Lynx+-+Ana+Iniguez

Analisse Iniguez Jeff Adkins Astronomy April 11, 2015 Lynx Lynx is a constellation that was discover by a Polish astronomer, Johannes Hevelius, in the 17th century. He created the constellation because of a gap between two constellations, Auriga and Ursa Major. It was given the name lynx because it was too faint to see. And you needed the eyesight of a lynx to see it. “While it is not known if Hevelius had any myths in mind when he named the constellation, there is a figure in mythology who might be linked to the constellation’s name. Lynceus, who sailed with Jason and the Argonauts, was said to have the keenest eyesight of all men and could even see things underground. He and his twin brother Idas were part of the expedition for the Golden Fleece” (Constellation Guide). Lynx was not recognized as a constellation until the 17th century, therefore, it has no mythology to it. Some people think that Hevelius was just trying to fill in the blanks in the sky. And others figured that he was devoted to nature studies, more in North America. At that time the lynx was a native of Europe. “To Native Americans, the lynx was legendary – an elusive, ghost-like animal that sees without being seen. It was known as “the keeper of secrets of the forest” and to see it was quite magical – knowing that its secrecy was its strength. Oddly enough, the lynx was chosen as the emblem of the Accademia dei Lincei (“Academy of the Lynxes”), one of the world’s oldest scientific societies. Its piercing vision was invoked symbolically as characteristic of those dedicated to science”(Universe Today). So more likely, he had some story behind to why and how he came up to naming the constellation Lynx. There are some objects that are deep within the lynx constellation. The first one is NGC 2419 (Caldwell 25) – Intergalactic Wanderer. It is a globular star cluster, and was originally thought to not orbit the Milky Way. It does and takes about 3 billion ways to complete its orbit. The second object is UFO Galaxy – NGC 2683, it is a spiral galaxy. It was discovered in 1788 by William Herschel. It is moving away from earth and is about 25 million light years in distant. The third object is Bear’s Paw Galaxy – NGC 2537 (Arp 6). It is classified as a blue compact galaxy. This means “that it is a small galaxy that contains large clusters of hot young stars which make the galaxy appear blue in colour” (Constellation Guide). The fourth object is NGC 2770. This is a spiral galxy, and is also known as “Supernova Factory” because 3 supernova’s have occurred over the years. The fifth object is NGC 2541, it is also a spiral galaxy and is about 41 million light years away from the sun.

NGC 2419 UFO Galaxy – NGC 2683 Bear’s Paw Galaxy – NGC 2537

NGC 2541 Lynx Constellation Lynx Constellation Map

Works Cited "Lynx Constellation." Constellation Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015 . "Lynx." Universe Today. N.p., 02 Dec. 2008. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. .