Lacerta is one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. Its name is Latin for lizard. A small, faint constellation, it was defined in 1687 by the astronomer Johannes Hevelius. Its brightest stars form a "W" shape similar to that of Cassiopeia, and it is thus sometimes referred to as 'Little Cassiopeia'. It is located between Cygnus, Cassiopeia and Andromeda on the northern celestial sphere. The northern part lies on the Milky Way.
Notable features
The constellation Lacerta as it can be seen by the naked eye.
Lacerta is typical of Milky Way constellations: no bright galaxies, nor globular clusters, but instead open clusters, for example NGC 7243, the faint planetary nebula IC 5217 and quite a few double stars. It also contains the prototypic blazar BL Lacertae. Lacerta contains no Messier objects.
Stars
Alpha Lacertae is a blue-white hued main-sequence star of magnitude 3.8, 102 light-years from Earth. It has a spectral type of A1 V and is an optical double star. Beta Lacertae is far dimmer, a yellow giant of magnitude 4.4, 170 light-years from Earth.[1]
Roe 47 is a multiple star consisting of five components (magnitudes 5.8, 9.8, 10.1, 9.4, 9.8).
ADS 16402 is a binary star system in Lacerta, around which a planet orbits with some unusual properties.[2] The Jupiter-sized planet exhibits an unexpectedly low density, about the same as cork. This planet is dubbed HAT P-1.
EV Lacertae is a rapidly spinning magnitude 10 red dwarf with a strong magnetic field. It is a flare star that can emit powerful flares potentially visible to the naked eye, thousands of times more energetic than any from Earth's sun.
HD 215441 (22h 44m.2 / +55° 35') is known as Babcock's Magnetic Star. Source: Sky Catalogue 2000.0 Volume 2: Double Stars, Variable Stars and Nonstellar Objects, page xlv, chapter Glossary of Selected Astronomical Names.
Deep-sky objects
NGC 7243 is an open cluster 2500 light-years from Earth, visible in small amateur telescopes. It has a few dozen "scattered" stars, the brightest of which are of the 8th magnitude.[1]
BL Lacertae is the prototype of the BL Lacertae objects, which appear to be dim variable stars but are actually the variable nuclei of elliptical galaxies; they are similar to quasars.[1] It lent its name to a whole type of celestial objects, the BL Lacertae objects (a subtype of blazar). The object varies irregularly between magnitudes 14 and 17 over a few days.
History
Lacerta can be seen on the left of this 1825 star map from Urania's Mirror
Centred on a region of the sky without apparently bright stars, Lacerta was apparently not regarded as a constellation by ancient Western astronomers. Johannes Hevelius created the constellation in 1687 and initially named it "Stellio" (the stellion), a lizard with star-like dorsal spots found along the Mediterranean coast.[3]
Other Europeans who sought to name this new constellation[dubious – discuss] included Augustin Royer, who created Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae (the Hand of Justice and Sceptre) to honor Louis XIV in 1670, and Johann Elert Bode, who created Frederici Honores (Frederick's Glory) to honor Frederick the Great in 1787. Both Sceptrum and Frederici Honores are now obsolete, while Lacerta still survives.[1]
Equivalents
Although not included in ancient star charts of Europe and the Near East, the stars of Lacerta, along with some in the eastern portion of Cygnus, were coincidentally combined by early Chinese astronomers into their "Flying serpent".[3] Similarly, the Chumash people of California call this part of the sky 'Lizard' and include it in multiple stories.[citation needed]
Namesakes
USS Lacerta (AKA-29) was an attack cargo ship in the United States navy named after the constellation.
References
Ridpath & Tirion 2001, pp. 164-165.
Puzzling Puffy Planet, Less Dense Than Cork, Is Discovered - New York Times
Allen 1899, p. 251.
Sources
Allen, Richard H. (1899). Star-names and their meaning. New York: Stechert.
Ridpath, Ian; Tirion, Wil (2008). Stars and Planets: The Most Complete Guide to the Stars, Planets, Galaxies, and the Solar System. Princeton Field Guides (2nd ed.). Princeton UP. ISBN 978-0691135564.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lacerta (constellation).
The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Lacerta
Star Tales – Lacerta
Weasner's Mighty ETX Site, GO TO LACERTA (a constellation guide for amateur astronomers)
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Constellation of Lacerta
List of stars in Lacerta Lacerta in Chinese astronomy
Stars
Bayer
α β
Flamsteed
1 2 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Variable
S U V X Y Z RR RT RW SS SW VX VY AR AW BG CM CO CP CZ DE DI DK EV EW GL HK HT PP V345 V350 V362 V364 V365 V377 V399 V405 V416 V424
HR
8422 8424 8429 8445 8463 8485 8487 8489 8510 8519 8536 8549 8553 8588 8589 8594 8606 8607 8609 8617 8626 8633 8643 8648 8651 8652 8654 8661 8666 8678 8682 8688 8692 8705 8708 8712 8718 8723 8733
HD
211660 212334 215473
Other
ADS 16402 HAT-P-40 IRAS 22223+4327 IRAS 22272+5435 PSR B2217+47 SAO 51891
Exoplanets
HAT-P-1b
Star clusters
NGC 7209 NGC 7243 NGC 7245 NGC 7295
Nebulae
IC 5217
Galaxies
NGC
7197 7223 7227 7228 7231 7240 7242 7248 7250 7263 7264 7265 7273 7274 7276 7282 7330 7379 7395 7426
Other
BL Lacertae 3C 449 3C 452
Category Category
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The 88 modern constellations
Andromeda Antlia Apus Aquarius Aquila Ara Aries Auriga Boötes Caelum Camelopardalis Cancer Canes Venatici Canis Major Canis Minor Capricornus Carina Cassiopeia Centaurus Cepheus Cetus Chamaeleon Circinus Columba Coma Berenices Corona Australis Corona Borealis Corvus Crater Crux Cygnus Delphinus Dorado Draco Equuleus Eridanus Fornax Gemini Grus Hercules Horologium Hydra Hydrus Indus Lacerta Leo Leo Minor Lepus Libra Lupus Lynx Lyra Mensa Microscopium Monoceros Musca Norma Octans Ophiuchus Orion Pavo Pegasus Perseus Phoenix Pictor Pisces Piscis Austrinus Puppis Pyxis Reticulum Sagitta Sagittarius Scorpius Sculptor Scutum Serpens Sextans Taurus Telescopium Triangulum Triangulum Australe Tucana Ursa Major Ursa Minor Vela Virgo Volans Vulpecula
Lists of constellations
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Constellation history
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The 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy after 150 AD
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The 41 additional constellations added in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries
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Obsolete constellations (including Ptolemy's Argo Navis)
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Constellations introduced by Johannes Hevelius after 1687
Hellenica World - Scientific Library
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