Reports - 2013
Astronomy Benalla Meeting Presentations - Wednesday 16th October 2013
Presenter: Patrick Watson
THE CONSTELLATION DELPHINUS
Delphinus is an unremarkable constellation, bieng 69th in order of size and covering 189 square degrees.
Delphinus is one of the original Greek constellations listed by Ptolemy and representing a dolphin.
Delphinus can be found between the star Altair (Alpha Aquilae - the brightest star in Aquila and the twelfth brightest
star in the sky), and the star Enif (Epsilon Pegasi - the brightest star in the northern constellation of Pegasus).
Objects of note include:
Globular Cluster NGC7006
Globular Cluster NGC 6934
Planetary Nebula NGC 6891
Nova Delphini 2013 - discovered on 14 August 2013 by amateur astronomer Koichi Itagaki in Japan.
An item of specific interest is that some Bayer numbers were not accurately allotted. The following image shows the
allotted designations with the designations which would apply according to modern measurements shown in
parenthisis:
A second specific matter of interest:
Niccolò Cacciatore was an Italian astronomer who assisted in compiling the second edition of the Palermo Star
Catalogue.
Alpha and Beta Delphini are a pair of visually unremarkable 4th magnitude stars. When the Palermo Catalogue was
published in 1814, the unfamiliar names Sualocin and Rotanev were attached to them which remained a puzzle for
some time.
Eventually the British astronomer Thomas William Webb puzzled out the explanation.
Cacciatore's name, Nicholas Hunter in English translation, would be Latinised to Nicolaus Venator. Reversing the
letters of this construction produces the two star names.
They have endured, the result of Cacciatore's little practical joke of naming the two stars after himself.
Nova Delphini 2013
