Phoenix

Phoenix (abbreviation Phe), the Firebird, is a southern constellation lying near Achernar between Hydrus and Sculptor. Among its interesting objects are SX Phoenicis, the type star for a class of pulsating variable (see SX Phoenicis star), which has the remarkably short period of 79 minutes (magnitude range 6.8 to 7.5; RA 23h 46.5m, Dec –41° 35') and the Phoenix Dwarf irregular galaxy. See below for details of the constellation's brightest stars.

Phoenix Dwarf

The Phoenix Dwarf Galaxy is a dwarf irregular galaxy, or possibly a dwarf spheroidal galaxy, that is a member of the Local Group. Discovered in 1976, by Hans-Emil Schuster and Richard Martin West of the European Southern Observatory, it was at first suspected of being a globular cluster.

distance	1.4 million light-years
position	RA 01h 51.1m, Dec -44° 27'

Stars brighter than magnitude 4.0
star	vis mag	abs mag	spec type	distance (ly)	RA (h m s)	Dec (° ' ")
Alpha (Ankaa)	2.40	0.52	K0III	77	00 26 12	-42 18 22
Beta	3.32	-0.60	G8IIIv	198	01 06 03	-46 43 07
Gamma	3.41	-0.87	K5II	234	01 28 22	-43 19 06
Zeta	3.94v	-0.73	B6V+B9V	280	01 08 23	-55 14 45
Epsilon	3.88	0.71	K0III	140	00 09 25	-45 44 51
Kappa	3.93	2.07	A7V	77	00 26 12	-43 40 48
Delta	3.93	0.66	K0III	147	01 31 15	-49 04 22