English name | Little Fox | ||||
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Major stars | No star of the constellation exceeds the magnitude 3,5. | ||||
Description | Small constellation to the south of Cygnus. Near the border with Sagitta, a little above the 20 degrees of declination, there is a small group of stars, of sixth and seventh magnitude, disposed in a very curious manner: there is a straight line of six stars, from the middle of which four other stars branch off so that they form a hook. The whole composition draws with notable likelihood a small dress-hanger. A little far there is M27, a big planetary nebula nicknamed Dumbbell because of its characteristic shape. It is visible with small instruments too, but only as a weak luminosity: to see it better you need big telescopes. |
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Mythology and history | The constellation was drawn in 1687 by Johannes Hevelius. At first it took the name of Vulpecula et Anser, considering that it represented a fox with a goose in the mouth. |