Fornax

Constellation

Represents a furnace, introduced by Lacaille and home to the Fornax Cluster of galaxies.

Facts

TypeConstellation
Area of sky398 sq°
Brightest starDalim
Brightest star magnitudemag 3.92
HemisphereSouthern
Zodiac constellationNo
Discovered1756

Fornax in context

A constellation is a pattern drawn on the sky rather than a physical grouping: its stars are usually unrelated and sit at wildly different distances, just lined up as seen from Earth.

Fornax covers 398 square degrees of sky, which is 1.0 percent of the whole celestial sphere.

That makes it the 41st largest of the 88 constellations the International Astronomical Union recognises.

It sits in the southern sky.

Its brightest star reaches magnitude 3.92, bright enough to pick out with the naked eye under a dark sky.

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