Ara (constellation)

Ara (Latin for "the Altar") is a beautiful pattern of stars in the night sky. It is located in the southern part of the sky, between the constellations Scorpius, Telescopium, Triangulum Australe, and Norma. Long ago, this group of stars was known as Bōmǒs by the ancient Greeks. The famous astronomer Ptolemy wrote about it over 1,800 years ago, and today it is one of the 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union.

The brightest star in Ara is called Beta Arae. It shines with a steady glow and is just a little brighter than another star named Alpha Arae. Scientists have found that seven different star systems in Ara have planets orbiting them. One of these stars, Mu Arae, is very similar to our Sun and has four known planets.

Ara is also a special place to look for amazing stars. The Milky Way, our own galaxy, passes through this part of the sky. Inside Ara lies a grouping of huge, bright stars called Westerlund 1. One of these stars, Westerlund 1-26, is one of the largest stars known. It is a red supergiant — a giant, glowing star that is much bigger than our Sun.

History

In ancient Greek mythology, Ara means "the Altar." People thought it was where gods made offerings before defeating the Titans. The astronomer Ptolemy described Ara, and Aratus wrote about it around 270 BC.

Artists have shown Ara in many ways. Some pictures show it as a simple altar with smoke rising. Others show it with burning incense. Many great thinkers and mapmakers have included Ara in their star maps.

Characteristics

The constellation Ara means "the Altar" in Latin. It covers 237.1 square degrees in the night sky. It is the 63rd largest of the 88 modern constellations. Because it is in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere, people south of 22°N can see it. Ara is bordered by Scorpius to the north, Apus to the south, and other constellations like Norma and Telescopium. The International Astronomical Union gave it the short name "Ara".

Features

The constellation Ara, meaning "the Altar," is in the southern sky between Scorpius and Telescopium. It has many interesting stars and objects.

Beta Arae is the brightest star in Ara. It is an orange supergiant star about 650 light-years from Earth. Another bright star is Alpha Arae, a blue-white star about 270 light-years away. Ara also includes many star clusters and nebulae. One famous object is the Stingray Nebula, the youngest known planetary nebula, which formed recently in the sky.

Equivalents

In Chinese astronomy, the stars of the constellation Ara are part of The Azure Dragon of the East (東方青龍, Dōng Fāng Qīng Lóng). Five stars of Ara made up Guī (龜), a tortoise, and three others formed Chǔ (杵), a pestle.

The Wardaman people from the Northern Territory in Australia saw the stars of Ara and the nearby constellation Pavo as shapes of flying foxes.