Constellation
A southern constellation representing an altar, located near the tail of Scorpius.
| Type | Constellation |
|---|---|
| Area of sky | 237 sq° |
| Brightest star | Beta Arae |
| Brightest star magnitude | mag 2.84 |
| Hemisphere | Southern |
| Zodiac constellation | No |
| Discovered | 150 |
A constellation is a pattern drawn on the sky rather than a physical grouping: its stars are usually unrelated and sit at wildly different distances, just lined up as seen from Earth.
Ara covers 237 square degrees of sky, which is 0.6 percent of the whole celestial sphere.
That makes it the 63rd largest of the 88 constellations the International Astronomical Union recognises.
It sits in the southern sky.
Its brightest star reaches magnitude 2.84, bright enough to pick out with the naked eye under a dark sky.
Play today's Cosmodle