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Lynx is one of seven constellations introduced by Johannes
Hevelius (1611-1687), a Polish astronomer mostly known for his charts of
the lunar surface. His catalogue of 1564 stars, Prodromus Astronomiae
was published by his wife three years after his death. It was in
this catalogue that he included the seven new constellations: Canes
Venatici, Lacerta, Leo Minor, Lynx, Scutum, Sextans, and Vulpecula.
This constellation was created in 1687 by Johannes Hevelius to fill in
an area southwest of Ursa Major. Hevelius acknowledged the faintness
of its stars when he wrote that to see this constellation its observers
would have to be "lynx-eyed" and named it after the lynx. The lynx
is a nocturnal wildcat with superb eyesight. |
