Lynx (constellation)

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Lynx

Constellation
List of stars in Lynx
Abbreviation	Lyn
Genitive	Lyncis
Right ascension	8
Declination	+45
Area	545 sq. deg. (28th)
Main stars	4
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	41
Stars with planets	0
Stars brighter than 3.00m	0
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)	0
Brightest star	α Lyn (3.14m)
Messier objects	0
Meteor showers	????? ?????
Bordering constellations	Ursa Major Camelopardalis Auriga Gemini Cancer Leo (corner) Leo Minor
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −55°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of March.

Lynx (IPA: [ˈlɪŋks]) is a constellation of the northern hemisphere, introduced in the 17th century by Johannes Hevelius. It is so named because it is a relatively faint constellation, and one would supposedly need the eyes of a lynx to see it.

Its most notable deep sky object is the Intergalactic Tramp NGC 2419, a globular cluster that is the most distant known of its kind. It is moving faster than escape velocity at that distance; however, it appears to be in a long elliptical orbit around our galaxy, the Milky Way, and is thus not expected to escape.

History

Since Lynx is a particularly faint constellation, and was not recognised before the 17th century, it has no pre 17th century mythology associated with it. Johannes Hevelius is said to have named the constellation lynx because only the lynx-eyed (or those of good sight) would have been able to recognise it. Hevelius only mapped the constellation, which is little more than a few dim stars zig zagging in a line, because he wanted to fill the open gap between the constellations Ursa Major and Auriga.

See also

• List of stars in Lynx

Sources

• Universe: The Definitive Visual Dictionary, Robert Dinwiddie, DK Adult Publishing, (2005), pg. 346.

External links

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Lynx