The Southern Triangle
| Abbreviation: | TrA |
| Genitive: | Trianguli Australis |
| Origin: | Frederick de Houtmann, Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser, Petrus Plancius |
| Fully Visible: | 90°S – 19°N |
Near the end of the sixteenth century, the observations of Dutch explorers Frederick de Houtman (c.1571–1627) and Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser (c.1540–1596) allowed Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius (1552–1622) to place this constellation on his 1598 celestial globe. (Plancius had introduced another Triangulum Australe several years earlier but it was a different constellation.) It should not be confused with the fainter constellation Triangulum which is visible from northern latitudes.
Notable Features
| Visible Named Stars | ||
|---|---|---|
| α TrA | Atria | This name is simply constructed from 'a' (alpha) + tri(angle) + a(ustrale) and has no other meaning. This second-magnitude star is a bright giant and has a noticeable orange hue. |
| Deep Sky Objects | ||
| C95 | This open cluster is easily seen through binoculars. Appearing at number 6025 in the New General Catalogue, C95 was discovered by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille during his time in South Africa (1750–1754). | |
Copyright © 1995–2023 by L.M. Stockman and David Harper