Chamaeleon
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Cha·mae·leon
also Cha·me·leon (kə-mēl'yən, -mē'lē-ən) 
n.
A constellation in the southern polar region near Apus and Mensa.
n.
A constellation in the southern polar region near Apus and Mensa.
[Latin chamaeleōn, chameleon. See chameleon.]
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Chamaeleon
For the type of lizard, see chameleon.
For other uses, see chameleon (disambiguation).
| Constellation | |
 List of stars in Chamaeleon |
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| Abbreviation | Cha |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Chamaeleontis |
| Pronunciation | /kəˈmiːliən/, genitive /kəˌmiːliˈɒntɨs/ |
| Symbolism | the Chameleon |
| Right ascension | 11 h |
| Declination | −80° |
| Quadrant | SQ2 |
| Area | 132 sq. deg. (79th) |
| Main stars | 3 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
16 |
| Stars with planets | 1 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 0 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 0 |
| Brightest star | α Cha (4.05m) |
| Nearest star | α Cha (63.45 ly, 19.45 pc) |
| Messier objects | 0 |
| 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. |
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Chamaeleon (/kəˈmiːliən/) is a small constellation in the southern sky. It is named after the chameleon, a form of lizard. It was first defined in the sixteenth century.
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Contents
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History
Chamaeleon was one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. It first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 (or 1598) in Amsterdam by Plancius and Jodocus Hondius. The first depiction of this constellation in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603.
Notable features
In 1999, a nearby open cluster was discovered centered on the star η Chamaeleontis. The cluster, known as either the Eta Chamaeleontis cluster or Mamajek 1, is 8 million years old, and lies 316 light years from Earth.[1]
The constellation contains a number of molecular clouds (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. The most prominent cluster of T Tauri stars and young B-type stars are in the Chamaeleon I cloud, and are associated with the reflection nebula IC 2631.
Equivalents
In Chinese astronomy, the stars that form Chamaeleon were classified as the Little Dipper (小斗, Xiǎodǒu) among the Southern Asterisms (近南極星區, Jìnnánjíxīngōu) by Xu Guangqi.[2]
See also
Chamaeleon (Chinese astronomy)
Citations
- ^ Luhman, K.L. & Steeghs, D. 2004, ApJ, 609, 917
- ^ (Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 28 日
References
- Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0-00-725120-9. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0-691-13556-4.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chamaeleon |
- The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Chamaeleon
- "The eta Chamaeleontis Cluster: A Remarkable New Nearby Young Open Cluster" (Mamajek, Lawson, & Feigelson 1999)
- "WEBDA open cluster database entry for Mamajek 1"
- Star Tales – Chamaeleon
- Chamaeleon Constellation
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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