Image Credit: Torsten Bronger – Alpha Sextantis, the constellation’s brightest star, is a white giant (A0III) found 287 light years from our solar system that shines with an apparent magnitude of 4.48. Sextans is an extremely faint constellation with only one star brighter than magnitude 5. This 300 million year old star is around 4.5 times bigger than the Sun, with 3 times its mass, and 122 times its luminosity. Its brightest star is Alpha Sextantis (visual magnitude 4.48, absolute magnitude -0.25, spectral type A0III, distance 287 light-years). This article is about the constellation. It is a faint constellation; the brightest star is Alpha Sextantis, with a magnitude of 4.5. See also the complete list of 40 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Sextans. In an attempt to improve present bright star calibration, data were gathered for the brightest red and blue stars and the Cepheids in the Im V dwarf galaxy, Sextans A. Photometry of the brightest resolved red and blue stars and of four of seven Cepheids found in the dwarf galaxy Sextans B is compared with similar data for Sextans A. Sextans is a faint equatorial constellation which appears highest in the evening sky in the … It is surrounded by the constellations Hydra, Crater and Leo. Its brightest star reaches a magnitude of 4.4, which is why the constellation is relatively inconspicuous. HD 94014, Sextans's Dimmest Visible Star. Click on each star to see more details about it. On the basis of a magnitude sequence measured to V and B values of about 22 and 23, respectively, the mean magnitudes of the three brightest blue stars are V=17.98 and B=17.88. Sextans, (Latin: “Sextant”) constellation at about 10 hours right ascension and on the celestial equator in declination. Star Constellations & Brightest Stars March 20, 2016 Peter Christoforou Star Constellations , Stars 0 The night sky’s twenty-two brightest 1st magnitude stars are shown above, while the following table provides information on the 88 recognized constellations, together with details on their location, size, and brightest star. In the early 20th century, the star crossed over from the northern to the southern hemisphere owing to the movement of the Earth’s axial tilt. A faint constellation south of Leo, introduced by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in his star catalogue and atlas of 1687 under the name Sextans Uraniae.
It is a white giant lying about 287 light-years from Earth. The star is recognised as being the brightest in the constellation as it has the Bayer status of Alpha. Sextans constellation has 5 stars with known exoplanets but contains no stars brighter than magnitude 3 and 4. The star has a apparent magnitude of 4.48 but an absolute magnitude of -0.21 when the star is viewed from a distance of 10 Parsecs or 32.6 Light Years. It is bordered by the constellations of Leo, Hydra and Crater. Its name is Latin for the astronomical sextant, an instrument that Hevelius made frequent use of in his observations. It is a blue-white giant star located approximately 287 light years from Earth. How to spot Sextans. The photometry is based on a magnitude sequence that extends to B = 23, V = 22.
Devised in 1687 by Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius, the constellation represents a Sextant which is an instrument used on board ships for positioning. History. (The three brightest stars – Sirius in Canis Major, Canopus in Carina, and Alpha Centauri in Centaurus – lie south of … The Cepheids in Sextans B have periods between 8 and 28 days, compared with 10 to 25 days for the five Cepheids known in Sextans A. The brightest star in the constellation is alpha Sextantis, with a visual magnitude of 4.49. Among its deep-sky objects are the Sextans Dwarf and the Spindle Galaxy. With an area of 314 square degrees, Sextans can be seen during spring with the help of a telescope.