Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Scutum
- For the Roman shield, see Scutum (shield).
Scutum (Latin for shield) is a small constellation. It is one of the 88 modern constellations. It was introduced in 1690 by Hevelius. It was originally known as Scutum Sobiescii (Sobieski's Shield) after the Polish king and hero Jan III Sobieski. It is the only constellation that is associated with a modern historical figure.
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Notable features
Scutum is the fifth smallest of the 88 modern constellations. It has few bright stars (the brightest star, α, is magnitude 3.85), but the summer Milky Way runs through it. The Scutum star cloud can be found in the northeastern corner of the constellation.
Notable deep sky objects
Scutum contains several open clusters, as well as a globular cluster and a planetary nebula. The two best known deep sky objects in Scutum are M11 (NGC 6705), the Wild Duck Cluster, a dense open cluster, and M26, another open cluster also known as NGC 6694. The globular cluster NGC 6712 and the planetary nebula IC 1295 can be found in the eastern part of the constellation, only 24 arcminutes apart.
Mythology
Being a modern constellation, Scutum has no mythology associated with it. It was deigned to represent the shield of Jan III Sobieski.
Principal stars
| Bayer designation | Other designation | Right Ascension | Declination | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ζ | 18h 23' 39.5" | -08° 56' 03" | 4.68 | |
| γ | 18h 29' 11.9" | -14° 33' 57" | 4.70 | |
| α | 18h 35' 12.4" | -08° 14' 39" | 3.85 | |
| δ | ADS 11581 | 18h 42' 16.4" | -09° 03' 09" | 4.72v |
| ε | ADS 11601 | 18h 43' 31.3" | -08° 16' 31" | 4.90 |
| β | 18h 47' 10.5" | -04° 44' 52" | 4.22 | |
| η | 18h 57' 03.7" | -05° 50' 46" | 4.83 |
Source: The Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed.
Double stars
| Designation | Right Ascension | Declination | Magnitudes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Struve 2325 (ADS 11414) | 18h 31' 25.7" | -10° 47' 45" | 5.8, 9.1 |
| δ Sct (ADS 11581) | 18h 42' 16.4" | -09° 03' 09" | 4.7v, 9.2, 12.2 |
Variable stars
| Designation | Right Ascension | Declination | Range | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| δ | 18h 42' 16.4" | -09° 03' 09" | 4.6-4.7 | 4 hours 40 minutes |
| R | 18h 47' 29.0" | -05° 42' 18" | 4.5-8.2 | 140 days |
See Also
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