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Sculptor: Difference between revisions
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Sculptor is a small constellation bordered by [[Aquarius]] and [[Cetus]] to the north, [[Fornax]] to the east, [[Phoenix]] to the south,[[Grus]] to the southwest, and [[Piscis Austrinus]] to the west. The bright star [[Fomalhaut]] is nearby. ( See [[Four Royal Stars]]). The three-letter abbreviation for the constellation, as adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1922, is 'Scl'.[2] The official constellation boundaries, as set by Eugène Delporte in 1930, are defined by a polygon of 6 segments. In the equatorial coordinate system, the right ascension coordinates of these borders lie between 23h 06.4m and 01h 45.5m, while the declination coordinates are between −24.80° and −39.37° | Sculptor is a small constellation bordered by [[Aquarius]] and [[Cetus]] to the north, [[Fornax]] to the east, [[Phoenix]] to the south,[[Grus]] to the southwest, and [[Piscis Austrinus]] to the west. The bright star [[Fomalhaut]] is nearby. ( See [[Four Royal Stars]]). The three-letter abbreviation for the constellation, as adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1922, is 'Scl'.[2] The official constellation boundaries, as set by Eugène Delporte in 1930, are defined by a polygon of 6 segments. In the equatorial coordinate system, the right ascension coordinates of these borders lie between 23h 06.4m and 01h 45.5m, while the declination coordinates are between −24.80° and −39.37° | ||
The constellation also contains the Sculptor Dwarf, a dwarf galaxy which is a member of the Local Group, as well as the Sculptor Group, the group of galaxies closest to the Local Group. The Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253), a barred spiral galaxyand the largest member of the group, lies near the border between Sculptor and [[Cetus]]. Another prominent member of the group is the irregular galaxy NGC 55. | |||
One unique galaxy in Sculptor is the Cartwheel Galaxy, at a distance of 500 million light-years. The result of a merger around 300 million years ago, the Cartwheel Galaxy has a core of older, yellow stars, and an outer ring of younger, blue stars, which has a diameter of 100,000 light-years. The smaller galaxy in the collision is now incorporated into the core, after moving from a distance of 250,000 light-years. The shock waves from the collision sparked extensive star formation in the outer ring. | |||