Caelum facts for kids
| Constellation | |
List of stars in Caelum
|
|
| Abbreviation | Cae |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Caeli |
| Pronunciation | genitive |
| Symbolism | the chisel |
| Right ascension | 5 |
| Declination | −40 |
| Quadrant | SQ1 |
| Area | 125 sq. deg. (81st) |
| Main stars | 4 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
8 |
| Stars with planets | 0 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 0 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 1 |
| Brightest star | α Cae (4.45m) |
| Messier objects | 0 |
| Meteor showers | None |
| Bordering constellations |
Columba Lepus Eridanus Horologium Dorado Pictor |
| Visible at latitudes between +40° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of January. |
|
Caelum is a small and faint constellation found in the southern part of the night sky. It is often hard to spot because its stars are not very bright. The name "Caelum" comes from Latin and means "the chisel". It was named after a tool used for carving or engraving.
What is Caelum?
Caelum is one of the 88 modern constellations that astronomers recognize today. It is located in the southern celestial hemisphere. This means you can see it best from places south of the Earth's equator. It is a very small constellation, ranking 81st in size among all constellations.
Its Name and History
The name "Caelum" means "the chisel" in Latin. In the past, it was sometimes called "Caelum Scalptorium." This longer name meant "the engraver's chisel." This constellation was created and named by a French astronomer. His name was Nicolas Louis de Lacaille. He first described Caelum in the 1750s. He named many constellations in the southern sky after tools.
Stars in Caelum
Caelum is known for being quite dim. Its brightest star is called Alpha Caeli. This star has a magnitude of 4.45. A star's magnitude tells us how bright it appears from Earth. The higher the number, the dimmer the star. Because Caelum's stars are not very bright, it can be hard to see them. People who live in cities with lots of light pollution usually cannot see Caelum at all.
Caelum does not have any very bright stars. It also does not contain any Messier objects. Messier objects are a famous list of bright deep-sky objects. The nearest star to Earth in Caelum is RR Caeli. It is about 26.31 light-years away.
Images for kids
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Seen as “Cela Sculptoris” in the lower right of this 1825 star chart from Urania's Mirror
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The Seyfert galaxy HE0450-2958, an unusual active galaxy in Caelum
See also
In Spanish: Caelum para niños
