Sextans (abbreviation Sex), the Sextant, is a faint constellation on the celestial equator.

 

Its brightest star is Alpha Sextantis (visual magnitude 4.48, absolute magnitude -0.25, spectral type A0III, distance 287 light-years). Among its deep-sky objects are the Sextans Dwarf and the Spindle Galaxy.

 

Sextans Dwarf

 

 

The Sextans Dwarf is a low-luminosity dwarf elliptical galaxy (dE3) that is a satellite of the Milky Way. Discovered in 1990, it lies at coordinates RA 10h 13.2m, Dec –1° 37', about 290,000 light-years from the galactic center.

 

Constellations

Andromeda | Antlia | Apus | Aquarius | Aquila | Ara | Aries | Auriga | Bootes | Caelum | Camelopardalis | Cancer | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Capricornus | Carina | Cassiopeia | Centaurus | Cepheus | Cetus | Chamaeleon | Circinus | Columba | Coma Berenices | Corona Austrina | Corona Borealis | Corvus | Crater | Crux | Cygnus | Delphinus | Dorado | Draco | Equuleus | Eridanus | Fornax | Gemini | Grus | Hercules | Horologium | Hydra | Hydrus | Indus | Lacerta | Leo | Leo Minor | Lepus | Libra | Lupus | Lynx | Lyra | Mensa | Microscopium | Monoceros | Musca | Norma | Octans | Ophiuchus | Orion | Pavo | Pegasus | Perseus | Phoenix | Pictor | Pisces | Piscis Austrinus | Puppis | Pyxis | Reticulum | Sagitta | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Sculptor | Scutum | Serpens | Sextans | Taurus | Telescopium | Triangulum | Triangulum Australe | Tucana | Ursa Major | Ursa Minor | Vela | Virgo | Volans | Vulpecula