Fornax

Fornax

Constellation
List of stars in Fornax
Abbreviation	For
Genitive	Fornacis
Pronunciation	/ˈfɔrnæks/, genitive /fɔrˈneɪsɨs/
Symbolism	the furnace
Right ascension	3
Declination	−30
Area	398 sq. deg. (41st)
Main stars	2
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	27
Stars with known planets	3
Bright stars	0
Nearby stars	2
Brightest star	α For (3.87m)
Nearest star	HD 14412 (41.35 ly)
Messier objects	None
Meteor showers	None
Bordering constellations	Cetus Sculptor Phoenix Eridanus
Visible at latitudes between +50° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of December.

Fornax is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for furnace. It was created in the eighteenth century and is now one of the 88 modern constellations.

History

Fornax was identified by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1756. He originally called it Fornax Chemica ("chemical furnace"), representing a small solid fuel heater used for heating chemical experiments.

Notable features

Fornax has been the target of investigations into the furthest reaches of the universe. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field is located within Fornax, and the Fornax Cluster, a small cluster of galaxies, lies primarily within Fornax. At a meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society in Britain, a team from University of Queensland described 40 unknown "dwarf" galaxies in this constellation; follow-up observations with the Hubble Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope revealed that Ultra Compact Dwarfs are much smaller than previously known dwarf galaxies, about 120 light-years across (Hilker M. et. al., 2007).

NGC 1316 is a notably bright elliptical galaxy within the Fornax Cluster. The galaxy is also one of the brightest radio sources in the sky.

References

• Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.
• Hilker M. et. al.Weighing Ultracompact Dwarf Galaxies in the Fornax Cluster, Astronomical Science, The Messenger 129 – September 2007. The Messenger is a quarterly journal presenting ESO's activities to the public.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fornax

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Fornax
• Starry Night Photography - Fornax Constellation
• Star Tales – Fornax

Coordinates: 03^h 00^m 00^s, −30° 00′ 00″