A

David

Darling

Ara

Ara constellation

Ara. © 2003 Torsten Bronger.


Ara (abbreviation: Ara), the Altar, is a small southern constellation that is rich in star clusters. See below for details of the constellation's brightest stars and interesting deep sky objects.

 


Stingray Nebula

 

Stingray Nebula
The Stingray Nebula. Hubble Space Telescope image.

 

The Stingray Nebula (Hen 3-1357) is the youngest known planetary nebula and,as a result, one of the smallest. Its diameter is only about one-tenth that of most objects of its kind. It lies at a distance of about 18,000 light-years.

 


Stars in Ara brighter than magnitude 4.0
star vis mag abs mag spec type distance (ly) RA (h m s) Dec (° ' ")
Beta 2.84 -3.50 K3Ib-IIa 603 17 25 18 -55 31 47
Alpha (Choo) 2.84 -1.52 B2Vne 242 17 31 50 -49 52 34
Zeta 3.12 -3.11 K3III 574 16 58 37 -55 59 24
Gamma 3.31 -4.40 B1Ib 1,140 17 25 24 -56 22 39
Delta 3.60 -0.20 B8Vn 187 17 31 06 -60 41 01
Theta 3.65 -3.81 B2Ib 1,010 18 06 38 -50 05 30
Eta 3.77 -1.14 K5III 313 16 49 47 -59 02 29

 


Other objects of interest
name type of object notes
NGC 6193 open cluster A good object for binoculars, containing about 30 stars. Magnitude 5.2; diameter 15'; RA 16h 38m, Dec -48° 40'
IC 4651 open cluster Richer but fainter than NGC 6193 and requires a small telescope. Magnitude 7.1; diameter 12'; distance 3,600 light-years; RA 17h 21m, Dec -49° 54'
NGC 6397 globular cluster The brightest of three easy globulars in Ara; it can be glimpsed with the naked eye and looks like a misty patch in small instruments. At a distance of about 8,200 light-years, it may be the second closest globular to Earth after M4. Magnitude 5.6; diameter 25.7'; RA 17h 37m, Dec -53° 39'

 


Constellations
Andromeda | Antlia | Apus | Aquarius | Aquila | Ara | Aries | Auriga | Bootes | Caelum | Camelopardalis | Cancer | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Capricornus | Carina | Cassiopeia | Centaurus | Cepheus | Cetus | Chamaeleon | Circinus | Columba | Coma Berenices | Corona Austrina | Corona Borealis | Corvus | Crater | Crux | Cygnus | Delphinus | Dorado | Draco | Equuleus | Eridanus | Fornax | Gemini | Grus | Hercules | Horologium | Hydra | Hydrus | Indus | Lacerta | Leo | Leo Minor | Lepus | Libra | Lupus | Lynx | Lyra | Mensa | Microscopium | Monoceros | Musca | Norma | Octans | Ophiuchus | Orion | Pavo | Pegasus | Perseus | Phoenix | Pictor | Pisces | Piscis Austrinus | Puppis | Pyxis | Reticulum | Sagitta | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Sculptor | Scutum | Serpens | Sextans | Taurus | Telescopium | Triangulum | Triangulum Australe | Tucana | Ursa Major | Ursa Minor | Vela | Virgo | Volans | Vulpecula