Thursday, December 15, 2011

Tonight: Fornax!

Play video of Hubble Ultra Deep Field visualization
Hubble photo of Ultra Deep Field in Fornax Constellation courtesy SOS.NOAA.gov

Fornax Constellation











Photo of the constellation Fornax courtesy Chandra.Harvard.edu

Tonight in the northern hemisphere you may be able to see the three-star constellation Fornax--unfortunately it will be an overcast, rainy night where I live, so I won't be able to see it.

The fornax is a chemical furnace, or combustion furnace, created by French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794).  He named the furnace after Fornax, the Ancient Roman goddess of bread and baking.  French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille (1713-1762) created the three-star constellation in 1752, and named it Fornax in honor of his friend, Lavoisier.

Did you see Fornax tonight?  Have you seen it before?  What was it like seeing it tonight?

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