Editing Vulpecula

{{Short description|Constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere}}
{{about|the constellation|the animal with scientific name ''Trichosurus vulpecula''|common brushtail possum|the Vul pistol|PSS Silent Pistol}}
{{Infobox constellation|
name = Vulpecula |
abbreviation = Vul |
genitive = Vulpeculae |
pronounce = {{IPAc-en|v|ʌ|l|ˈ|p|ɛ|k|j|ʊ|l|ə}},<br>genitive {{IPAc-en|v|ʌ|l|ˈ|p|ɛ|k|j|ʊ|l|iː}} |
symbolism = the [[Fox]] |
RA = {{RA|20}} |
dec= {{DEC|+25}} |
quadrant = NQ4 |
areatotal = 268 |
arearank = 55th |
numbermainstars = 5, 20 |
numberbfstars = 33 |
numberstarsplanets = 5 |
numberbrightstars = 0 |
numbernearbystars = 0 |
brighteststarname = [[Alpha Vulpeculae|α Vul]] (Anser) |
starmagnitude = 4.44 |
neareststarname = [[Ross 165]] |
stardistancely = 33.54 |
stardistancepc = 10.28 |
numbermessierobjects = 1 |
meteorshowers = |
bordering = [[Cygnus (constellation)|Cygnus]]<br />[[Lyra]]<br />[[Hercules (constellation)|Hercules]]<br />[[Sagitta]]<br /> [[Delphinus]]<br /> [[Pegasus (constellation)|Pegasus]] |
latmax = [[North Pole|90]] |
latmin = [[55th parallel south|55]] |
month = September |
notes=}}
'''Vulpecula''' {{IPAc-en|v|ʌ|l|ˈ|p|ɛ|k|j|ʊ|l|ə}} is a faint [[constellation]] in the northern sky. Its name is [[Latin]] for "little [[fox]]", although it is commonly known simply as the fox. It was identified in the seventeenth century, and is located in the middle of the [[Summer Triangle]] (an [[asterism (astronomy)|asterism]] consisting of the bright stars [[Deneb]], [[Vega]], and [[Altair]]).

==Features==
[[Image:VulpeculaCC.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The constellation Vulpecula as it can be seen by the naked eye.]]

===Stars===
{{See also|List of stars in Vulpecula}}
There are no stars brighter than 4th magnitude in this constellation. The brightest star in Vulpecula is [[Alpha Vulpeculae]], a [[apparent magnitude|magnitude]] 4.44<sup>m</sup><ref>{{citation
 | last1=Mermilliod | first1=J.-C.
 | title=Compilation of Eggen's UBV data, transformed to UBV (unpublished)
 | journal=Catalogue of Eggen's UBV Data. SIMBAD
 | date=1986 | bibcode=1986EgUBV........0M
 | postscript=.
}}</ref> [[red giant]]<ref>{{citation
 | last1=Morgan | first1=W. W.
 | last2=Keenan | first2=P. C.
 | title=Spectral Classification
 | journal=Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics
 | volume=11 | page=29 | year=1973
 | doi=10.1146/annurev.aa.11.090173.000333
 | bibcode=1973ARA&A..11...29M
 | postscript=.
}}</ref><ref>{{citation |doi=10.3847/1538-4357/ab4e9b |title=Carbon and Oxygen Isotopic Ratios. II. Semiregular Variable M Giants |year=2019 |last1=Lebzelter |first1=Thomas |last2=Hinkle |first2=Kenneth H. |last3=Straniero |first3=Oscar |last4=Lambert |first4=David L. |last5=Pilachowski |first5=Catherine A. |last6=Nault |first6=Kristie A. |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |volume=886 |issue=2 |pages=117 |arxiv=1912.04386 |bibcode=2019ApJ...886..117L |s2cid=209140544 |postscript=. |doi-access=free }}</ref> at an approximate distance of 291 [[light-year]]s. The star is an [[double star|optical binary]] (separation of 413.7") that can be split using binoculars. The star also carries the traditional name Anser, which refers to the goose the little fox holds in its jaws.<ref name=anser>{{citation|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-22795-5_3|chapter=Anser|title=The Lost Constellations|pages=35–45|year=2016|last1=Barentine|first1=John C.|isbn=978-3-319-22794-8|postscript=.}}</ref>

[[23 Vulpeculae]] is the second brightest star in the constellation.

In 1967, the first [[pulsar]], [[PSR B1919+21]], was discovered in Vulpecula by [[Jocelyn Bell]], supervised by [[Antony Hewish]], in [[Cambridge, England|Cambridge]]. While they were searching for scintillation of radio signals of [[quasar]]s, they observed pulses which repeated with a [[period (physics)|period]] of 1.3373 [[second]]s.<ref name="hewish">{{cite journal
  | last1 = Hewish | first1 = A. | author-link = Antony Hewish
  | last2 = Bell | first2 = S. J. 
  | last3 = Pilkington | first3 = J. D. H. 
  | last4 = Scott | first4 = P. F. 
  | last5 = Collins | first5 = R. A. 
  | title = Observation of a Rapidly Pulsating Radio Source
  | journal = [[Nature (journal)|Nature]]
  | volume = 217
  | issue =5130
  | pages = 709–713
  | date = 24 February 1968
  | doi =10.1038/217709a0
  | bibcode=1968Natur.217..709H
| s2cid = 4277613 }}</ref> Terrestrial origin of the signal was ruled out because the time it took the object to reappear was a [[sidereal day]] instead of a [[solar time|solar day]]. This anomaly was finally identified as the signal of a rapidly rotating [[neutron star]]. Fifteen years after the first pulsar was discovered, the first [[millisecond pulsar]], [[PSR B1937+21]], was also discovered in Vulpecula, only a few degrees in the sky away from PSR B1919+21.<ref name="backer">{{cite journal | first1 = D. | last1 = Backer | author-link1 = Donald C. Backer | last2 = Kulkarni | first2 = S. R. | last3 = Heiles | first3 = C. | last4 = Davis | first4 = M. M. | last5 = Goss | first5 = W. M. | title = A millisecond pulsar | journal = [[Nature (journal)|Nature]] | volume = 300 | pages = 315–318 | date = 16 December 1982 | doi = 10.1038/300615a0 | issue=5893 | bibcode=1982Natur.300..615B| s2cid = 4247734 }}</ref>

Vulpecula is also home to [[HD 189733 b]], one of the closest extrasolar planets studied by the now-retired [[Spitzer Space Telescope]]. On 11 July 2007, a team led by [[Giovanna Tinetti]] published the results of their observations using the Spitzer Space Telescope concluding there is solid evidence for significant amounts of water vapor in the planet's atmosphere.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2007-12/release.shtml|title=Press Release: NASA's Spitzer Finds Water Vapor on Hot, Alien Planet|access-date=2007-07-11|archive-date=2007-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715120124/http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2007-12/release.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> Although HD 189733b with atmospheric temperatures rising above 1,000&nbsp;°C is far from being habitable, this finding increases the likelihood that water, an essential component of life, would be found on a more Earth-like planet in the future.

Also located in Vulpecula is [[soft gamma repeater]] [[SGR 1935+2154]]. In 2020 it emitted a [[fast radio burst]], the first one to be observed in the Milky Way.<ref name="QM-20200611">{{cite news |last=Hall |first=Shannon |title=A Surprise Discovery Points to the Source of Fast Radio Bursts - After a burst lit up their telescope "like a Christmas tree," astronomers were able to finally track down the source of these cosmic oddities. |url=https://www.quantamagazine.org/a-surprise-discovery-shows-magnetars-create-fast-radio-bursts-20200611/ |date=11 June 2020 |work=[[Quantum Magazine]] |accessdate=11 June 2020 }}</ref><ref name="AT-20201104">{{cite news |last=Timmer |first=John |title=We finally know what has been making fast radio bursts - Magnetars, a type of neutron star, can produce the previously enigmatic bursts. |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/11/its-coming-from-inside-the-galaxy-first-fast-radio-burst-source-idd/ |date=4 November 2020 |work=[[Ars Technica]] |accessdate=4 November 2020 }}</ref><ref name="NASA-20201104">{{cite news |last1=Cofield |first1=Calla |last2=Andreoli |first2=Calire |last3=Reddy |first3=Francis |title=NASA Missions Help Pinpoint the Source of a Unique X-ray, Radio Burst |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7776 |date=4 November 2020 |work=[[NASA]] |accessdate=4 November 2020 }}</ref><ref name="NAT-20201104">{{cite journal |author=Andersen, B. |display-authors=et al.|title=A bright millisecond-duration radio burst from a Galactic magnetar |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2863-y |date=4 November 2020 |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=587 |issue=7832|pages=54–58 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2863-y |pmid=33149292|arxiv=2005.10324|bibcode=2020Natur.587...54C |s2cid=218763435|accessdate=5 November 2020 }}</ref>

===Deep-sky objects===
[[File:M27 - Dumbbell Nebula.jpg|thumb|The Dumbbell Nebula]]
The [[Dumbbell Nebula]] (M27), is a large, bright [[planetary nebula]] which was discovered by the French astronomer [[Charles Messier]] in 1764 as the very first object of its kind.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/messier-27-the-dumbbell-nebula |title=Messier 27 (The Dumbbell Nebula) |last=Garner |first=Rob |date=2017-10-06 |website=[[NASA.gov]] |language=en |access-date=2018-07-17}}</ref> It can be seen with good [[binoculars]] in a dark sky location, appearing as a dimly glowing disk approximately 8 [[arcminutes]] in diameter.<ref name="ODelletal2002">
{{cite journal
 | author=O'Dell, C. R.
 | display-authors=4
 | author2=Balick, B.
 | author3=Hajian, A. R.
 | author4=Henney, W. J.
 | author5=Burkert, A.
 | date=2002
 | title=Knots in Nearby Planetary Nebulae
 | journal=[[Astronomical Journal]]
 | volume=123 | issue=6 | pages=3329–3347
 | bibcode=2002AJ....123.3329O
 | doi=10.1086/340726
| doi-access=free
 }}</ref> The nebula is approximately 9,800 years old.<ref name="ODelletal2002" /> A [[telescope]] reveals its double-lobed shape, similar to that of an hourglass. [[Brocchi's Cluster]] (Collinder 399) is an [[asterism (astronomy)|asterism]] formerly thought to be an [[open cluster]]. It is also called "the Coathanger" because of its distinctive star pattern when viewed with binoculars or a low power telescope.
[[File:The icy blue wings of Hen 2-437.jpg|thumb|left|Planetary nebula [[Hen 2-437]] is located in the constellation of Vulpecula.<ref>{{cite web|title=The icy blue wings of Hen 2-437|url=http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1606a/|access-date=8 February 2016}}</ref>]]
[[NGC 7052]] is an [[elliptical galaxy]] in Vulpecula at a distance of 214 million light-years from Earth. It has a central [[dust lane|dusty]] disk with a diameter of 3700 light-years; there is a [[supermassive black hole]] with a mass of 300 million solar masses in its [[galactic nucleus|nucleus]]. Astronomers surmise that the disk is the remnant of a smaller galaxy that [[galactic merger|merged]] with NGC 7052. [[astrophysical jet|Jet]]s can be seen emanating from the galaxy, and it has very strong [[radio spectrum|radio emissions]]. This means that it is also classified as a [[radio galaxy]].<ref>{{cite book |title = 300 Astronomical Objects: A Visual Reference to the Universe |last1=Wilkins |first1=Jamie |last2=Dunn |first2 = Robert |publisher = Firefly Books |date = 2006 |edition = 1st |location=Buffalo, New York |isbn = 978-1-55407-175-3}}</ref>

The eastern part of Vulpecula is occupied by the [[Hercules–Corona Borealis Great Wall]]. It is a galaxy filament, with the length of 3,000 megaparsecs, making it the largest known structure in the universe.

=== Stellar association ===
Vulpecula contains an OB-association of young stars, called the [[Vulpecula OB1|Vulpecula OB-association]] or Vul OB1. The association contains nearly 100 [[OB star|OB-stars]] and over 800 [[Young stellar object|young stellar objects.]] It lies in the galactic plane, at a distance of about 2300 [[parsec]]. It contains the emission-line nebulae Sh-86, Sh-87 and [[Sh2-88|Sh-88]]. Vul OB1 has a length of about 100 parsec and is sculpting many pillar-like structures in this region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ass Vul OB 1 |url=http://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-id |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=simbad.cds.unistra.fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Billot |first1=N. |last2=Noriega-Crespo |first2=A. |last3=Carey |first3=S. |last4=Guieu |first4=S. |last5=Shenoy |first5=S. |last6=Paladini |first6=R. |last7=Latter |first7=W. |date=2010-04-01 |title=Young Stellar Objects and Triggered Star Formation in The Vulpecula OB Association |url=https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010ApJ...712..797B |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |volume=712 |issue=2 |pages=797–812 |doi=10.1088/0004-637X/712/2/797 |arxiv=1003.0866 |bibcode=2010ApJ...712..797B |s2cid=28961682 |issn=0004-637X}}</ref>{{clear|left}}

==History==
[[File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Lacerta, Cygnus, Lyra, Vulpecula and Anser.jpg|The constellation, under the full name of "Vulpecula and Anser", can be seen on the bottom of this c. 1825 star map from ''[[Urania's Mirror]]''.|thumb|300px]]
In the late 17th century, the astronomer [[Johannes Hevelius]] created Vulpecula. It was originally known as '''Vulpecula cum ansere''' ("the little fox with the [[goose]]") or '''Vulpecula et Anser''' ("the little fox and the goose"), and was illustrated with a goose in the jaws of a fox. Hevelius did not regard the fox and the goose to be two separate constellations, but later the stars were divided into a separate Anser and Vulpecula. Today, they have been merged again under the name of the fox, but the goose is remembered by the name of the star α Vulpeculae: [[Alpha Vulpeculae|Anser]].

==See also==
*[[3C 433]]
*[[Vulpecula (Chinese astronomy)]]

==References==

===Sources===
* {{cite book | first1 = Ian | last1 = Ridpath | first2 = Wil | last2 = Tirion | date = 2017 | title = Stars and Planets Guide (5th ed.) | publisher = William Collins | location = London | isbn = 978-0-008-23927-5
 }} also available from Princeton University Press, Princeton: {{ISBN|978-0-691-17788-5}}.

===Footnotes===
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons+cat|Vulpecula|Vulpecula}}
*[http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/vulpecula/ The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Vulpecula]
*[http://maps.seds.org/Stars_en/Fig/vulpecula.html Vulpecula page at SEDS] (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space)
*[http://messier.seds.org/m/m027.html M-27 page at SEDS]
*[http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/vulpecula.html Star Tales - Vulpecula]

{{Stars of Vulpecula}}
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{{ConstellationsByHevelius}}
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[[Category:Vulpecula| ]]
[[Category:Northern constellations]]
[[Category:Mythological foxes]]
[[Category:Constellations listed by Johannes Hevelius]]