vendredi 5 septembre 2008

Piscis Austrinus 4


Piscis Austrinus, also known as Piscis Australis, is a fish drinking the waters pouring from the jars of Aquarius. The constellation was known in ancient times, and is said to be the original "Pisces". It is thought that the constellation referred to the Assyrian fish god Dagon and the Babylonian god Oannes. Even the Arabs called the constellation Al Hut al Janubiyy, the Large Southern Fish.


Piscis Austrinus, also known as Piscis Australis, is a fish lying on its back, drinking in the waters pouring from the jars of Aquarius. The asterism leaves a lot to the imagination.
The constellation was known in ancient times, and is said to be the original "Pisces". It is thought that the constellation referred to the Assyrian fish god Dagon and the Babylonian god Oannes. Even the Arabs called the constellation Al Hut al Janubiyy (The Large Southern Fish).
The bright star Fomalhaut (alpha PsA) was so named from Fum al Hut, meaning "The Fish's Mouth", although it carried many other names as well, including Al Difdi al Awwal ("The First Frog"). There are several fine binaries here, as well as a red dwarf with the fourth highest proper motion. Except for Fomalhaut, all other stars in this constellation are fourth or fifth magnitude.


Double stars:
Piscis Austrinus has several visual binaries, either fixed or moving very slowly.
Beta PsA is a fixed binary: 4.5, 7.5; 172 degrees, 30.4".
Delta PsA is a fairly wide but faint binary: 4.5, 10; 244 degrees, 5".
Gamma PsA: 4.5, 8.5; 262 degrees, 4.3".
Eta PsA: 5.5, 6.5; 116 degrees, 1.6".


Variable stars:
Piscis Austrinus has no notable variables.

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