are defined by a polygon of 10 segments. In the equatorial coordinate system, the right ascension coordinates of these borders lie between 23h 26.5m and 02h 25.0m , while the declination coordinates are between −39.31° and −57.84°.[1] This means it remains below the horizon to anyone living north of the 40th parallel in the Northern Hemisphere, and remains low in the sky for anyone living north of the equator. It is most visible from locations such as Australia and South Africa during late Southern Hemisphere spring.[7] Most of the constellation lies within, and can be located by, forming a triangle of the bright stars Achernar, Fomalhaut and Beta Ceti—Ankaa lies roughly in the centre of this.[11]
Features
Stars
A curved line of stars comprising Alpha,
Ankaa is the brightest star in the constellation. It is an orange giant of
AI Phe is an eclipsing binary star identified in 1972. Its long mutual eclipses and combination of spectroscopic and astrometric data allows precise measurement of the masses and radii of the stars[21] which is viewed as a potential cross-check on stellar properties and distances independent on Ceiphid Variables and such techniques. The long eclipse events require space-based observations to avoid Solar interference. Gamma Phoenicis is a
Ten stars have been found to have planets to date, and four planetary systems have been discovered with the
WISE J003231.09-494651.4 and WISE J001505.87-461517.6 are two brown dwarfs discovered by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, and are 63 and 49 light years away respectively.[46] Initially hypothesised before they were belatedly discovered,[47] brown dwarfs are objects more massive than planets, but which are of insufficient mass for hydrogen fusion characteristic of stars to occur. Many are being found by sky surveys.[48]
Phoenix contains
Deep-sky objects
The constellation does not lie on the
Lying within the bounds of the constellation is the gigantic
Meteor showers
Phoenix is the
See also
- IAU-recognized constellations
- Phoenix (Chinese astronomy)
References
- ^ a b c "Phoenix, constellation boundary". The Constellations. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
- ^ Ridpath, Ian. "Bayer's Southern Star Chart". self-published. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ^ Ridpath, Ian. "Frederick de Houtman's catalogue". self-published. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ^ a b Ridpath, Ian. "Phoenix – the Phoenix". self-published. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-931559-44-7.
- ^ ]
- ^ ISBN 978-1-85410-088-7.
- ISBN 978-0521793902.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-600-00893-4.
- Bibcode:1922PA.....30..469R.
- ISBN 978-1139461382.
- ISBN 978-0-939923-78-6.
- ^ "Alpha Phoenicis". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Kaler, Jim. "Ankaa". Stars. University of Illinois. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
- ^ "Kappa Phoenicis". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Kaler, Jim. "Beta Phoenicis". Stars. University of Illinois. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
- ^ "Naming Stars". IAU.org. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- ^ Kaler, Jim. "Zeta Phoenicis". Stars. University of Illinois. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- ^ "Zeta Phoenicis – Eclipsing binary of Algol type (detached)". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- Bibcode:1976A&A....46..205C.
- S2CID 214605785.
- ^ "Gamma Phoenicis". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Kaler, Jim. "Gamma Phoenicis". Stars. University of Illinois. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
- ^ a b "Psi Phoenicis – Semi-regular pulsating Star". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4614-0830-7.
- S2CID 1586125.
- ^ "W Phe". International Variable Star Index. American Association of Variable Star Observers. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-486-24065-7.
- S2CID 122809222.
- ^ Templeton, Matthew (16 July 2010). "Delta Scuti and the Delta Scuti Variables". Variable Star of the Season. AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers). Retrieved 19 June 2013.
- ^ "V* rho Phe – Variable Star of delta Sct type". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- ^ "Rho Phe". International Variable Star Index. AAVSO. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- ^ "V* BD Phe – Variable Star of delta Sct type". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- ^ "BD Phe". International Variable Star Index. AAVSO. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- ^ "LHS 1220 – High proper-motion Star". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- S2CID 53694238.
- S2CID 46328823.
- ^ "GJ 915 – White Dwarf". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- ^ Johnson, J. (2007). "Extreme Stars: White Dwarfs & Neutron Stars". Lecture notes, Astronomy 162. Ohio State University. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- S2CID 14696597.
- ^ Kaler, Jim. "HR 6 Phoenicis". Stars. University of Illinois. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
- S2CID 205217669.
- ^ "NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory Finds Planet That Makes Star Act Deceptively Old". Chandra X-ray Observatory. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
- S2CID 53606165. Archived from the originalon 2010-04-08.
- S2CID 64119308.
- S2CID 119279752.
- ^ Jameson, R.F.; Hodgkin, S.T. (1997). "Brown Dwarfs and Low Mass Stars". Brown Dwarfs. Leicester, United Kingdom: University of Leicester. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
- ^ "Science: Brown Dwarfs". Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. NASA. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
- ^ a b Christlieb, Norbert (30 October 2002). "A Glimpse of the Young Milky Way: VLT UVES Observes Most Metal-Deficient Star Known". European Southern Observatory. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- ^ "2MASS J01092916-5224341 – Carbon Star". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-521-19876-9.
- ^ "NED results for NGC 37". NED via University of California. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
- ^ Boffin, Henri (4 November 2005). "eso0535 — Photo Release: Cosmic Portrait of a Perturbed Family". European Southern Observatory. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
- ^ "Astronomers spot the very first intermediate-mass black hole". The Bunsen Burner. T.E. Holdings LLC. 9 July 2012. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
- ^ Chu, Jennifer (15 August 2012). "Most massive and luminous galaxy cluster identified". MIT News. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Perrotto, Trent J.; Anderson, Janet; Watzke, Megan (10 January 2012). "NASA's Chandra Finds Largest Galaxy Cluster in Early Universe". NASA. Archived from the original on 1 May 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ Chandra X-ray Observatory (10 January 2012). "El Gordo: NASA's Chandra Finds Largest Galaxy Cluster in Early Universe". NASA. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-521-85349-1.
- ISBN 978-0-521-69691-3.
External links
Media related to Phoenix (constellation) at Wikimedia Commons