the lynx · pronounced LINKS. Lynx is a long, faint northern constellation winding between Ursa Major and Auriga. Johannes Hevelius created it in the seventeenth century, reportedly choosing the name because an observer needed lynx-like eyesight to see its dim stars. Alpha Lyncis is its sole third-magnitude member. The constellation’s real visual rewards are telescopic: the remote globular cluster NGC 2419, edge-on spiral NGC 2683 and compact galaxy NGC 2537.
About Lynx
Lynx is one of the 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Its standard three-letter abbreviation is Lyn, and astronomers use the genitive form Lyncis when naming stars associated with it. The constellation's reference position lies around right ascension 8.1 hours and declination +49 degrees.
Its location places it in the northern sky. For a typical mid-latitude observer, this part of the celestial sphere is especially well placed during winter evenings. Exact visibility depends on latitude, local horizon, date and time.
History and mythology of Lynx
A constellation for sharp eyes
Hevelius published Lynx in 1687 to fill a large faint area between older figures. The often-repeated “eyes of a lynx” explanation captures the difficulty of seeing its chain, though historical wording varies among later accounts.
The vanished Tiger
Hevelius sometimes described the figure as a lynx or tiger, but Lynx became the standard name. It should not be confused with now-obsolete figures proposed by other chartmakers in nearby sky.
A clear view beyond the Milky Way
Much of Lynx lies away from the brightest Milky Way, so its naked-eye pattern is sparse while distant galaxies are relatively unobscured. NGC 2419 also probes the Milky Way’s remote outer halo.
The modern astronomical region
The IAU adopted the three-letter abbreviation and standard constellation name in 1922. Eugène Delporte then published the coordinate boundaries in 1930, turning the inherited figure into an exact address for cataloguing every object inside it.
How to find Lynx
- Use the Big Dipper and bright Capella in Auriga as endpoints. Lynx follows a long, shallow chain through the broad space between them.
- Begin with Alpha Lyncis near Leo Minor, then work north through 38 and 31 Lyncis. Binoculars and a detailed chart are essential under average skies.
- January through March evenings place Lynx high for northern observers. Choose a moonless night because the connecting stars are mostly fifth magnitude or fainter.
- NGC 2683 is the easiest galaxy target; star-hop from the southern portion near Cancer. NGC 2419 lies far north near the Camelopardalis border.
Bright stars in Lynx
Alpha Lyncis
Notable star- Magnitude
- 3.14
- Distance
- about 200 light-years
An orange giant and the only third-magnitude star in Lynx, anchoring the constellation’s southern end.
38 Lyncis
Notable star- Magnitude
- 3.82
- Distance
- about 125 light-years
A multiple star whose close blue-white primary pair is an attractive challenge for small telescopes.
10 Ursae Majoris
Notable star- Magnitude
- 3.96
- Distance
- about 52 light-years
A yellow-white binary now located inside Lynx. Its Flamsteed name preserves an older boundary assignment to Ursa Major.
Y Lyncis
Notable star- Magnitude
- about 6.9–8.9 variable
- Distance
- roughly 2,000 light-years
A cool carbon-rich semiregular variable, notable for a red hue and changing brightness accessible to binocular monitoring.
Deep-sky objects in Lynx
NGC 2419 (Intergalactic Wanderer)
A massive globular cluster almost 300,000 light-years away. It belongs to the Milky Way halo despite its evocative nickname and extreme distance.
NGC 2683
A bright, highly inclined spiral sometimes nicknamed the UFO Galaxy. Dark dust lanes cross its spindle-shaped disk in larger telescopes and images.
NGC 2537 (Bear Paw Galaxy)
A small galaxy with bright knots of recent star formation that create the paw-like appearance seen in deep images.
Interesting facts about Lynx
- Lynx's name means the lynx. Hevelius published Lynx in 1687 to fill a large faint area between older figures.
- Alpha Lyncis is listed at magnitude 3.14. An orange giant and the only third-magnitude star in Lynx, anchoring the constellation’s southern end.
- NGC 2419 (Intergalactic Wanderer) is a globular cluster. A massive globular cluster almost 300,000 light-years away.
- Hevelius sometimes described the figure as a lynx or tiger, but Lynx became the standard name.