Antlia

Antlia
Constellation

List of stars in Antlia
Abbreviation Ant
Genitive Antliae
Pronunciation /ˈæntliə/, genitive /ˈæntlɪ./
Symbolism the Air Pump
Right ascension 10 h
Declination −30°
Quadrant SQ2
Area 239 sq. deg. (62nd)
Main stars 3
Bayer/Flamsteed
stars
9
Stars with planets 1
Stars brighter than 3.00m 0
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) 2
Brightest star α Ant (4.25m)
Nearest star DEN 1048-3956
(13.17 ly, 4.04 pc)
Messier objects 0
Meteor showers None
Bordering
constellations
Hydra
Pyxis
Vela
Centaurus
Visible at latitudes between +45° and −90°.
Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of April.

Antlia ( /ˈæntliə/; from Ancient Greek ἀντλία) is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name means "pump" and it specifically represents an air pump. The stars comprising Antlia are faint, and the constellation was not created until the 18th century. Beginning at the north, Antlia is bordered by Hydra the sea snake, Pyxis the compass, Vela the sails, and Centaurus the centaur.

Contents

History

Antlia was created by the French astronomer Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, who created fourteen constellations for the southern sky to fill some faint regions. It was originally denominated Antlia pneumatica to commemorate the air pump invented by the French physicist Denis Papin.[1] The International Astronomical Union subsequently adopted it as one of the 88 modern constellations. There is no mythology attached to Antlia as Lacaille discontinued the tradition of giving names from mythology to constellations and instead chose names mostly from scientific instruments.

Notable features

Antlia is devoid of bright stars. The brightest star is α Antliae, a magnitude 4.25m orange giant. Antlia contains the following deep sky objects:

Citations

References

External links

Coordinates: 10h 00m 00s, −30° 00′ 00″