Constellations

Lynx

The Lynx

Lynx is a small constellation in the northern hemisphere.
It is one of seven constellations designed in 1687 by Polish astronomer Johannes_Hevelius.
Only one of the visible stars in the constellation carries an official name.
Lynx in the Night Sky

This section describes the constellation as it is seen in the night sky.

For myth and star lore about Lynx click here.

For a listing of names of objects within the boundaries of Lynx click here.

The stars of Lynx

Number Designation Name
1 α Alpha Lyncis
2 38 38 Lyncis
3 31 Alsciaukat
4 2 2 Lyncis
5 10 UMa 10 Ursae Majoris

In the early 18th century, John Flamsteed catalogued a number of previously "unformed" stars surrounding Ursa Major.

In 1928, when the official boundaries between constellations were adopted, some stars ended up in different constellations than designated by Flamsteed.

According to Ian Ridpath, to avoid confusion, astronomers have since "... dropped official Flamsteed numbers for most of these out-of-bounds stars, although the old numbers are on occasion used for historical reasons. Hence some charts of Lynx incorporate a star labelled 10 UMa."

Star map based on map provided by Sea & Sky

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