Talk:Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae

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The source obsolete constellations: sceptrum et manus iustitiae sucx actually. It says:

Created in 1679 by...

and

It was composed of stars mainly taken from Lacerta, the lizard.

Nope! Lacerta (constellation) was introduced by Firmamentum Sobiescianum, Johannes Hevelius, in 1690. The text must be considered inaccurate, and cannot be relied upon, until this apparent time reversal is explained. Rursus 08:22, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

Speculation: Stellio and Scettro looks very much alike when the characters are blurred. It could be a misreading such as Museida/Muscida (for Omicron Ursae Majoris). In the West Andromeda to Lacerta area, there's a ring of stars that actually constitute a natural constellation – let's call it the "Lacerta Ring". The name Scettro is Italian for Sceptrum, the name struck in the minds of the astronomers of that time, but since Stellio (lizard) is a natural association, this natural constellation was reinterpreted according to the taste and preferences of the individual astronomers. Rursus 12:16, 2 March 2007 (UTC)