Southern crown

The southern Couronne is small a Constellation of the Southern hemisphere.

History

Indexed by Ptolémée, the name of this constellation makes during with that of the boreal Couronne. Its stars are indeed laid out according to an arc of a circle which points out a crown. It would be about that of the Sagittarius, near.

Observation of stars

It is a weak constellation (mag 4 to 5) and its form is definitely less outstanding than his/her sister the boreal Couronne. The constellation is located starting from the Scorpion, full Is compared to the tail, and of the Sagittarius, full South compared to the neck Nunki.

Principal stars

See also: List of stars of the southern Crown

Alfecca Meridiana (α Coronae Australis)

The southern Crown is not rich in remarkable objects. Its principal star, Alfecca Meridiana (α CRA) whose name derives from that of major star of the boreal Crown, Alphecca, is a star of 4th magnitude (4,11). It is a star of class has traditional, if it is not that it rotates very quickly (180 km/s with the equator).

Other stars

The other most luminous stars of the constellation are β CRA (magnitude 4,11), γ CRA (4,23) and δ CRA (4,57). γ CRA is a star doubles made up of two stars of F8 class 5th magnitude turning one around the other in 120 years.

The Space telescope Hubble discovered the September 25th 1997 a neutron star isolated in space in this constellation.

Celestial objects

As the southern Crown is directed towards the edge of our Milky Way, it is a constellation interesting for an observation of the sky, in spite of its small size.

This constellation shelters the globular Amas NGC 6541, distant of 14.000 light-years and sixth magnitude.

See too

List of stars of the southern Crown

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