The Lynx
| Abbreviation: | Lyn |
| Genitive: | Lyncis |
| Origin: | Johannes Hevelius, 1690 |
| Fully Visible: | 28°S – 90°N |
German/Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius (1611–1687) created this constellation in the late seventeenth century. It possesses no bright stars and supposedly Hevelius named it Lynx because only the lynx-eyed (those with exceptionally good eyesight) can spot it! However, he actually labelled it Lynx sive Tigris, 'Lynx or Tiger'. Prior to this, many of these stars were part of the now-obsolete constellation of Jordanus Fluvius.
Notable Features
| Visible Named Stars | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31 Lyn | Alsciaukat | This fourth-magnitude star sometimes appears as Shaukah in older star atlases and catalogues. |
| Other Interesting Stars | ||
| HD 75898 | Stribor | This eighth-magnitude star is known to have at least one exoplanet. It is located south of 10 UMa. |
| WASP‑13 | Gloas | This tenth-magnitude star is known to have at least one exoplanet. A telescope is needed to spot is near α Lyn. |
| XO‑4 | Koit | Located not far from 15 Lyn, this eleventh-magnitude star is known to have at least one exoplanet. |
| XO‑5 | Absolutno | This twelfth-magnitude star is known to have at least one exoplanet and is found near the globular cluster C25. |
| Deep Sky Objects | ||
| C25 | This globular cluster (also known as NGC 2419) lies further from the Milky Way than the Magellanic Clouds and takes about 3 billion years to orbit our galaxy. A small telescope is necessary to view it. | |
Copyright © 1995–2023 by L.M. Stockman and David Harper