Lupus (constellation).html |
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| List of stars in Lupus | |
| Abbreviation: | Lup |
| Genitive: | Lupi |
| Symbolism: | the Wolf |
| Right ascension: | 15.3 h |
| Declination: | −45° |
| Area: | 334 sq. deg. (46th) |
| Main stars: | 9 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars: |
41 |
| Stars with known planets: |
1 |
| Bright stars: | 3 |
| Nearby stars: | 1 |
| Brightest star: | α Lupi (2.3m) |
| Nearest star: | Nu2 Lupi (47.5 ly) |
| Messier objects: | 0 |
| Meteor showers: | |
| Bordering constellations: |
Norma Scorpius Circinus Centaurus Libra Hydra (corner) |
| Visible at latitudes between +35° and −90° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of June |
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Lupus (pronounced /ˈljuːpəs/, Latin: wolf) is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for wolf. Lupus was one of the 48 constellations, listed by the 1st century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It lies between Centaurus and Scorpius.
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Notable features
Stars
Lupus has no extremely bright stars, but has around thirty stars of second and third magnitude and 70 of greater than sixth, including a number of binary or multiple stars. Among the stars which make up the constellation figure, only a few are named stars, the brightest is α Lupi, or Men, a blue giant. β Lupi has the name Ke Kouan.
Most of the brightest stars in Lupus are massive members of the nearest OB association: Scorpius-Centaurus1.
Deep sky objects
Towards the north of the constellation are globular clusters NGC 5824 and NGC 5986, and close by the dark nebula B 228. Two open clusters are to the south of the constellation, NGC 5822 and NGC 5749. On the western border are two spiral galaxies and the Wolf-Rayet planetary nebula IC 4406, containing some of the hottest stars in existence. Another planetary nebula, NGC 5882, is towards the centre of the constellation. The transiting exoplanet Lupus-TR-3b lies in this constellation.
Mythology and history
In ancient times, the constellation was considered an asterism within Centaurus, and was considered to have been an arbitrary animal, killed, or about to be killed, on behalf of, or for, Centaurus.citation needed It was not separated from Centaurus until Hipparchus of Bithynia named it Therion (meaning beast) in the 200s BC. No particular animal was associated with it until the Latin translation of Ptolemy's work identified it with the wolf.
References
- Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.
- ^ Preibisch, T., Mamajek, E. (2008). "The Nearest OB Association: Scorpius-Centaurus (Sco OB2)". Handbook of Star-Forming Regions 2: 0. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008arXiv0809.0407P.
External links
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