Lacerta - The Lizard

Lacerta is a faint northern constellation. It is flanked by Andromeda, Cygnus and Cassiopeia. To the south is Pegasus and to the north is Cepheus. The upper half of Lacerta cuts into the northern Milky Way. For northern observers, Lacerta is visible during the summer and fall.

History and Mythology

Lacerta was named by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in 1687 to fill a gap in the sky. The Chinese saw this constellation as a flying dragon.

Notable Objects

The stars in Lacerta are all 4th magnitude and fainter. The brightest is Alpha Lacertae, at magnitude 3.8 and a distance of 100 light-years away. Beta Lacertae is magnitude 4.4 and 215 light-years away.

The star cluster NGC 7209 is an open cluster of about 50 stars ranging from 9th to 12th magnitude. It is along the western edge of Lacerta, on the border with Cygnus. NGC 7209 is estimated to be 2,900 light-years away.

Another open cluster is NGC 7243, containing about 40 stars that are 8th magnitude and fainter. NGC 7296 is a smaller open cluster of about 9th magnitude. For good viewing, each of these clusters require an 8 inch telescope under clear, dark skies.