Chamaeleon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the type of lizard, see chameleon. For other uses of the word, see chameleon (disambiguation).

Chamaeleon
click for larger image
Abbreviation	Cha
Genitive	Chamaeleontis
Symbology	Chameleon
Right ascension	11 h
Declination	−80°
Area	132 sq. deg. Ranked 79th
Number of main stars	3
Number of stars (Bayer-Flamsteed)	16
Number of stars with planets (BF, variable, other stars)	0, 0, 0
Number of bright stars (magnitude < 3)	0
Number of nearby stars (Distance < 100 ly)	2
Brightest star	γ Cha (App. magnitude 4.1)
Nearest Star	α Cha (Distance: 67 ly)
Meteor showers	None
Bordering constellations	Musca Carina Volans Mensa Octans Apus
Visible at latitudes between +0° and −90° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of April

Chamaeleon (IPA: /kəˈmiːliən/, Latin: chameleon) is a minor southern constellation. The constellation was one of twelve constellations created by Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman between 1595 and 1597, and it first appeared in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603. In Australia it is sometimes unofficially called "the Frying Pan" when finding the south by the stars.

1 Notable Stars
- 1.1 Stars with Bayer designations
- 1.2 Stars with Flamsteed designations
2 Notable Deep-sky Objects
3 History
4 Mythology
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Notable Stars

[edit] Stars with Bayer designations

α Cha 4.05; β Cha 4.24; γ Cha 4.11; δ¹ Cha 5.46; δ² Cha 4.45; ε Cha 4.88; ζ Cha 5.07; η Cha 5.46; θ Cha 4.34; ι Cha 5.34; κ Cha 5.04; μ¹ Cha 5.53; μ² Cha 6.60; ν Cha 5.43; π Cha 5.64

[edit] Stars with Flamsteed designations

9 Cha 6.05

[edit] Notable Deep-sky Objects

In 1999, a nearby open cluster was discovered centered on the bright star Eta Chamaeleontis. The cluster, known as either the "eta Chamaeleontis cluster" or "Mamajek 1" is 8 million years old^[1] , and lies 316 light years from Earth.

The constellation contains a number of molecular clouds (called the "Chamaeleon dark clouds") that are forming low-mass T Tauri stars. The cloud complex lies some 400 to 600 light years from Earth, and contains tens of thousands of solar masses of gas and dust.