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Cancer (Constellation): Difference between revisions
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[[File:375px-Cancer IAU.svg.png|thumb|Cancer]] | [[File:375px-Cancer IAU.svg.png|thumb|Cancer]] | ||
[[Cancer]] is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as one. Its astrological symbol is (Unicode ♋). Cancer is a medium-size constellation with an area of 506 square degrees and its stars are rather faint, its brightest star Beta Cancri having an apparent magnitude of 3.5. It contains two stars with known planets, including 55 Cancri, which has five: one super-earth and four gas giants, one of which is in the habitable zone and as such has expected temperatures similar to Earth. Located at the center of the constellation is Praesepe(Messier 44), one of the closest open clusters to Earth and a popular target for amateur astronomers. | [[Cancer (Constellation)|Cancer]] is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as one. Its astrological symbol is (Unicode ♋). Cancer is a medium-size constellation with an area of 506 square degrees and its stars are rather faint, its brightest star Beta Cancri having an apparent magnitude of 3.5. It contains two stars with known planets, including 55 Cancri, which has five: one super-earth and four gas giants, one of which is in the habitable zone and as such has expected temperatures similar to Earth. Located at the center of the constellation is Praesepe(Messier 44), one of the closest open clusters to Earth and a popular target for amateur astronomers. | ||
Cancer is a medium-sized constellation that is bordered by Gemini to the west, Lynx to the north, Leo Minor to the northeast, Leo to the east, Hydra to the south, and Canis Minor to the southwest. The three-letter abbreviation for the constellation, as adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1922, is 'Cnc'.[3] The official constellation boundaries, as set by Eugène Delporte in 1930, are defined by a polygon of 10 sides.Cancer is the dimmest of the zodiacal constellations, having only two stars above the fourth magnitude. | Cancer is a medium-sized constellation that is bordered by Gemini to the west, Lynx to the north, Leo Minor to the northeast, Leo to the east, Hydra to the south, and Canis Minor to the southwest. The three-letter abbreviation for the constellation, as adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1922, is 'Cnc'.[3] The official constellation boundaries, as set by Eugène Delporte in 1930, are defined by a polygon of 10 sides.Cancer is the dimmest of the zodiacal constellations, having only two stars above the fourth magnitude. | ||