There’s nothing more interesting than learning about things that have been in existence for millions of years. They stand to tell stories and help understand how evolution has taken place all this while. Constellations are one such aspect that makes people contemplate, and we are going to take a particular instance, by the name of Chamaeleon. We are going to look into this constellation in detail and find out why one needs to know about this as well!
What is Chamaeleon?
- So far, the only thing that we know of Chamaeleon is that it is a constellation in the night sky. But, the thing that makes this constellation stands out is because of its simplicity.
- This constellation is not one of the popular ones possibly owing to how it doesn’t have any myths associated with it as such. This is one constellation of the many that are named after a representation of some sorts, and in this case, without a doubt, it is a Chameleon.
- It was named this way because of the depiction made by the astronomer where the lizard was trying to catch a fly.
- The constellation was discovered in the 16th century by a Dutch Astronomer but was only because of other observations made by other astronomers which led to the formation and discovery of the constellation.
- This constellation lies in the southern hemisphere and is also neighboured by several well-known constellations such as Carina, Volans and so on.
- This constellation is better known as The Frying Pan, and this name caught on and is more familiar than its actual name. Hence, people can associate constellations easily through this name, and this holds especially true for constellations which have old Green and Latin names which may be hard to pronounce or remember.
- There are also no Messier objects associated with the constellation. Hence it becomes a constellation with no extraordinary features to it. Although it is home to a nebula, a cloud and a cluster all of which are quite intriguing for astronomers.
- Amateur astronomers and stargazers would only love to take a look at Chamaeleon owing to how one can easily spot it in the night sky.
- The notable star in the constellation is the alpha star, which has a magnitude of 4.066 and is henceforth, the brightest in the constellation as well.
- Apart from the stars, the deep sky object present in Chamaeleon has more of an impact than the constellation itself, because they hold more reason for research, particularly, owing to the complex cloud system and the cluster all of which are several thousand light years away, making it an insight into the past!
Insights on Chamaeleon
Having looked into Chamaeleon in detail, one can conclude that the constellation has more than what meets the eye. Certainly, it does not boast its constellation as one of the giants, but it more than makes up for it with its quirkiness. This constellation, therefore, one that must not be missed, in the end!