Star Lore Of All Ages/The Minor Constellations/Sextans

by William Tyler Olcott

Sextans
The Sextant

This is a modern asterism sometimes called "Urania's Sextant," and first appeared on the chart of Hevelius which was published in 1690.

This celestial Sextant is supposed to commemorate the sextant so successfully used by Hevelius in taking stellar measurements at Dantzig from 1658 to 1679.

The astronomer von Rheita imagined that this group represented Saint Veronica's Sacred Handkerchief.

The original figure of the Sextant comprised the twelve unclaimed stars between Leo and Hydra, west of Crater, and it has been generally recognised by astronomers since the date of its invention.

The lucida of the group, a fourth magnitude star, is situated 12° south of Regulus.

According to Argelander the Sextant contains seventeen naked eye stars.