Reticulum

List of stars in Reticulum
Abbreviation	Ret
Genitive	Reticuli
Pronunciation	/rɨˈtɪkjələm/, genitive /rɨˈtɪkjʊlaɪ/
Symbolism	the Reticle
Right ascension	4 h
Declination	−60°
Family	La Caille
Quadrant	SQ1
Area	114 sq. deg. (82nd)
Main stars	4
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	11
Stars with known planets	4
Bright stars	none
Nearby stars	2
Brightest star	α Reticuli (3.4m)
Nearest star	ζ2 Reticuli (39.38 ly)
Messier objects	none
Bordering constellations	Horologium Dorado Hydrus
Visible at latitudes between +23° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of January.

Reticulum is a small, faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the reticle—a net of crosshairs at the focus of a telescope eyepiece that is used to measure star positions^[1] This constellation is best viewed between October and December, but cannot be seen from mid-northern latitudes.^[2]

[edit] History

This constellation was introduced in 1621 by Isaac Habrecht, who named it Rhombus^[3]. It was later renamed by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the eighteenth century; during his stay at the Cape of Good Hope, he named the constellation Reticulum to commemorate the reticle in his telescope eyepiece^[1]. In 1810, the stars of Reticulum were used by William Croswell to produce the constellation Marmor Sculptile, which represented the bust of Christopher Columbus, but this did not catch on among astronomers.^[4].

The constellation Reticulum became officially recognized during the First General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union in 1922. The boundary for this and other constellations was drawn up by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte along arcs of right ascension and declination for epoch 1875. These were published in 1930 in the Delimination Scientifique des Constellations at the behest of the IAU.^[5][6]

[edit] Interesting Features

Only two of the stars in this constellation are brighter than visual magnitude: Alpha (α) and Beta (β) reticuli. The reddish star R Reticuli is a Mira variable. This variable was discovered by C. Ragoonatha Chary at the Madras Observatory in India.^[7]

The binary star system Epsilon Reticuli consists of a spectral class K2IV star being orbited by a white dwarf. Based on parallax measurements, this system is located about 50 light years from the Sun. In 2006, a planetary companion was announced, orbiting the star ε Reticuli A.^[8]

Zeta Reticuli is a wide binary star system, with both members being similar to the Sun. It is located at a distance of about 39 light years. This system gained some notoriety in ufology when the alleged alien abductees Betty and Barney Hill named it as the home of their abductors.

In 2005, a type 1a supernova was discovered in the spiral galaxy NGC 1559, located in the Reticulum constellation.^[9]

[edit] See also

• List of stars in Reticulum

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Reticulum

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Reticulum
• Starry Night Photography: Reticulum Constellation
• Star Tales – Reticulum

Coordinates: 04^h 00^m 00^s, −60° 00′ 00″