We began the month with the faint constellation of Cepheus, and end the month with the even fainter constellation of Lacerta, the Lizard.
Whereas Cepheus was one of the original 48 constellations defined by Ptolemy in the second century AD, Lacerta is comparatively modern, having been defined in 1687 by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius. Both constellations are now part of the International Astronomical Union’s 88 modern constellations.
The best way to find Lacerta is to identify the recognisable “W” of Cassiopeia, and then search the patch of sky between Cassiopeia and Cygnus, the swan. The chart shows the view looking roughly south-east, and high in the sky at about 8pm GMT from London this week.
Many people find that the easiest way to spot Lacerta is to look for a stretched-out, squashed W shape, then identify the faint star that makes the diamond-shaped head of the lizard. This has led to its nickname of “Little Cassiopeia”.
When Hevelius originally defined the constellation, he named it after a specific type of lizard, the stellion. Perhaps coincidentally, early Chinese astronomers also saw these stars as part of a flying serpent. Being located far in the northern sky, Lacerta is not visible from most of the southern hemisphere.
