Pictor
Encyclopedia
Pictor is a small and faint constellation
in the southern sky (declination −50° to −60°), located between the brilliant star Canopus
and the Large Magellanic Cloud
. Its name is Latin
for painter
, but it is in fact an abbreviation of its original name Equuleus Pictoris, the 'painter's easel
', and it is normally represented as an easel. It was invented and named by Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille
in the 17th century.
Pictor has attracted attention in recent years because of its second-brightest star β Pictoris
, 63.4 light-year
s distant, which is surrounded by an unusual dust disk rich in carbon
. Kapteyn's Star
, a nearby red dwarf
at the distance of 12.78 light years, is the closest halo star
known.
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
in the southern sky (declination −50° to −60°), located between the brilliant star Canopus
Canopus
Canopus |Alpha]] Carinae) is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina and Argo Navis, and the second brightest star in the night-time sky, after Sirius. Canopus's visual magnitude is −0.72, and it has an absolute magnitude of −5.53.Canopus is a supergiant of spectral...
and the Large Magellanic Cloud
Large Magellanic Cloud
The Large Magellanic Cloud is a nearby irregular galaxy, and is a satellite of the Milky Way. At a distance of slightly less than 50 kiloparsecs , the LMC is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way, with the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal and Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy lying closer to the center...
. Its name is Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, but it is in fact an abbreviation of its original name Equuleus Pictoris, the 'painter's easel
Easel
An easel is an upright support used for displaying and/or fixing something resting upon it.-Etymology:The word is an old Germanic synonym for donkey...
', and it is normally represented as an easel. It was invented and named by Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille
Nicolas Louis de Lacaille
Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...
in the 17th century.
Pictor has attracted attention in recent years because of its second-brightest star β Pictoris
Beta Pictoris
Beta Pictoris is the second brightest star in the constellation Pictor. It is located 63.4 light years from our solar system, and is 1.75 times as massive and 8.7 times as luminous as the Sun. The Beta Pictoris system is very young, only 8–20 million years old, although it is already in the main...
, 63.4 light-year
Light-year
A light-year, also light year or lightyear is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres...
s distant, which is surrounded by an unusual dust disk rich in carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
. Kapteyn's Star
Kapteyn's Star
Kapteyn's Star is a class M1 red dwarf star about 13 light years from Earth in the southern constellation of Pictor. With a magnitude of nearly 9 it is visible through binoculars or a telescope.-History:...
, a nearby red dwarf
Red dwarf
According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool star, of the main sequence, either late K or M spectral type....
at the distance of 12.78 light years, is the closest halo star
Galactic halo
The term galactic halo is used to denote an extended, roughly spherical component of a galaxy, which extends beyond the main, visible component. It can refer to any of several distinct components which share these properties:* the galactic spheroid...
known.