Constellation Fornax (Furnace)

Fornax
Fornax: IAU Constellation Map [150]

Properties

Fornax is an inconspicuous constellation south of the Eridanus-Cetus border. It contains only a few stars bright enough to be distinctive. The constellation area is 398 square degrees and the center culminates around midnight on November 4th. [9, 15]

Stars with Proper Names [154]
α For Fornacis
Data for constellation Fornax [150]
IAU NameFornax
IAU GenitiveFornacis
IAU Abbr.For
English NameFurnace
Opposition6 November
Season (47° N)November … January
Right Ascension01h 45m 24s … 03h 50m 21s
Declination-39° 30' 46" … -23° 45' 23"
Area398 deg2
Neighbours (N↻)Eri, Cet, Scl, Phe

Deep-Sky Object Descriptions

Catalogues

History

The constellation was originally introduced in the mid-18th century by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille under the name Fornax Chemica (chemical furnace). The name was intended to underline the importance of chemistry as it appeared to contemporaries of the 18th and 19th centuries. The stars of this constellation used to belong to the constellation Eridanus. [7]

References

  • [7] «Der grosse Kosmos-Himmelsführer» von Ian Ridpath und Wil Tirion; Kosmos Verlag; ISBN 3-440-05787-9
  • [9] «Drehbare Sternkarte SIRIUS» von H. Suter-Haug; Hallwag-Verlag, Bern
  • [15] «Hartung's Astronomical Objects for Southern Telescopes» by David Malin and David J. Frew; Melbourne University Press 1995; ISBN 0-522-84553-3
  • [150] IAU: The Constellations, 11. Oktober 2020; iau.org/public/themes/constellations
  • [154] Yale Bright Star Catalog, 15. Oktober 2020; tdc-www.harvard.edu/catalogs/bsc5.html