Capricornus

  • Alpha Capricornids
  • Eagle
  • Sagittarius
  • Microscope
  • Southern fish
  • Aquarius

The Capricorn (Latin Capricornus, astronomical signs ♑ ) is a constellation of the ecliptic.

Description

The Ibex ( goats fish, therefore, often with fish tail (see picture) shown) is a constellation between the Aquarius and the shooter. Only two of its stars are brighter than the third magnitude. The brightest star in the constellation is called Deneb Algedi.

History

The Capricorn is one of the 48 constellations of the ancient Greek astronomy, which have already been described by Ptolemy.

The constellation is one of the signs of the zodiac, as the ecliptic passes through. The sun keeps on January 20 to February 16 of each year in Capricorn.

In ancient times, the sun passed through the lowest point of its path in Capricorn and marked the winter solstice. The latitude of 23 ° 26 ' south is still known as the Tropic of Capricorn, because the Sun is at this latitude during the winter solstice in the zenith. In fact, the lowest point of the ecliptic has moved into the constellation Sagittarius, due to the precession of Earth's axis.

On September 23, 1846, Johann Gottfried Galle discovered the planet Neptune attention near the star δ Capricorni ( Deneb Algedi ) in Capricorn.

Mythology

Capricorn is probably one of the oldest constellations. The Babylonians called it a " goat fish ". A mundane explanation for this is that the residents of the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea with the constellation called the time in which flocks of goats fish ( Parupeneus forskalii ) were caught.

It was not until the Roman period in the constellation Capricorn has been renamed. Nevertheless, it is still depicted as a creature with the upper body of a goat and the lower body of a fish.

According to Greek mythology the goat-legged god Pan jumped on the run from the monster Typhon into the sea, hunting made ​​to the gods. Pan wanted to take the shape of a fish around you but only half succeeded. Then Typhon attacked the god Zeus and snatched the tendons in arms and legs out. Pan and Hermes put Zeus ' sinews again. The Zeus restored overcame Typhon and replied Pan in shape as goat fish thanksgiving to the sky.

Meteor streams

The radiant of the meteor shower of the Alpha Capricornids is in Capricorn. The meteor shower can be observed from 15 July to 11 September, with the maximum 6 to 14 meteors per hour between August 1 and 2 occurs.

Celestial objects

Stars

Double stars

The Capricorn contains a number of binary systems that can be dissolved for in binoculars or a small telescope into individual stars.

The second brightest star in Capricorn, β Capricorni ( Dabih, Arabic " butcher " ), is an approximately 300 light-years distant multiple star system. Due to the large angular distance, the two main components β1 and β2 ( Dabih Maior and Minor Dabih ) can already be separated with a pair of binoculars.

α Capricorni ( Algiedi, Arabic " billy goat " ) already appears to the naked eye as a double star. The α1 and α2 stars, however, are not physically attached to each other, but are only seen from Earth in one direction. It therefore is an " optical " double star. The two stars, however, are also "real" double stars whose companions are visible, however, only in the telescope.

The lighter α2 is 120 light years away and has a companion of the 11th magnitude.

The system α1 is much further away at 1500 light years. In a smaller telescope from 6 cm opening a companion star of the 9th magnitude is visible.

ρ Cap is 100 light years away and consists of a white star of spectral type F2 and a reddish companion of class K1.

ζ Cap is 398 light years distant yellow G- type supergiant and a prototype of a barium star. His companion is according to a White Dwarf. ζ Cap owns overabundances of carbon and s- process elements and is especially known for its overabundance of praseodymium.

Variable Stars

δ Capricorni is an eclipsing binary star Algol type, the brightness decreases by 0.2 m every 24.5 hours. This drop in brightness is caused by a fainter companion star which, seen from the Earth pushes all 24.5 hours before the main star and this darkened. At the maximum, the brightest star is δ Cap in Capricorn.

The Arabic name Deneb Algedi means " tail of the billy goat ."

Messier and NGC objects

The Capricorn is a globular cluster, the French astronomer and comet hunter Charles Messier in his catalog of nebulous objects ( Messier catalog) recorded.

M 30 is a globular cluster at a distance of about 40,000 light-years. Already in binoculars he can be identified as foggy spot. To resolve it into individual stars at the edge, however, you need a larger telescope.

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