Musca (Latin: fly) is a small constellation in the deep southern sky. It
was one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the
observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, first
appearing on a 35-cm (14 in) diameter celestial globe by Plancius and
Jodocus Hondius published in 1597 or 1598 in Amsterdam. The first
depiction in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of
1603. Musca remains below the horizon for most Northern Hemisphere
observers. Many of the constellation's brighter stars are in the
Scorpius–Centaurus Association, hot blue-white stars that appear to
share a common origin and motion across the Milky Way. These include
Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Zeta2 and (likely) Eta Muscae, as well as HD 100546,
a blue-white Herbig Ae/Be star that is surrounded by a complex debris
disk containing a large planet or brown dwarf and possible protoplanet.
Two further star systems have been found to have planets. The
constellation also contains two Cepheid variables visible to the naked
eye. Theta Muscae is a triple star system, the brightest member of which
is a Wolf–Rayet star.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musca>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1124:
Lamberto Scannabecchi was elected Pope and took the name
Honorius II.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Honorius_II>
1826:
Settlers in Mexican Texas from the United States made the first
attempt to secede from Mexico, establishing the short-lived Republic of
Fredonia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredonian_Rebellion>
1937:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length cel-
animated feature in film history, premiered at the Carthay Circle
Theatre in Los Angeles.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Dwarfs_(1937_film)>
1988:
The world's largest aircraft, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, made
its first flight.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-225_Mriya>
2012:
Countries that were part of the Maya civilization celebrated
the end-date of a 5,126-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count
calendar.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
on ice:
1. (idiomatic) Not being used; temporarily unavailable or suspended; on
hold.
2. Of an entertainment normally performed on a stage: performed by ice
skaters as an ice show.
3. Of a sporting or other contest: in a state of assured victory for the
leading contestant. […]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/on_ice>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I myself have never been able to find out what feminism is; I only
know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that
differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute.
--Rebecca West
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rebecca_West>