Ara (constellation)

Ara

Constellation
List of stars in Ara
Abbreviation	Ara[1]
Genitive	Arae[1]
Pronunciation	/ˈɛərə/, genitive /ˈɛəriː/[a]
Symbolism	the Altar[1]
Right ascension	16h 34m 16.9497s–18h 10m 41.3407s[2]
Declination	−45.4859734°–−67.6905823°[2]
Area	237 sq. deg. (63rd)
Main stars	8[1]
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	0
Meteor showers	0
Bordering constellations	Corona Australis Scorpius Norma Triangulum Australe Apus Pavo Telescopium
Visible at latitudes between +25° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of July.

Ara (Latin for "the Altar") is a southern constellation between Scorpius, Telescopium, Triangulum Australe, and Norma. It was (as Βωμός, Bōmǒs) one of the Greek bulk (namely 48) described by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations designated by the International Astronomical Union.

The orange supergiant Beta Arae, to us its brightest star measured with near-constant apparent magnitude of 2.85, is marginally brighter than blue-white Alpha Arae. Seven star systems are known to host planets. Sunlike Mu Arae hosts four known planets. Gliese 676 is a (gravity-paired) binary red dwarf system with four known planets.

The Milky Way crosses the northwestern part of Ara. Within the constellation is Westerlund 1, a super star cluster that contains the red supergiant Westerlund 1-26, one of the largest stars known.

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