The constellation of Delphinus(which is Latin for “Dolphin”) looks like a kite shape with a tail. More specifically, the four stars that make up the kite shape are known as an asterism, but for the most part this rectangle is known as “Job’s Coffin”. This constellation is primarily located within the northern hemisphere. It’s just east of Aquila, and happens to be bordered by several other constellations such as, Vulpecula, Pegasus, Equuleus Aquarius, and Sagitta. Usually the best chances of seeing this constellation on earth is on July 31(which is the transit date) or during the summer through early fall, particularly within the month of September where you can find it under the southeast edge of the summer triangle.
According to Greek mythology, Poseidon (king of the sea) saw Amphitrite (a water goodness/ mermaid) and instantly fell in love with her. So the next time he saw her he her to marry him, however, she hid from him. So Poseidon sent out searchers, one of whom was a dolphin named Delphinus. After countless hours of searching, Delphinus found Amphitrite and talked her into marrying Poseidon. So in gratitude, Poseidon placed Delphinus' image amongst the stars. Out of the five prominent stars, only three happened to actually have specific names. Sualocin (also known as Alpha Delphini) was named by an Italian astronomer named Nicolaus Cacciatore, who simply spelled his first name backwards as a practical joke, yet it stuck. Rotanev (also known as Beta Delphini) is also named after Cacciatore, who simply revered his Latinized family name, Venator. Then there’s the tail of Delphinus whose name is Deneb Dulfim (also known epsilon Delphini) which translates from the Latin phrase to “Tail of Dolphin”.
STAR CATALOG:
| Star | Right Ascension | Declination | Apparent Mag. | Spectral Class | Absolute Mag. | Distance from Earth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotanev (Beta Delphini) | 20h 37m 32.944s | 14° 35′ 42.34" | 3.63 | F5IV | 1.26 | 29.86pc |
| Sualocin (Alpha Delphini) | 20h 39m 38.287s | 15° 54′ 43.49" | 3.78 | B9V | -.57 | 73.8pc |
| Deneb Dulfim(Tail of Dolphin) | 20h 33m 12.771s | 11° 18′ 11.75" | 4.04 | B6III | -1.18 | 110.01pc |
| Gamma1 Delphini | 20h 46m 38.864s | 16° 7′ 26.89" | 5.09 | F7V | 2.65 | 31.55pc |
| Gamma2 Delphini | 20h 46m 39.502s | 16° 7′ 27.47" | 4.26 | K1IV | 1.81 | 31.11pc |
| Delta Delphini | 20h 43m 27.53s | 15° 4′ 28.5" | 4.43 | A7IIIp d Del | .45 | 147.06pc |
This type of galaxy is a spiral galaxy. Its coordinates are: RA 21h 08m 26s; Dec: 18° 11' 28". Its magnitude is 15.2.
This type of galaxy is an elliptical galaxy. It’s coordinates are: RA: 21h 08m 18.8s its Dec: +18° 12' 10", while it’s magnitude is 14.6.
This is a picture of both galaxies, UGC 11683 and MCG 3-54-2
This globular cluster (the NGC 7006) is the farthest cluster of its type, except for the NGC 1419. Its coordinates are: RA 21h 01m 30s; Dec: 16° 11' 00" and its apparent magnitude is 10.5m. The diameter of this cluster is 3.6 arc min. It’s about 125,000 light years from the galaxy’s core and over 135 thousand light years away from Earth. It’s a couple thousands years old and many observers comment that it looks more like a planetary nebula than a globular cluster.
It's actual name is Alpha Delphini but its known as Sualocin. The coordinates of this star are: RA 20hr 29min 38s; Decl 15° 54' 43". The distance from Earth is 74 parsecs and 240 light years away. Its absolute magnitude is -.57and its apparent magnitude is 3.7, and the spectral class is B9V. This star is slightly dimmer than Rotanev,yet it It spins very fast at 160 kilometers per second at its equator, which is 70 times faster than the sun goes.
This website was very resourceful. It included stars with their spectral class and magnitudes. It gives facts about this constellation and also information that has the ability to be useful for those who are trying to find it in the sky.
This article contained information on the globular star cluster in the Delphinus constellation. It gave a detailed description, while also a picture to show exactly where it lies.
This article contained information about the galaxy UGC 116983. It provided a picture of the galaxy,which was very helpful in locating its postion. It gives information about the galaxy, such as the magnitude, coordinates, and the classification.
This specifc article helped me find out my prominent stars right ascension, declination, the distance from earth, and thier absoulte and apparent magnitudes.