Constellation Sculptor
Date:
Southern Hemisphere
Autumn Winter
Sculptor
Sculptor
The Sculptor is an inconspicuous constellation of the south. In it you can find the galactic south pole, which means that the axis of rotation of the Milky Way is located here. In addition, the galactic group "Sculptor Group" is to be seen in the constellation, which is 12 million light-years away from Earth.
How to spot Sculptor
Sculptor is located east of the star Fomalhaut of the constellation Piscis Austrinus. It borders Cetus in the north and Fornax in the east. The constellation with an area of 475 square degrees is best seen in autumn and winter, but none of its stars is brighter than the fourth magnitude.
History
After the invention of the telescope, the French astronomer Nicolas de Lacaille named some constellations of the southern hemisphere that had not been recognized before. Unlike the 48 constellations of antiquity, which bear the names of mythological figures, he often used the names of technological novelties for the new constellations. This constellation he called "l'Atelier de Sculpteur" (workshop of the sculptor), later the name was shortened to "Sculptor".