Ara (constellation) facts for kids
| Constellation | |
List of stars in Ara
|
|
| Abbreviation | Arae |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Apodis |
| Pronunciation | genitive |
| Symbolism | the Altar |
| Right ascension | 17.39 |
| Declination | −53.58 |
| Quadrant | SQ3 |
| Area | 237 sq. deg. (63rd) |
| Main stars | 8 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
17 |
| Stars with planets | 7 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 2 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 3 |
| Brightest star | β Ara (2.84m) |
| Messier objects | None |
| Meteor showers | None |
| Bordering constellations |
|
| Visible at latitudes between +25° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of July. |
|
Ara is a constellation you can find in the southern sky. Its name means "altar" in Latin. People have known about Ara for a very long time. It was first listed by an ancient astronomer named Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Today, it's one of the 88 modern constellations recognized by scientists around the world.
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Ara in Ancient Stories
In old Greek mythology, Ara was seen as the altar where the powerful god Zeus and his brothers and sisters made a promise. They swore to win a big war against the Titans, led by Cronos. This altar was also a place where people would burn special incense to show their thanks to Zeus.
An ancient Greek poet named Aratus wrote about Ara. He said that if sailors could see the constellation Ara in the sky, it was a sign. It meant that strong winds would soon blow from the south.
Cool Objects in Ara
Ara is home to some amazing things in space.
The Stingray Nebula
One of the most interesting objects in Ara is the Stingray Nebula. This is a special kind of cloud of gas and dust called a planetary nebula. What makes it so cool is that it's the newest planetary nebula ever found! It was created very recently, which makes it a unique place for scientists to study.
NGC 6193 Star Cluster
Another awesome sight in Ara is NGC 6193. This is an open cluster, which means it's a group of stars that were born together from the same giant cloud of gas and dust. These stars are still loosely held together by gravity. NGC 6193 is very far away from Earth, about 3,765 light-years!
Images for kids
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Johann Elert Bode's illustration of Ara, from his Uranographia (1801)
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IC 4653 galaxy taken by Hubble.
See also
In Spanish: Ara (constelación) para niños
