Octans

Also known as Oct, Octantis, the Octant

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.

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: 27
Constellation.numberbrightstars: 0
Constellation.numbernearbystars: 1
Constellation.brighteststarname: ν Oct
Constellation.starmagnitude: 3.73
Constellation.neareststarname: Gliese 877

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official name: Octans
Area: 291
Image: Constellation Octans.jpg

Show 4 more facts

Commons category: Octans (constellation)
Commons gallery: Octans
short name: Oct
time of discovery or invention: 1752-00-00

Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~4 min read

Article

9 sections

Contents

History and mythology
Features
Stars
Deep-sky objects
Namesakes
See also
Notes
References
External links

==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.