Sextans is one of those contrivances of the famous map maker Johann Hevelius, created to fill in a space between Leo and Hydra. Its full name is Sextans Uraniae, the Heavenly Sextant. He named it after one his many instruments he lost when his house in Danzig (modern day Gdansk) burned on September 26 1679.

Variable Stars
There are two variables of note in Sextans, one of which goes through quite a range:
   - RT Sextans varies over a 96 day period from magnitude 8.0 to 8.5
   - S Sextans varies from magnitude 8.2 to 13.5 over a 261 day period.

Double Stars
The constellation also has two interesting double stars:
   - S1441, a close pair of orange and yellow stars, magnitudes 6.4 and 9.9 separated by 2.6"
   - 35 Sextans, which shows off a pair of orange and yellow stars, magnitudes 6.3 and 7.4 separated by 6.8"

Deep Sky Objects
NGC 3115 The star (so to speak) of this constellation is NGC 3115. At 21 MLy away, though it appears small at 4'x1', it's visible in binoculars. Named the Spindle Galaxy, it's has generally been regarded to be an elliptical. There is some recent evidence that it's actually an S0, which is an intermediate form between elliptical and spiral.

NGC 3165, 3166 & NGC 3169 Another jewel, but harder to find, is this triplet of galaxies. The two larger fellows 3166 and 3169 are only 6MLy distant from each other 3166 is 52 MLy and 3169 is 46MLy away. Both should be visible in an 8 inch scopes, the further distant 3165 needs a 12 inch to be found.

NGC 3044 is a really skinny thing, at 0.8' x 4.3', and though listed as accessible in an 8", my bet's that you'll need at least a 10. It should be quite a challenge even so!