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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
sunny DaytimeWhat's Visible Now?
All Constellations » 

Lacerta (The Lizard) Constellation

Altitude: 73.6°   Azimuth: 101.9°   Direction: East-South-East

Lacerta (pronounced ləˈsɜːrtə) is the Latin name of a constellation situated north of the celestial equator. As such, it is more easily visible from the northern hemisphere.

In English language this constellation is also known as "The Lizard" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Lac" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Lacr" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).

The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Lacertae" (pronounced ləˈsɜːrtiː) 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 Lacertae (the brightest star of Lacerta based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Lacertae (the 23th star in the constellation of Lacerta based on the Flamsteed catalog).

Lacerta is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt. Altitude: 74°.
Available Resources for Lacerta

Sky Chart of Lacerta Constellation

Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Lacerta constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Lacerta in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Chart of  constellation
This constellation image is derivatve work based on original work by IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) CC-BY-3.0.

Visibility of Lacerta Constellation

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Lacerta is circumpolar and transits at 10:43 UTC (altitude: 84.1°)

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 Lacerta Constellation

The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Lacerta constellation. See also the complete list of 66 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Lacerta. Click on each star to see more details about it.

HR Number(*) Star designation Proper name Visual magnitude Color Notes
HR8585 α Lacertae 3.77 Double;
HR8498 1 Lacertae 4.13
HR8572 5 Lacertae 4.36 Variable;
HR8538 β Lacertae 4.43
HR8632 11 Lacertae 4.46
HR8485 4.49 Variable; Multiple;
HR8579 6 Lacertae 4.51
HR8523 2 Lacertae 4.57 Variable; Double;
HR8541 4 Lacertae 4.57
HR8613 9 Lacertae 4.63
HR8622 10 Lacertae 4.88 Double;
HR8699 15 Lacertae 4.94 Multiple;
HR8726 4.95 Variable;
HR8656 13 Lacertae 5.08 Double;
HR8424 5.14 Variable;
HR8621 5.21 Variable; Double;
HR8640 12 Lacertae 5.25 Variable; Double;
HR8463 5.4 Multiple;
HR8731 5.43 Variable;
HR8688 5.43
...go to the complete list of 66 bright stars in the constellation of Lacerta

(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.

Deep Sky Objects in Lacerta Constellation

The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Lacerta constellation. See also the complete list of 38 deep sky objects in the constellation of Lacerta. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).

Name Type Magnitude
NGC 7243 Open Cluster 6.4 (V)
NGC 7209 Open Cluster 7.7 (V)
IC 1442 Open Cluster 9.1 (V)
NGC 7245 Open Cluster 9.2 (V)
NGC 7295 Open Cluster 9.7 (V)
IC 5217 Planetary Nebula 11.3 (V)
NGC 7248 Galaxy 12.39 (V)
NGC 7250 Galaxy 12.58 (V)
NGC 7223 Galaxy 13.5 (B)
NGC 7426 Galaxy 13.6 (B)
NGC 7330 Galaxy 13.6 (B)
NGC 7265 Galaxy 13.7 (B)
NGC 7231 Galaxy 14 (B)
NGC 7274 Galaxy 14.2 (B)
NGC 7379 Galaxy 14.4 (B)
NGC 7197 Galaxy 14.5 (B)
NGC 7242 NED01 Galaxy 14.6 (B)
NGC 7264 Galaxy 14.7 (B)
IC 5259 Galaxy 14.8 (B)
NGC 7273 Galaxy 14.8 (B)
...go to the complete list of 38 deep sky objects in the constellation of Lacerta