Chamaeleon (The Chameleon) Constellation
Chamaeleon (pronounced kəˈmiːliən) is the Latin name of a constellation situated close to the southern celestial pole. As such, it is easilty visible for most part of the year from the southern hemisphere.
In English language this constellation is also known as "The Chameleon" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Cha" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Cham" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).
The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Chamaeleontis" (pronounced kəˌmiːliˈɒntɪs) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Chamaeleontis (the brightest star of Chamaeleon based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Chamaeleontis (the 23th star in the constellation of Chamaeleon based on the Flamsteed catalog).
Sky Chart of Chamaeleon Constellation
Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Chamaeleon constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Chamaeleon in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.
Visibility of Chamaeleon Constellation
Location: Greenwich, UK
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Chamaeleon is currently not visible from Greenwich, UK
The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations these times can have little relevance.
Bright Stars in Chamaeleon Constellation
The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Chamaeleon constellation. See also the complete list of 34 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Chamaeleon. Click on each star to see more details about it.
| HR Number(*) | Star designation | Proper name | Visual magnitude | Color | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
HR3318 | α Chamaeleontis | 4.07 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR4174 | γ Chamaeleontis | 4.11 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
|
HR4674 | β Chamaeleontis | 4.26 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
|
HR3340 | θ Chamaeleontis | 4.35 | ⬤ | Double; | |
|
HR4234 | δ2 Chamaeleontis | 4.45 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR4583 | ε Chamaeleontis | 4.91 | ⬤ | Double; | |
|
HR4605 | κ Chamaeleontis | 5.04 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR3860 | ζ Chamaeleontis | 5.11 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
|
HR3795 | ι Chamaeleontis | 5.36 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR3902 | ν Chamaeleontis | 5.45 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR4231 | δ1 Chamaeleontis | 5.47 | ⬤ | Double; | |
|
HR3502 | η Chamaeleontis | 5.47 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR3983 | μ1 Chamaeleontis | 5.52 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR4479 | π Chamaeleontis | 5.65 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR3393 | 5.69 | ⬤ | |||
|
HR3543 | 5.79 | ⬤ | |||
|
HR4976 | 5.85 | ⬤ | |||
|
HR5188 | 5.95 | ⬤ | |||
|
HR4206 | 5.97 | ⬤ | |||
|
HR3524 | 6.05 | ⬤ | Variable; | ||
| ...go to the complete list of 34 bright stars in the constellation of Chamaeleon | ||||||
(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.
Deep Sky Objects in Chamaeleon Constellation
The table below lists all the deep sky objects in the Chamaeleon constellation. See also the complete list of 7 deep sky objects in the constellation of Chamaeleon. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).
