Constellation Sextans
Constellation Sextans is a faint and inconspicuous constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere. Its name means “the Sextant” in Latin, referring to an instrument used for measuring angles, particularly important in navigation and surveying.
Despite its lack of bright stars, Sextans is not completely devoid of interesting objects. One of the notable features within Sextans is NGC 3115, a lenticular galaxy also known as the “Spindle Galaxy” or “Sextans A.” This galaxy resides about 31 million light-years away from Earth and is one of the closest examples of its kind.
The constellation Sextans is located south of Leo and Hydra, and it was introduced by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in the late 17th century. To observe it, Sextans can be best seen during the months of March and April in the northern hemisphere or during autumn in the southern hemisphere.
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