Constellation Painter: description, location

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The constellation Painter in the 17th century, thanks to the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, was called "an easel for the artist." However, after a certain time, the British astronomer Francis Bailey decided to leave one word in the title. And it began to sound like a Painter.

History of the constellation

Pictor (Latin name "Pictor") is a new, faint constellation in the Southern Hemisphere that lies near the Large Magellanic Cloud. The constellation got its name because the stars in its composition resemble an artist's easel in their appearance.

One of the brightest stars is considered to be the alpha of the constellation Pictor (white), located at a distance of 99 light years from our Planet. Beta constellation (completely white) is the second brightest star in this constellation. It is considered very young (less than 20 million years old), but is at the main sequence stage. It is of great interest to scientists: a gas and dust disk was found near the star, which is turned edge-on towards the Earth. His research allowscorrect and confirm the version of the formation of our own planetary system.

In the sky, the constellation covers an area of 247.7 square degrees and consists of 49 stars that are visible to the naked eye. In a number of other constellations, according to the size, the Painter takes only 59th place.

This constellation is not visible on the territory of the Russian Federation. It contains no celestial objects that would be of interest for telescopic observations, there are only too faint galaxies.

Legend of the constellation Painter

This constellation was found after the Renaissance. Its definition is not associated with any legends, since the constellation Painter was discovered by the French astronomer Lacaille, while he was studying the southern sky in Africa. Which was relatively recent.

The painter: legends and myths

The constellation occupies a place in the sky to the west of the star Canopus, and to the south of the constellation Dove. The composition of the constellation Painter includes Kapteyn's star, which has a very high individual motion. This star is a red subdwarf that lies 12.78 light-years from our planet.

It is unusual in that it moves against the movement of the main mass in the Galaxy, and is also part of the Milky Way. It was determined at the end of the 19th century by an astronomer from Holland named Jacobus Kaptein, after whom it got its name. By that time, the star had the highest personal movement of the stars,enjoying fame. The relay has now moved to Barnard's Flying Star.

Since the constellation is relatively new, there are no myths associated with its appearance. It is known that about 30 years ago one of the stars was photographed, after which it became known that there was a gas-dust cloud near it. Visually, the Painter does not cause any admiration. However, as soon as it becomes known what his stars are fraught with, the attitude towards him completely changes.

How to find the constellation?

The Painter is bordered by the constellation Pigeon in the north, with Puppis and Carina in the east, with the constellation of the Cutter in the northwest, with the Golden Fish in the southwest, and in the south with the constellation of the Flying Fish. An excellent landmark is Canopus Kiel. The constellation occupies the first quadrant in the Southern Hemisphere.

The entire constellation can only be seen at latitudes between +26° and −90°. Best of all, the climax becomes noticeable in mid-December. In 1922, the three-letter abbreviation "Pic" was chosen for the Painter. According to official data, the borders were determined in the 30s of the XX century thanks to the work of the astronomer Eugene Delport.