Ecu of Sobieski
See also: ecu
The Écu of Sobieski is small a Constellation which is just in the east of the Queue of the Snake. It is about the 5th smaller constellation, but its position on the Milky Way enables him to have a certain number of interesting celestial objects. Located at 10° in lower part of the celestial equator, this constellation is almost visible since any terrestrial Latitude.
History
This constellation is one of only (with the Chevelure of Bérénice) which owes its name with a historical character, in fact the king Jean III Sobieski of Poland. It led the defense of the Poland and Vienna against the armies of the Ottoman Empire and gained an important battle the September 12th 1683. Seven years later, the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius named this small portion of the sky wedged between the Aigle and the Sagittarius in his honor ( Scutum Sobiescianum ). The official designation Latin E of the constellation for summer has shortened with Scutum ( the Ecu ; also known as the Shield ) very short.
Observation of stars
It is a relatively weak constellation (mag 4) and without very suggestive form. If the model were a shield, it was doubtless drawn of profile, and after a severe combat.The constellation is located rather easily starting from the tail of the Aigle. It is located between the tail of the Eagle, λ and 12 Aql, and ν of the Serpentaire/Ophiuchus.
The end of the tail of the Eagle point coarsely on δ Sct (variable) with 7°, and γ Sct with 8° further. Immediately with 5° in the West of the tail, one finds β Sct. Of the unit one locates easily α Sct, the brilliant star in the middle of the unit. In the prolongation of the direction tail of the eagle - α Sct, one finds after 3° ζ Sct, the last brilliant star of the constellation. While prolonging this direction, one falls after 6 or 7 degrees on ν from the Serpentaire/Ophiuchus, which holds the tail of the Serpent. This tail slips surreptitiously between the hand and the shield, without any brilliant star to point out it.
Principal stars
See also: List of stars of the Ecu of Sobieski
α Scuti
The luminary of the constellation of the Ecu of Sobieski is α Scuti, an orange giant star of fourth magnitude only (3,85). 20 times larger than the Sun, 130 times more luminous, it are slightly variable, but in a random way.δ Scuti
δ Scuti is the prototype of a standard variable star which is subjected to small pulsations over several periods of a few hours which are superimposed, causing a tiny variation of their luminosity. β Cassiopeiae (Caph) is most brilliant of these stars.δ Scuti is a giant star which passes from magnitude 4,60 to magnitude 4,70 following two pulsations principal of 4,65 and 4,48 hours, on which are added smaller pulsations of 2,79,2,28,2,89 and 20,11 hours. Metal rich person, it is 2,2 to 2,4 times more massive than the Sun and rotates 15 times more quickly than this one.
δ Scuti is a multiple star and has two companions, located at 870 and 3.000 ua.
Other stars
R Scuti is a variable yellow giantess of the class of RV Tauri: it varies in a rather regular way between 5th and 8th magnitudes over one period 146,5 days.
Celestial objects
The Ecu of Sobieski is close to the center of the Milky Way and then includes/understands several astral objects, of which the open Amas M11, just in the south-east of β Scuti, the open cluster M26 and the Nébuleuse diffuses IC 1287.
See too
- List of stars of the Ecu of Sobieski
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