The Constellation Chamaeleon
by Dominic Ford
The constellation Chamaeleon.
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Source: Stellarium.
Source: Stellarium.
Chamaeleon is the tenth smallest constellation. It lies close to the south celestial pole, where it appears highest in the evening sky in the months around February.
It was among a dozen constellations introduced by Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman which celebrate rare or exotic animals, and first appeared on star maps in 1598.
Chamaeleon does not contain any bright stars or deep sky objects; the lizard's body is represented by a grouping of fourth-magnitude stars. It contains one Caldwell object, the planetary nebula C109 (NGC 3195).
Date First Appeared
1598 (Keyser & de Houtman)
1598 (Keyser & de Houtman)
Sky Area
0.3% of the sky
131.6 square degrees
0.3% of the sky
131.6 square degrees
Messier Objects
Chamaeleon contains no Messier objects
Chamaeleon contains no Messier objects
| Stars | Open Clusters | Globular Clusters | Galaxies |
| Stars | Open Clusters | Globular Clusters | Galaxies |
| α-Cha (mag 4.1) | NGC 3149 (mag 0.0) | ||
| γ-Cha (mag 4.1) | NGC 3620 (mag 0.0) | ||
| β-Cha (mag 4.2) | IC 3104 (mag 0.0) | ||
| θ-Cha (mag 4.3) | NGC 2915 (mag 12.7) | ||
| δ²-Cha (mag 4.4) | |||
| ε-Cha (mag 4.9) | |||
| κ-Cha (mag 5.0) | |||
| ζ-Cha (mag 5.1) | |||
| ι-Cha (mag 5.3) | |||
| η-Cha (mag 5.4) | |||
| ν-Cha (mag 5.4) | |||
| μ-Cha (mag 5.5) | |||
| δ¹-Cha (mag 5.6) | |||
| π-Cha (mag 5.6) | |||
| HD 72922 (mag 5.7) | |||
| HD 76236 (mag 5.8) | |||
| HD 114533 (mag 5.8) | |||
| HD 120213 (mag 5.9) | |||
| HD 93237 (mag 6.0) | |||
| RS Cha (mag 6.1) | |||
| HD 80194 (mag 6.1) | |||
| HD 92209 (mag 6.3) | |||
| HD 118285 (mag 6.3) | |||
| HD 101782 (mag 6.3) | |||
| HD 106248 (mag 6.3) |