Octans
Sign in to saveOctans is a faint constellation located in the deep Southern Sky. Its name is Latin for the eighth part of a circle, but it is named after the octant, a navigational instrument. Devised by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1752, Octans remains one of the 88 modern constellations. The southern celestial pole is located within the boundaries of Octans.
AI overview
Octans is a faint constellation in the southern sky, named after the octant navigational instrument and created by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1752. It matters because the southern celestial pole—a key reference point for navigation and astronomy in the Southern Hemisphere—is located within its boundaries.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Constellation.name
- Octans
- Constellation.abbreviation
- Oct
- Constellation.genitive
- Octantis
- Constellation.pronounce
- , genitive
- Constellation.symbolism
- the Octant
- Constellation.RA
- –
- Constellation.dec
- –
- Constellation.family
- La Caille
- Constellation.quadrant
- SQ4
- Constellation.areatotal
- 291
- Constellation.arearank
- 50th
- Constellation.numbermainstars
- 3
- Constellation.numberbfstars
Article
9 sectionsContents
- History and mythology
- Features
- Stars
- Deep-sky objects
- Namesakes
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
Octans is a faint constellation located in the deep Southern Sky. Its name is Latin for the eighth part of a circle, but it is named after the octant, a navigational instrument. Devised by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1752, Octans remains one of the 88 modern constellations. The southern celestial pole is located within the boundaries of Octans.
==History and mythology== Octans was one of 14 constellations created by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille during his expedition to the Cape of Good Hope, and was originally named l’Octans de Reflexion (“the reflecting octant”) in 1752, after he had observed and catalogued almost 10,000 southern stars during a two-year stay at the Cape of Good Hope. He devised fourteen new constellations in uncharted regions of the Southern Celestial Hemisphere not visible from Europe. All but one honoured instruments that symbolised the Age of Enlightenment.