Lacerta the Lizard, home to a blazar
Lacerta the Lizard is a small, dim constellation in the autumn sky that contains a blazar, or an active galactic nucleus with a jet aimed toward Earth. The post Lacerta the Lizard, home to a blazar first appeared on EarthSky .
Lacerta the Lizard, a small and faint constellation in the northern sky, is home to a blazar and several other celestial wonders. Located between Cepheus, Pegasus, Cassiopeia, and Cygnus, Lacerta can be spotted around autumn evenings. Despite its unassuming appearance, it boasts one of the brightest stars, Alpha Lacertae, also known as Stellio since 2024.
This star, 102 light-years away, serves as a powerful tool for studying the black hole activity within an active galaxy. Lacerta's star pattern includes Alpha and Beta Lacertae, which can help navigate to the constellation. The majority of Lacerta lies within the Milky Way, but it hosts notable star clusters like NGC 7243 and NGC 7209, both of which are visible with binoculars or a telescope.
Furthermore, several stars within Lacerta have exoplanets orbiting them, such as HD 213472 b, a gas giant discovered in 2021. Lacerta showcases the beauty and diversity of our night sky.
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