
Abbreviation: Â Oct
English Name: Â The Octant
Genitive:Â Nu Octantis
Hemisphere: Southern Hemisphere.
Location:Â Between the constellations of Hydrus and Apus.
Visible between latitudes: Â +05 and -90 degrees
Best season: Autumn
Seen in three seasons:Â Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Best seen in:Â October
Seen between:Â Only October.
Right Ascension (RA):Â 22 hour
Declination (DEC):Â -85 degrees
Area (square degrees): Â 291 (50th)
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.
Messier Objects
- No Messier objects in Octans.
Features of Interest
- Melotte 227 Â – Â Open Cluster; small containing about 40 stars; not far from the Southern Celestial Pole (SCP).
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.
Others
- Photo of the constellation;Â Octans, as it appears to the naked eye. (Lines have been added for clarity.)
- Sky Chart  –  Octans
- List of stars in Octans.
Back to The 88 Constellations Lists page.