Chamaeleon

Abbreviation:  Cha
English Name:  The Chamaeleon
Genitive: Chamaeleontis
Hemisphere:  Southern Hemisphere (Never visible from the UK.)
Location: Between the constellations of Apus and Volans.
Visible between latitudes:  +00 and -90 degrees
Best season: Spring
Seen in three seasons: Winter, Spring and Summer
Best seen in:  April
Seen between: February to May
Right Ascension (RA):  11 hour
Declination (DEC):  -80 degrees
Area (square degrees):  132 (79th)

Chameleon (The Chameleon Lizard)

• Small and faint constellation near the South Celestial Pole (SCP).
• The brightest stars in Chameleon are only magnitude +4.1.

Messier Objects

• No Messier objects in Chameleon.

Features of Interest

• NGC 3195 – Faint Planetary Nebula; similar size of Jupiter. It’s te mst southern of all bright Planetary Nebula in the night sky, and can be seen visually in telescope apertures of 10.5cm / 4 inch at low magnification eye-pieces.

Named Stars

• Alpha Chamaelentis
  
• Beta Chamaeleontis
  
• Gamma Chameleontis
• Delta Chameleontis

Others

• Photo of the constellation; Chameleon, as it appears to the naked eye. (Lines have been added for clarity.)
• Sky Chart  –  Chameleon
• List of stars in Chamaeleon.

 

Back to The 88 Constellations Lists  page.