Octans

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Abbreviation:  Oct
English Name:  The Octant
Genitive: Nu Octantis
Hemisphere: Southern Hemisphere (Never visible from the UK.)
Location: Between the constellations of Hydrus and Apus.
Visible between latitudes:  +05 and -90 degrees
Best season: Autumn
Seen in three seasons: Summer, Autumn, and Winter
Best seen in:  October
Seen between: Only October.
Right Ascension (RA): 22 hour
Declination (DEC): -85 degrees
Area (square degrees):  291 (50th)

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Octans (The Octant)

  • A faint circumpolar constellation, notable only because it contains the South Celestial Pole (SCP) – Unlike, Ursa Minor’s Polaris, there is no bright star near the South Pole.

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Messier Objects in Octans

No Messier objects in Octans
s.

More objects in Octans

Select CatalogNo of Objects
Barnard (B)0x object
Caldwell (C)0x object
Collinder (Cr)1x object
New General Catalogue (NGC)7x objects
Index Catalogue (IC)8x objects
Sharpless (Sh2)0x object

55

Features of Interest

  • Melotte 227 (Collinder 411) – Open Cluster; small containing about 40 stars; not far from the Southern Celestial Pole (SCP).

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Named Stars

  • Nu Octantis – the brightest star in  Octans is a magnitude +3.7.
  • Polaris Australis (Sigma Oct); this is the nearest naked-eye to the South Celestial Pole (SCP), lying about one degree away, although at magnitude +5.5 so hardly.
  • more list of stars in Octans.

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IAU Sky Chart: Octans


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Constellations: Southern Celestial Hemisphere
– never seen from the UK

ApusAraCaelumCarinaCentaurusChameleon
Corona AustralisCruxDoradoGrusHorologiumHydrus
IndusMensaOctansPavoPhoenixPictor
ReticulumTelescopiumTriangulum AustraleTucanaVelaVolans
(24 constellations above can never be seen from the UK.)

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