Constellation Ara (Altar)

Ara
Ara: IAU Constellation Map [150]

Properties

Ara lies in a star-rich area of ​​the Milky Way south of scorpion's tail. The constellation encloses an area of ​​237 square degrees and culminates at midnight on June 12th, but is not visible from Europe. [9, 15]

Data for constellation Ara [150]
IAU NameAra
IAU GenitiveArae
IAU Abbr.Ara
English NameAltar
Season (47° N)Not visible
Right Ascension16h 34m 17s … 18h 10m 41s
Declination-67° 41' 26" … -45° 29' 10"
Area237 deg2
Neighbours (N↻)Sco, Nor, TrA, Aps, Pav, Tel, CrA

Catalogues

Constellation Ara
Constellation Ara: Illustration from «Uranometria» by Johann Bayer, copper engraving by Alexander Mair, 1603 [28]

Mythology and History

Despite its unobtrusive outlines, the constellation was already known to the Greeks and Romans in ancient times. According to legend, Centaurus sacrificed the wolf on this altar. [7] Another explanation saw it the table of the gods. Among the 48 constellations of Ptolemy this appears as the three-legged censer to which he had assigned seven stars. [15]

References

  • [7] «Der grosse Kosmos-Himmelsführer» von Ian Ridpath und Wil Tirion; Kosmos Verlag; ISBN 3-440-05787-9
  • [9] «Drehbare Sternkarte SIRIUS» von H. Suter-Haug; Hallwag-Verlag, Bern
  • [15] «Hartung's Astronomical Objects for Southern Telescopes» by David Malin and David J. Frew; Melbourne University Press 1995; ISBN 0-522-84553-3
  • [28] «Uranometria omnium asterismorum continens schemata, nova methodo delineata aereis laminis expressa» Johann Bayer, Augsburg, 1603; DOI:10.3931/e-rara-309
  • [150] IAU: The Constellations, 11. Oktober 2020; iau.org/public/themes/constellations