Triangulum

Triangulum

Triangulum is a small constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for ‘triangle’, derived from its three brightest stars. Known to the ancient Babylonians and Greeks, Triangulum was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy.

About Triangulum in brief

Summary TriangulumTriangulum is a small constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for ‘triangle’, derived from its three brightest stars, which form a long and narrow triangle. Known to the ancient Babylonians and Greeks, Triangulum was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy. The celestial cartographers Johann Bayer and John Flamsteed catalogued the constellation’s stars, giving six of them Bayer designations. Iota Trianguli is a notable double star system, and there are three star systems with known planets located in Triangulum. The constellation contains several galaxies, the brightest and nearest of which is the Triangula Galaxy or Messier 33. The first quasar ever observed, 3C 48, also lies within the boundaries of Trianguler. A small constellation, it is bordered by Andromeda to the north and west, Pisces to the west and south, Aries to the south, and Perseus to the east. The centre of the constellation lies halfway between Gamma Andromedae and Alpha Arietis.

The official constellation boundaries, as set by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte in 1930, lie between 3h 31m and 2h 50m, while the declination coordinates are between 25° and 37°. Covering 132 square degrees of the night sky, it ranks 78th of the 88 constellation in size in size, giving them in the constellation in size to Alpha Epsilon, Eta Eta, Iota and Iota Iota. It is notable as the first constellation presented on a pair of tablets containing canonical star lists that were compiled around 1000 BC, the MUL APIN. Its first appearance in the pre-dawn sky in February marked the time to begin spring ploughing in Mesopotamia. It was also called Sicilia, because the Romans believed Ceres, patron goddess of Sicily, begged Jupiter to place the island in the heavens. Later, the 17th-century German celestial cartographer Johann Bayer called the constellation Triplicitas and Orbis terrarum tripertitus, for the three regions Europe, Asia, and Africa.