The Sextans constellation
Sex · Catalogue stars: 1
Why this name?
Sextans honours an astronomical instrument for measuring angles. Its arc spans one sixth of a circle.
A little history
Hevelius introduced the constellation in the seventeenth century to commemorate his large observing sextant. This instrument measured star positions before the familiar marine sextant became widespread.
Data
- IAU code
- Sex
- Catalogue stars
- 1
- Messier objects
- 0
- Brightest star
- HIP 49641 · 4.5ᵐ
Stars (HIP)
- HIP 49641 · 4.5ᵐ · A0III
Altitude above the horizon by latitude
| Latitude | Maximum altitude | Rise azimuth |
|---|---|---|
| +60° | 30° | 91° |
| +55° | 35° | 91° |
| +45° | 45° | 91° |
| +30° | 60° | 90° |
| 0° | 90° | 90° |
| −35° | 55° | 90° |
Geometric altitude at upper culmination, atmospheric refraction not included. Positive latitudes are in the northern hemisphere.
Culmination time by month
| Month | Culmination |
|---|---|
| January | 02:22 |
| February | 00:15 |
| March | 22:30 |
| April | 20:37 |
| May | 18:42 |
| June | 16:36 |
| July | 14:32 |
| August | 12:31 |
| September | 10:38 |
| October | 08:49 |
| November | 06:49 |
| December | 04:40 |
Upper culmination in local solar time — no time-zone or daylight-saving correction applied.
Neighbouring constellations
In brief
Which is the brightest star in Sextans?
HIP 49641 — 4.5ᵐ.