Constellation Chamaeleon
Date:
Southern Hemisphere
Summer
Chamaeleon
Chamaeleon
The Chameleon is a very inconspicuous constellation of the South. None of its stars is brighter than the fourth magnitude. The brightest star is Alpha Chamaeleontis with a brightness of 3.7 mag.
How to spot Chamaeleon
With an area of 132 square degrees, the Chameleon can be seen in summer. It is the eleventh smallest constellation in the sky. It is located near the southern celestial pole and surrounded by Carina, Musca, Apus, Octans and Mensa.
History
At the end of the 16th century, a Dutch fleet traveled to the legendary Spice Islands to create new trade relationships. Under Captain Keyser, the positions of 135 stars were measured during this journey, which were later included by Peter Plancius in his sky maps. From these he recognized twelve new constellations, including "Het Chameljoen". A few years later, the constellation was recorded as "Chamaeleon" in the new Sky Atlas.