The constellations of Musca the Fly and Chamaeleon the Chameleon (or lizard) lie deep in the Southern Hemisphere sky. Both constellations are considered south circumpolar, meaning they circle very closely around the south celestial pole and therefore do not set. This makes them viewable at any time of year.
The Origin of Musca and Chamaeleon
The constellations of the fly and the chameleon, along with 10 other Southern Hemisphere constellations, were created by Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman in the late 1500s. These Dutch navigators explored the Southern Hemisphere and took astronomical observations, naming the new constellations after creatures they met on their travels.
Locating the Constellations of the Fly and the Chameleon
The constellations Musca and Chamaeleon can be found any time of year in the Southern Hemisphere. They are stacked between the well-known Southern Cross, or Crux, and the south celestial pole. Musca is found just below the foot of the cross and has brighter stars; Chamaeleon is between Musca and the south celestial pole and is more notable for what it lacks than any bright objects.
The Stars of Musca the Fly
Musca the Fly is found against the Milky Way, giving it more stars and targets than its neighbor Chamaeleon. The brightest star in Musca is the magnitude 2.65 Alpha Muscae, which lies 306 light-years from Earth. The second brightest star lies just over one degree away. Beta Muscae, at magnitude 3.04, is also quite distant at 311 light-years away. A little more than three degrees away from Alpha are the stars Gamma Muscae, at magnitude 3.84 and 324 light-years distant, and Delta Muscae, at magnitude 3.61 and 91 light-years distant, making it the closest of the brighter stars. Two more stars of note lie very close together: Lambda Muscae is just 16 arcminutes from Mu Muscae. Lambda is the brighter of the two at magnitude 3.63 and lies 128 light-years distant, and Mu is magnitude 4.75 and much further at 432 light-years.
The Stars of the Chamaeleon
The stars of the Chamaeleon are all fourth magnitude and dimmer. Alpha Chamaeleontis and Theta Chamaeleontis lie a mere half degree from each other, with Alpha at 4.05 and Theta at 4.34 magnitudes. They lie 63 and 154 light-years away, respectively. Delta Chamaeleontis is a double star near the center of the constellation. Its two components, four arcminutes apart, are magnitude 4.45 and 5.46, averaging 360 light-years distant. Two degrees away is Gamma Chamaeleontis, magnitude 4.11 and 413 light-years away. Lastly is Beta Chamaeleontis at magnitude 4.24 and 271 light-years distant, found at the opposite end of the constellation as Alpha.
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