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Southern Cross - March 1999

• Constellation of the Month - Lynx
• * More content pending *

Constellation of the Month - Lynx

Michael Nelmes

Lynx is one of the more modern constellations, introduced by Hevelius around 1660 to fill a gap between Auriga and Ursa Major. The nocturnal lynx is known for its keen eyesight, which is what you'll need in order to see anything much in this inconspicuous northerly constellation. Only two stars are brighter than 4th magnitude. The few easily split binary and multiple stars such as 5, 12 and 19 Lyncis are all north of +55 degrees declination, and so are unobservable from Canberra.

The selections that follow are the easiest observable from here, but even so you'll need a low horizon, and probably at least a moderately sized scope and reasonable seeing conditions, as the highest of these objects culminates less than 20 degrees (a handspan) above the north horizon, about 10pm DST this month. Brightnesses will be fainter than the magnitudes quoted, due to atmospheric extinction. Co-ordinates are epoch 2000 unless otherwise stated.

38 Lyn (position 9h18m48s, +36d48m19s). Magnitudes 4 and 6.2, separated by 2.7 arcseconds at position angle 229 degrees (1968 data). The C8 split these fairly well at 80x; Ross Gould saw the secondary through the CAS 6-inch, but my 4.5-inch reflector didn't show it.

41 Lyn (posn 9h28m37s, +45d36m17s). This loose triple star is not actually in Lynx but just over the border in Ursa Major. Magnitudes are 5, 8 and 10 and they form a nice triangle at low power, separated by 77 arcseconds.

Struve 1282 (posn 8h47.6m, +35d15m, epoch 1950 ). Magnitudes 7.5 each, an "elegant deep yellow" pair separated by 3.6 arcseconds.

Struve 1333 (posn 9h15.4m, +35d35m, epoch 1950). Magnitudes 6.5 and 7, separated by 1.6 arcseconds. Not split with the 4.5-inch.

NGC2683 (posn 8h52m28s, +33d24m48s). A magnitude 10.6 spiral galaxy seen edge-on, measuring 9 x 1.3 arcminutes. The C8 showed it faintly despite a bright Moon. This is the only galaxy brighter than 12th magnitude in Lynx.

NGC2419 (posn 7h38m08s, +38d53m16s). At a distance of some 60,000 parsecs, this is the most distant globular cluster in our Galaxy. Magnitude 11.5, and just 2 arcminutes across Despite some searching I couldn't make it out, but it would be worth hunting down on a dark night just to say you've seen the Milky Way's most distant object.

That's about it for Lynx, I hope you enjoy the challenge!