Ara (constellation)

Constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere

AraConstellation

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 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.

## History

[edit]

In ancient Greek mythology, Ara was identified as the altar where the gods first made offerings and formed an alliance before defeating the Titans.[1] One of the southernmost constellations depicted by Ptolemy,[3] it had been recorded by Aratus in 270 BC as lying close to the horizon, and the Almagest portrays stars as far south as Gamma Arae. Professor Bradley Schaefer proposes such Ancients must have been able to see as far south as Zeta Arae, for a pattern that looked like an altar.[4]

Johann Elert Bode's illustration of Ara, from his Uranographia (1801)

In illustrations, Ara is usually depicted as compact classical altar with its smoke 'rising' southward.[5] However, depictions often vary. In the early days of printing, a 1482 woodcut of Gaius Julius Hyginus's classic Poeticon Astronomicon depicts the altar as surrounded by demons.[6] Johann Bayer in 1603 depicted Ara as an altar with burning incense. Indeed, frankincense burners were common throughout the Levant especially in the Yemen, where they are known as Mabkhara. This required live coals or burning embers called Jamra', in order to burn the incense. Willem Blaeu, a Dutch uranographer of the 16th and 17th centuries, drew Ara as an altar for sacrifices, with a burning animal offering unusually whose smoke rises northward, represented by Alpha Arae.

The Castle of Knowledge by Robert Record of 1556 lists the constellation stating that "Under the Scorpions tayle, standeth the Altar.";[7] a decade later a translation of a fairly recent mainly astrological work by Marcellus Palingenius of 1565, by Barnabe Googe states "Here mayst thou both the Altar, and the myghty Cup beholde."[8]

### Equivalents

[edit]

In Chinese astronomy, the stars of the constellation Ara lie within The Azure Dragon of the East (東方青龍, Dōng Fāng Qīng Lóng).[9] Five stars of Ara formed Guī (龜), a tortoise, while another three formed Chǔ (杵), a pestle.

The Wardaman people of the Northern Territory in Australia saw the stars of Ara and the neighbouring constellation Pavo as flying foxes.[10]

## Characteristics

[edit]

Covering 237.1 square degrees and hence 0.575% of the sky, Ara ranks 63rd of the 88 modern constellations by area.[11] Its position in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere means that the whole constellation is visible to observers south of 22°N.[11][b] Scorpius runs along the length of its northern border, while Norma and Triangulum Australe border it to the west, Apus to the south, and Pavo and Telescopium to the east respectively. The three-letter abbreviation for the constellation, as adopted by the International Astronomical Union, is "Ara".[12] The official constellation boundaries, as set by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte in 1930,[c] are defined by a polygon of twelve segments. In the equatorial coordinate system, the right ascension coordinates of these borders lie between 16h 36.1m and 18h 10.4m , while the declination coordinates are between −45.49° and −67.69°.[2]

## Features

[edit]

The constellation Ara as it can be seen by the naked eye.

### Stars

[edit]

See also: List of stars in Ara

Bayer gave eight stars Bayer designations, labelling them Alpha through to Theta, though he had never seen the constellation directly as it never rises above the horizon in Germany. After charting the southern constellations, French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille recharted the stars of Ara from Alpha through to Sigma, including three pairs of stars next to each other as Epsilon, Kappa and Nu.[14]

Ara contains part of the Milky Way to the south of Scorpius and thus has rich star fields.[1] Within the constellation's borders, there are 71 stars brighter than or equal to apparent magnitude 6.5.[d][11]

Beta Arae, apparent magnitude 2.85, is the brightest star in the constellation, about 0.1 mag brighter than Alpha Arae although the difference in brightness between the two is undetectable by the unaided eye.[16] Beta is an orange-hued star of spectral type K3Ib-IIa that has been classified as a supergiant or bright giant,[17] and lies around 650 light-years from Earth.[18] It is over 8 times as massive and 5,636 times as luminous as the Sun.[19] Close to Beta Arae is Gamma Arae, a blue-hued supergiant of spectral type B1Ib. Of apparent magnitude 3.3, it is 1110 ± 60 light-years from Earth.[18] It has been estimated to be between 12.5 and 25 times as massive as the Sun,[20][21] and have around 120,000 times its luminosity.[21]

Alpha Arae is a blue-white main sequence star of magnitude 2.95, that is 270 ± 20 light-years from Earth.[18] This star is around 9.6 times as massive as the Sun,[22] and has an average of 4.5 times its radius.[23] It is 5,800 times as luminous as the Sun,[22] its energy emitted from its outer envelope at an effective temperature of 18,044 K.[23] A Be star, Alpha Arae is surrounded by a dense equatorial disk of material in Keplerian (rather than uniform) rotation. The star is losing mass by a polar stellar wind with a terminal velocity of approximately 1,000 km/s.[22][24]

The third brightest star in Ara at magnitude 3.13 is Zeta Arae,[25] an orange giant of spectral type K3III that is located 490 ± 10 light-years from Earth.[18] Around 7–8 times as massive as the Sun, it has swollen to a diameter around 114 times that of the Sun and is 3800 times as luminous.[26] Were it not dimmer by intervening interstellar dust, it would be significantly brighter at magnitude 2.11.[25]

Delta Arae is a blue-white main sequence star of spectral type B8Vn and magnitude 3.6, 198 ± 4 light-years from Earth.[18] It is around 3.56 times as massive as the Sun.[27]

Epsilon1 Arae is an orange giant of apparent magnitude 4.1, 360 ± 10 light-years distant from Earth.[18] It is around 74% more massive than the Sun. At an age of about 1.7 billion years, the outer envelope of the star has expanded to almost 34 times the Sun's radius.[28]

Eta Arae is an orange giant of apparent magnitude 3.76, located 299 ± 5 light-years distant from Earth.[18] Estimated to be around five billion years old, it has reached the giant star stage of its evolution. With 1.12 times the mass of the Sun, it has an outer envelope that has expanded to 40 times the Sun's radius.[29] The star is now spinning so slowly that it takes more than eleven years to complete a single rotation.[30]

GX 339-4 (V821 Arae) is a moderately strong variable galactic low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) source[31][32] and black-hole candidate that flares from time to time. From spectroscopic measurements, the mass of the black-hole was found to be at least of 5.8 solar masses.[33]

Exoplanets have been discovered in seven star systems in the constellation.[34] Mu Arae (Cervantes[35]) is a sunlike star that hosts four planets.[36] HD 152079 is a sunlike star with a jupiter-like planet with an orbital period of 2097 ± 930 days.[37] HD 154672 is an ageing sunlike star with a Hot Jupiter. HD 154857 is a sunlike star with one confirmed and one suspected planet. HD 156411 is a star hotter and larger than the sun with a gas giant planet in orbit. Gliese 674 is a nearby red dwarf star with a planet. Gliese 676 is a binary star system composed of two red dwarves with four planets.

### Deep-sky objects

[edit]

IC 4653 galaxy taken by Hubble.[38]

The northwest corner of Ara is crossed by the galactic plane of the Milky Way and contains several open clusters (notably NGC 6200) and diffuse nebulae (including the bright cluster/nebula pair NGC 6188 and NGC 6193). The brightest of the globular clusters, sixth magnitude NGC 6397, lies at a distance of just 6,500 light-years (6.1×1016 km), making it one of the closest globular clusters to the Solar System.[39]

Ara also contains Westerlund 1, a super star cluster containing itself the possible red supergiant Westerlund 1-237 and the red supergiant Westerlund 1-26. The latter is one of the largest stars known with an estimate varying between 1,168 R☉[40] and 2,519 R☉.[41]

Although Ara lies close to the heart of the Milky Way, two spiral galaxies (NGC 6215 and NGC 6221) are visible near star Eta Arae.[39]

#### Open clusters

[edit]

* NGC 6193 is an open cluster containing approximately 30 stars with an overall magnitude of 5.0 and a size of 0.25 square degrees, about half the size of the full Moon. It is approximately 4200 light-years from Earth. It has one bright member, a double star with a blue-white hued primary of magnitude 5.6 and a secondary of magnitude 6.9. NGC 6193 is surrounded by NGC 6188, a faint nebula only normally visible in long-exposure photographs.[1]
* NGC 6200
* NGC 6204
* NGC 6208
* NGC 6250
* NGC 6253
* IC 4651

#### Globular clusters

[edit]

* NGC 6352
* NGC 6362
* NGC 6397 is a globular cluster with an overall magnitude of 6.0; it is visible to the naked eye under exceptionally dark skies and is normally visible in binoculars. It is a fairly close globular cluster, at a distance of 10,500 light-years.[1]

### Planetary Nebulae

[edit]

* The Stingray Nebula (Hen 3–1357), the youngest known planetary nebula as of 2010, formed in Ara; the light from its formation was first observable around 1987.
* NGC 6326. A planetary nebula that might have a binary system at its center.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Random House Dictionary
2. ^ Although parts of the constellation technically rise above the horizon to observers between the 22°N and 44°N, stars within a few degrees of the horizon are to all intents and purposes unobservable.[11]
3. ^ Delporte had proposed standardising the constellation boundaries to the International Astronomical Union, who had agreed and gave him the lead role[13]
4. ^ Objects of magnitude 6.5 are among the faintest visible to the unaided eye in suburban-rural transition night skies.[15]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Ridpath & Tirion 2001, pp. 82–83.
2. ^ a b c "Ara, constellation boundary". The Constellations. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
3. ^ Barentine, John C. (23 November 2015). "Officina Typographica". The Lost Constellations. Springer. p. 13\. ISBN 978-3-319-22794-8.
4. ^ Schaefer, Bradley E. (2002). "The latitude and epoch for the formation of the southern Greek constellations". Journal for the History of Astronomy. 4. 33 (113): 313–50\. Bibcode:2002JHA....33..313S. doi:10.1177/002182860203300401. ISSN 0021-8286. S2CID 122459258.
5. ^ Ridpath, Star Tales Ara.
6. ^ Kanas, Nick (2012). History, Artistry, and Cartography (Second ed.). Chichester, U.K.: Praxis Publishing. p. 136\. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-0917-5. ISBN 978-1-4614-0916-8. S2CID 239353025.
7. ^ The Castle of Knowledge containing the Explication of the Sphere both Celestiall and Materiall, etc., 1st edition, 1556; Robert Record, London; R. Wolfe (printer) STC 20796
8. ^ The zodiake of life written by the godly and zealous poet Marcellus Palingenius Stellatus, wherein are conteyned twelve bookes, new edition, 1565 (1 vol.); Barnabe Googe, London; Henry Denham (printer), for Rafe Newberye dwelling in Fleete streate, Anno. 1565. Aprilis. 18; STC 1915
9. ^ AEEA 2006.
10. ^ Harney, Bill Yidumduma; Cairns, Hugh C. (2004) [2003]. Dark Sparklers (Revised ed.). Merimbula, New South Wales: Hugh C. Cairns. p. 201\. ISBN 978-0-9750908-0-0.
11. ^ a b c d Ridpath, Ian. "Constellations: Andromeda–Indus". Star Tales. self-published. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
12. ^ Russell, Henry Norris (1922). "The New International Symbols for the Constellations". Popular Astronomy. 30: 469. Bibcode:1922PA.....30..469R.
13. ^ Ridpath, Ian. "Constellation boundaries: How the modern constellation outlines came to be". Star Tales. self-published. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
14. ^ Wagman 2003, pp. 42–43.
15. ^ Bortle, John E. (February 2001). "The Bortle Dark-Sky Scale". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
16. ^ Kaler, James B. "BETA ARA (Beta Arae)". Stars. University of Illinois. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
17. ^ De Medeiros, J. R.; Udry, S.; Burki, G.; Mayor, M. (November 2002). "A catalog of rotational and radial velocities for evolved stars. II. Ib supergiant stars" (PDF). Astronomy and Astrophysics. 395: 97–98\. Bibcode:2002A&A...395...97D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20021214. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.
18. ^ a b c d e f g van Leeuwen, F. (November 2007). "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 474 (2): 653–64\. arXiv:0708.1752. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357. S2CID 18759600.
19. ^ Heiter, U.; Jofré, P.; Gustafsson, B.; Korn, A. J.; Soubiran, C.; Thévenin, F. (2015). "Gaia FGK benchmark stars: Effective temperatures and surface gravities". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 582: A49. arXiv:1506.06095. Bibcode:2015A&A...582A..49H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201526319. S2CID 53391939.
20. ^ Tetzlaff, N.; Neuhäuser, R.; Hohle, M. M. (2011). "A catalogue of young runaway Hipparcos stars within 3 kpc from the Sun". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 410 (1): 190–200\. arXiv:1007.4883. Bibcode:2011MNRAS.410..190T. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17434.x. S2CID 118629873.
21. ^ a b Lefever, K.; Puls, J.; Aerts, C. (March 2007). "Statistical properties of a sample of periodically variable B-type supergiants. Evidence for opacity-driven gravity-mode oscillations". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 463 (3): 1093–1109\. arXiv:astro-ph/0611484. Bibcode:2007A&A...463.1093L. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20066038. S2CID 8783008.
22. ^ a b c Meilland, A.; et al. (March 2007). "First direct detection of a Keplerian rotating disk around the Be star α Arae using AMBER/VLTI". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 464 (1): 59–71\. arXiv:astro-ph/0606404. Bibcode:2007A&A...464...59M. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20064848. S2CID 55225830.. See Tables 1 and 4 for parameters of the star, circumstellar disk, and polar winds.
23. ^ a b Meilland, A.; Stee, Ph.; Chesneau, O.; Jones, C. (2009). "VLTI/MIDI observations of 7 classical Be stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 505 (2): 687–93\. arXiv:0908.1239. Bibcode:2009A&A...505..687M. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200911960. S2CID 12694072.
24. ^ Chesneau, O.; Meilland, A.; Rivinius, T.; Stee, Ph.; Jankov, S.; Domiciano de Souza, A.; Graser, U.; Herbst, T.; Janot-Pacheco, E.; Koehler, R.; Leinert, C.; Morel, S.; Paresce, F.; Richichi, A.; Robbe-Dubois, S. (2005). "First VLTI/MIDI observations of a Be star: Alpha Arae". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 435 (1): 275–287\. arXiv:astro-ph/0501162. Bibcode:2005A&A...435..275C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041954. S2CID 16747094.
25. ^ a b Kaler, Jim (13 July 2012). "Zeta Arae". Stars. University of Illinois. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
26. ^ Cruzalèbes, P.; Jorissen, A.; Rabbia, Y.; Sacuto, S.; Chiavassa, A.; Pasquato, E.; Plez, B.; Eriksson, K.; Spang, A.; Chesneau, O. (2013). "Fundamental parameters of 16 late-type stars derived from their angular diameter measured with VLTI/AMBER". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 434 (1): 437. arXiv:1306.3288. Bibcode:2013MNRAS.434..437C. doi:10.1093/mnras/stt1037. S2CID 49573767.
27. ^ Shaya, Ed J.; Olling, Rob P. (January 2011). "Very Wide Binaries and Other Comoving Stellar Companions: A Bayesian Analysis of the Hipparcos Catalogue". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement. 192 (1): 2. arXiv:1007.0425. Bibcode:2011ApJS..192....2S. doi:10.1088/0067-0049/192/1/2. S2CID 119226823.
28. ^ da Silva, L.; Girardi, L.; Pasquini, L.; Setiawan, J.; von der Lühe, O.; de Medeiros, J. R.; Hatzes, A.; Döllinger, M. P.; Weiss, A. (November 2006). "Basic physical parameters of a selected sample of evolved stars". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 458 (2): 609–623\. arXiv:astro-ph/0608160. Bibcode:2006A&A...458..609D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20065105. S2CID 9341088.
29. ^ Jofré, E.; Petrucci, R.; Saffe, C.; Saker, L.; de la Villarmois, E. Artur; Chavero, C.; Gómez, M.; Mauas, P. J. D. (2015). "Stellar parameters and chemical abundances of 223 evolved stars with and without planets". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 574: A50. arXiv:1410.6422. Bibcode:2015A&A...574A..50J. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201424474. S2CID 53666931.
30. ^ Setiawan, J.; Pasquini, L.; da Silva, L.; Hatzes, A. P.; von der Lühe, O.; Girardi, L.; de Medeiros, J. R.; Guenther, E. (July 2004). "Precise radial velocity measurements of G and K giants. Multiple systems and variability trend along the Red Giant Branch". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 421: 241–254\. Bibcode:2004A&A...421..241S. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041042-1.
31. ^ SIMBAD
32. ^ Bradt, H.V.D., and McClintock, J.E., Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys., 21, 13-66 (1983)
33. ^ Hynes, R. I.; Steeghs, D.; Casares, J.; Charles, P. A.; O'Brien, K. (February 2003). "Dynamical Evidence for a Black Hole in GX 339-4". The Astrophysical Journal. 583 (2, pp. L95–L98): L95 – L98. arXiv:astro-ph/0301127. Bibcode:2003ApJ...583L..95H. doi:10.1086/368108. S2CID 16820881.
34. ^ Bagnall, Philip M. (2012). The Star Atlas Companion : What You Need to Know about the Constellations. New York: Springer. pp. 50–54\. ISBN 9781461408307. OCLC 794225463.
35. ^ "Naming Stars". IAU.org. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
36. ^ Pepe, F.; Correia, A. C. M.; Mayor, M.; Tamuz, O.; Benz, W.; Bertaux, J. -L.; Bouchy, F.; Couetdic, J.; Laskar, J.; Lovis, C.; Naef, D.; Queloz, D.; Santos, N. C.; Sivan, J. -P.; Sosnowska, D.; Udry, S. (2006). "The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets. IX. μ Ara, a system with four planets". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 462 (2): 769–776\. arXiv:astro-ph/0608396. Bibcode:2007A&A...462..769P. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20066194. S2CID 119071803.
37. ^ Arriagada, Pamela; et al. (2010). "Five Long-period Extrasolar Planets in Eccentric orbits from the Magellan Planet Search Program". The Astrophysical Journal. 711 (2): 1229–35\. arXiv:1001.4093. Bibcode:2010ApJ...711.1229A. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/711/2/1229. S2CID 118682009.
38. ^ "A Familiar Sight". www.spacetelescope.org. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
39. ^ a b Dunlop 2005.
40. ^ Arévalo, Aura (2019). The Red Supergiants in the Supermassive Stellar Cluster Westerlund 1 (Master's thesis). University of São Paulo. doi:10.11606/D.14.2019.tde-12092018-161841.
41. ^ Fok, Thomas K. T.; Nakashima, Jun-ichi; Yung, Bosco H. K.; Hsia, Chih-Hao; Deguchi, Shuji (2012). "Maser Observations of Westerlund 1 and Comprehensive Considerations on Maser Properties of Red Supergiants Associated with Massive Clusters". The Astrophysical Journal. 760 (1): 65. arXiv:1209.6427. Bibcode:2012ApJ...760...65F. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/760/1/65. S2CID 53393926.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Dunlop, Storm (2005). Atlas of the Night Sky. Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-717223-8.
* Ridpath, Ian; Tirion, Wil (2001). Stars and Planets Guide. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-08913-3.
* Ridpath, Ian; Tirion, Wil (2007). Stars and Planets Guide (4th ed.). Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-13556-4.
* Staal, Julius D.W. (1988). The New Patterns in the Sky. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-939923-04-5.
* Wagman, Morton (2003). Lost Stars: Lost, Missing and Troublesome Stars from the Catalogues of Johannes Bayer, Nicholas Louis de Lacaille, John Flamsteed, and Sundry Others. Blacksburg, VA: The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-939923-78-6.

Online sources

* "AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 1 日" (in Chinese). 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
* Ridpath, Ian. "Ara". Star Tales. Retrieved 7 June 2012.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Ara (category)

* The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Ara
* Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (medieval and early modern images of Ara)

* v
* t
* e

Constellation of Ara

* Ara in Chinese astronomy
* List of stars in Ara

Stars|

| Bayer|

* α (Choo/Tchou)
* β
* γ
* δ
* ε1
* ε2
* ζ (Tseen Yin)
* η
* θ
* ι
* κ
* λ
* μ (Cervantes)
* ν1 (V539)
* ν2
* π
* ρ1
* ρ2
* σ

|

Variable|

* R
* S
* OY
* V626
* V821
* V828
* V829
* V854
* V862
* V872

HR|

* 6177
* 6187
* 6207
* 6236
* 6251
* 6253
* 6297
* 6300
* 6312
* 6323
* 6408
* 6416 (41 G.)
* 6423
* 6438
* 6477
* 6478
* 6483
* 6487
* 6513
* 6759

HD|

* 152079
* 153201
* 154672
* 154857
* 156411 (Inquill)

Other|

* 2MASS J18082002−5104378
* CXOU J164710.2−455216
* Gliese 674
* Gliese 676
* IRAS 16594-4656
* SAO 244567
* SGR 1627−41
* Westerlund 1-20
* Westerlund 1 W26
* Westerlund 1-75
* Westerlund 1-237
* Westerlund 1-243
* XTE J1650−500

| Exoplanets|

* Gliese 674 b
* HD 154672 b
* HD 154857 b
* c
* HD 156411 b
* μ Arae b
* c
* d
* e

|

Star
clusters|

| NGC|

* 6193
* 6200
* 6204
* 6208
* 6250
* 6352
* 6362
* 6397

|

Other|

* ESO 280-SC06
* IC 4651
* Westerlund 1

Nebulae|

| NGC|

* 6188
* 6326

|

Other|

* IC 4642
* Stingray Nebula
* Water Lily Nebula

Galaxies|

| NGC|

* 6215
* 6221
* 6300
* 6328

|

Category

* v
* t
* e

The 88 modern constellations

* Andromeda
* Antlia
* Apus
* Aquarius
* Aquila
* Ara
* Aries
* Auriga
* Boötes
* Caelum
* Camelopardalis
* Cancer
* Canes Venatici
* Canis Major
* Canis Minor
* Capricornus
* Carina
* Cassiopeia
* Centaurus
* Cepheus
* Cetus
* Chamaeleon
* Circinus
* Columba
* Coma Berenices
* Corona Australis
* 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

* Lists of constellations

* v
* t
* e

Constellation history

* v
* t
* e

48 constellations listed by Ptolemy after 150 AD

* Andromeda
* Aquarius
* Aquila
* Ara
* Argo Navis
* Aries
* Auriga
* Boötes
* Cancer
* Canis Major
* Canis Minor
* Capricornus
* Cassiopeia
* Centaurus
* Cepheus
* Cetus
* Corona Australis
* Corona Borealis
* Corvus
* Crater
* Cygnus
* Delphinus
* Draco
* Equuleus
* Eridanus
* Gemini
* Hercules
* Hydra
* Leo
* Lepus
* Libra
* Lupus
* Lyra
* Ophiuchus
* Orion
* Pegasus
* Perseus
* Pisces
* Piscis Austrinus
* Sagitta
* Sagittarius
* Scorpius
* Serpens
* Taurus
* Triangulum
* Ursa Major
* Ursa Minor
* Virgo

Category

* v
* t
* e

The 41 additional constellations added in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries

* Vespucci or Corsalius early 16c: Crux
* Triangulum Australe
* Vopel 1536: Coma Berenices
* Keyser & de Houtman 1596: Apus
* Chamaeleon
* Dorado
* Grus
* Hydrus
* Indus
* Musca
* Pavo
* Phoenix
* Tucana
* Volans
* Plancius 1613: Camelopardalis
* Columba
* Monoceros
* Habrecht 1621: Reticulum
* Hevelius 1683: Canes Venatici
* Lacerta
* Leo Minor
* Lynx
* Scutum
* Sextans
* Vulpecula
* de Lacaille 1763: Antlia
* Caelum
* Carina
* Circinus
* Fornax
* Horologium
* Mensa
* Microscopium
* Norma
* Octans
* Pictor
* Puppis
* Pyxis
* Sculptor
* Telescopium
* Vela

* v
* t
* e

Obsolete constellations (including Ptolemy's Argo Navis)

* Anguilla
* Anser
* Antinous
* Apes
* Aranea
* Argo Navis
* Asterion
* Bufo
* Cancer Minor
* Cerberus
* Chara
* Custos Messium
* Felis
* Honores Friderici/Gloria Frederici
* Gallus
* Globus Aerostaticus
* Hippocampus
* Hirudo
* Jordanus
* Leo Palatinus
* Lilium
* Limax
* Lochium Funis
* Lumbricus
* Machina Electrica
* Malus
* Manis
* Mons Maenalus
* Musca Borealis
* Noctua
* Officina Typographica
* Patella
* Phaethon
* Polophylax
* Psalterium Georgianum/Harpa Georgii
* Quadrans Muralis
* Ramus Pomifer
* Robur Carolinum
* Rosa
* Scarabaeus
* Sceptrum Brandenburgicum
* Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae
* Solarium
* Tarandus/Rangifer
* Taurus Poniatovii
* Telescopium Herschelii
* Testudo
* Tigris
* Triangulum Minus
* Turdus Solitarius
* Vespa

* obsolete constellation names

* Apis
* Phoenicopterus
* Serpentarius
* Xiphias
* Vultur cadens
* Vultur volans

* v
* t
* e

Ancient Greek religion and mythology

Religion and religious practice

Main beliefs|

* Ages of Man
* Golden Age
* Heroic Age
* Ancient accounts of Homer
* Apotheosis
* Arete
* Daemon
* Destiny
* Eudaimonia
* Euhemerism
* Eunoia
* Eusebeia
* Golden mean
* Golden Rule
* Greek words for love
* Hemitheos
* Hero cult
* Hubris
* Interpretatio graeca
* Katabasis
* Kleos
* Know thyself
* Metamorphosis
* Metempsychosis
* Nympholepsy
* Paradoxography
* Patron gods
* Pederasty
* Phronesis
* Polytheism
* Sophrosyne
* Soter
* Theia mania
* Xenia

Texts / odes /
epic poems|

| Epic Cycle|

* Aethiopis
* Cypria
* Iliad
* Iliupersis
* Little Iliad
* Nostoi
* Odyssey
* Telegony

|

Theban Cycle|

* Oedipodea
* Thebaid
* Epigoni
* Alcmeonis

Others|

* Aesop's Fables
* Aretalogy
* Argonautica
* Bibliotheca
* Catalogue of Women
* Cyranides
* Delphic maxims
* Derveni papyrus
* Dionysiaca
* Golden Verses of Pythagoras
* Greek Magical Papyri
* Homerica
* Homeric Hymns
* Interpretation of Dreams
* Oneirocritica
* Orphic Hymns
* Papyrus Graecus Holmiensis
* Sibylline Books
* Sortes Astrampsychi
* Stories from Plato
* Atlantis
* Myth of Er
* Ring of Gyges
* Theogony
* Works and Days

Religions|

| Antecedents|

*   * Minoan religion
* Mycenaean religion
* List of Mycenaean deities
* Paleo-Balkan mythology
* Proto-Indo-European mythology
* Religions of the ancient Near East

|

Expressions|

* Atheism
* Henotheism
* Monotheism
* Polytheism

Hellenistic religions|

* Early Christianity
* Christianization
* Relationship with Greek philosophy
* Esoteric systems
* Early alchemy
* Gnosticism
* Hermeticism
* Neoplatonism
* Hellenistic Judaism
* God-fearers
* Syncretic religions
* Alexander
* Ptolemaic cult
* Etruscan religion
* Greco-Buddhism
* Roman religion
* Imperial cult
* Religious views of emperor Julian

Mystery religions
and sacred mysteries|

* Arcadian Mysteries
* Delos Mysteries
* Dionysian Mysteries
* Eleusinian Mysteries
* Imbrian Mysteries
* Mithraism
* Mysteries of Isis
* Orphism
* Samothracian Mysteries

New religious movements|

* Discordianism
* Feraferia
* Gaianism
* Hellenism

Religious practice|

| Worship
/ rituals|

* Amphidromia
* Arotoi Hieroi
* Astragalomancy
* Baptes
* Cult of Artemis at Brauron
* Daduchos
* Divination
* Funeral and burial practices
* Funeral oration
* Greco-Roman mysteries
* Hero cult
* Heroön
* Hierophany
* Hieros gamos
* Hymns
* Incubation
* Komos
* Nekyia
* Omophagia
* Orgia
* Panegyris
* Prayer
* Sacrifice
* Animal sacrifice
* Hecatomb
* Holocaust
* Libation
* Pharmakos
* Votive offering
* Theatre

|

Religious
offices|

* Amphictyonic league
* Archon basileus
* Basilinna
* Gerarai
* Hiereia
* Hierophant
* Hierophylakes
* Iatromantis
* Kanephoros
* Mystagogue
* Oracle
* Sibyl
* Thiasus

Religious
objects|

* Baetyl
* Cult image
* Chryselephantine sculpture
* Xoanon
* Greek terracotta figurines
* Kernos
* Kykeon
* Loutrophoros
* Omphalos
* Panathenaic amphora
* Rhyton
* Sacrificial tripod
* Sceptre
* Thymiaterion

Magic|

* Apotropaic magic
* Curse tablet
* Divination
* Greek Magical Papyri
* Hermeticism
* Hermetica
* Necromancy
* Philia

Events|

| Festivals
/ feasts|

* Actia
* Adonia
* Agrionia
* Amphidromia
* Anthesteria
* Apellai
* Apaturia
* Aphrodisia
* Arrhephoria
* Ascolia
* Bendidia
* Boedromia
* Brauronia
* Buphonia
* Chalceia
* Diasia
* Delia
* Delphinia
* Dionysia
* Ecdysia
* Elaphebolia
* Gamelia
* Halieia
* Haloa
* Heracleia
* Hermaea
* Hieromenia
* Iolaia
* Kronia
* Lenaia
* Leucophryna
* Lykaia
* Metageitnia
* Munichia
* Oschophoria
* Pamboeotia
* Pandia
* Plynteria
* Ptolemaieia
* Pyanopsia
* Skira
* Synoikia
* Soteria
* Tauropolia
* Thargelia
* Theseia
* Thesmophoria

|

Games|

* Agon
* Panathenaic Games
* Rhieia

Panhellenic Games|

* Olympic Games
* Heraean Games
* Pythian Games
* Nemean Games
* Isthmian Games
* Actia

Sacred places|

| Temples /
sanctuaries|

* Asclepieion
* Delphinion
* Mithraeum
* Necromanteion of Acheron
* Nymphaeum
* Panionium
* Parthenon
* Ploutonion
* Telesterion
* Temenos
* Temple of Artemis, Ephesus
* Temple of Zeus, Olympia

|

Oracles|

* Amphiareion of Oropos
* Aornum
* Claros
* Delphi
* Didyma
* Dodona
* Oracle of Apollo Thyrxeus at Cyaneae
* Oracle of Apollo at Ptoion
* Oracle of Artemis at Ikaros
* Oracle of Menestheus
* Sanctuary of the Great Gods
* Tegyra

Mountains|

* Cretea
* Mount Ida (Crete)
* Mount Ida (Turkey)
* Mount Lykaion
* Olympus

Caves|

* Cave of Zeus, Aydın
* Caves of Pan
* Psychro Cave
* Vari Cave

Islands|

* Island of Achilles
* Delos
* Islands of Diomedes

Springs|

* Castalian Spring
* Hippocrene
* Pierian Spring

Others|

* Athenian sacred ships
* Paralus
* Salaminia
* Eleusis
* Hiera Orgas
* Kanathos
* Olympia
* Sacred Way
* Theatre of Dionysus

Myths and mythology

Deities
(Family tree)|

| Primordial deities|

* Aether
* Ananke
* Chaos
* Chronos
* Erebus
* Eros
* Gaia
* Hemera
* Nyx
* Phanes
* Pontus
* Thalassa
* Tartarus
* Uranus

|

Titans|

| First generation|

* Coeus
* Crius
* Cronus
* Hyperion
* Iapetus
* Mnemosyne
* Oceanus
* Phoebe
* Rhea
* Tethys
* Theia
* Themis

|

Second generation|

* Asteria
* Astraeus
* Atlas
* Eos
* Epimetheus
* Helios
* Leto
* Menoetius
* Metis
* Pallas
* Perses
* Prometheus
* Selene

Third generation|

* Hecate
* Hesperus
* Phosphorus

Twelve Olympians|

* Aphrodite
* Apollo
* Ares
* Artemis
* Athena
* Demeter
* Dionysus
* Hephaestus
* Hera
* Hermes
* Hestia
* Poseidon
* Zeus

Water deities|

* Amphitrite
* Alpheus
* Ceto
* Glaucus
* Naiads
* Nereids
* Nereus
* Oceanids
* Phorcys
* Poseidon
* Proteus
* River gods
* Scamander
* Thaumas
* Thetis
* Triton

Love deities|

| Erotes|

* Anteros
* Eros
* Hedylogos
* Hermaphroditus
* Himeros
* Hymen/Hymenaeus
* Pothos

|

* Aphrodite
* Aphroditus
* Philotes
* Peitho

War deities|

* Adrestia
* Alala
* Alke
* Amphillogiai
* Androktasiai
* Ares
* Athena
* Bia
* Deimos
* Enyalius
* Enyo
* Eris
* Gynaecothoenas
* Homados
* Hysminai
* Ioke
* Keres
* Kratos
* Kydoimos
* Ma
* Machai
* Nike
* Palioxis
* Pallas
* Perses
* Phobos
* Phonoi
* Polemos
* Proioxis

Chthonic deities|

| Psychopomps|

* Charon
* Hermes
* Hermanubis
* Thanatos

|

* Angelos
* Cabeiri
* The Erinyes (Furies)
* Hades / Pluto
* Hecate
* Hypnos
* Keres
* Lampad
* Melinoë
* Persephone
* Zagreus

Health deities|

* Aceso
* Aegle
* Artemis
* Apollo
* Asclepius
* Chiron
* Darrhon
* Eileithyia
* Epione
* Hebe
* Hygieia
* Iaso
* Paean
* Panacea
* Telesphorus

Sleep deities|

* Empusa
* Epiales
* Hypnos
* Pasithea
* Oneiroi

Messenger deities|

* Angelia
* Arke
* Hermes
* Iris

Trickster deities|

* Apate
* Hermes
* Momus

Magic deities|

* Circe
* Hecate
* Hermes Trismegistus
* Pasiphaë

Art and beauty deities|

* Aphrodite
* Apollo
* The Charites (Graces)
* Aglaea
* Euphrosyne
* Thalia
* Dionysus
* The Muses
* Calliope
* Clio
* Polyhymnia
* Euterpe
* Terpsichore
* Erato
* Melpomene
* Thalia
* Urania

Other major deities|

* The Anemoi (Winds)
* Boreas
* Eurus
* Notus
* Zephyrus
* Azone
* Chrysaor
* Cybele
* Eileithyia
* Glycon
* Harmonia
* Nemesis
* Pan
* Pegasus
* Zelus

Heroes /
heroines|

| Individuals|

* Abderus
* Achilles
* Actaeon
* Adonis
* Aeneas
* Ajax the Great
* Ajax the Lesser
* Akademos
* Amphiaraus
* Amphitryon
* Antilochus
* Atalanta
* Autolycus
* Bellerophon
* Bouzyges
* Cadmus
* Chrysippus
* Cyamites
* Daedalus
* Diomedes
* Dioscuri (Castor and Polydeuces)
* Echetlus
* Eleusis
* Erechtheus
* Eunostus
* Ganymede
* Hector
* Heracles
* Icarus
* Iolaus
* Jason
* Meleager
* Menelaus
* Narcissus
* Nestor
* Odysseus
* Oedipus
* Orpheus
* Otrera
* Pandion
* Peleus
* Pelops
* Penthesilea
* Perseus
* Theseus
* Triptolemus

|

Groups|

* Argonauts
* Calydonian hunters
* Epigoni
* Seven against Thebes

Oracles
/ seers|

* Aesacus
* Aleuas
* Amphiaraus
* Amphilochus
* Ampyx
* Anius
* Asbolus
* Bakis
* Branchus
* Calchas
* Carnus
* Carya
* Cassandra
* Elatus
* Ennomus
* Epimenides
* Halitherses
* Helenus
* Iamus
* Idmon
* Manto
* Melampus
* Mopsus
* Munichus
* Phineus
* Polyeidos
* Polypheides
* Pythia
* Sibyls
* Cimmerian
* Cumaean
* Delphic
* Erythraean
* Hellespontine
* Libyan
* Persian
* Phrygian
* Samian
* Telemus
* Theiodamas
* Theoclymenus
* Tiresias

Other
mortals|

* Aegeus
* Aegisthus
* Agamemnon
* Andromache
* Andromeda
* Antigone
* Augeas
* Briseis
* Cassiopeia
* Creon of Thebes
* Chryseis
* Chrysothemis
* Clytemnestra
* Damocles
* Deidamia
* Deucalion
* Electra
* Eteocles
* Europa
* Gordias
* Hecuba
* Helen of Troy
* Hellen
* The Heracleidae
* Hermione
* Hippolyta
* Io
* Iphigenia
* Ismene
* Jocasta
* Laius
* Lycian peasants
* Lycaon
* The Maenads
* Memnon
* Messapian shepherds
* Midas
* Minos
* Myrrha
* Neoptolemus
* Niobe
* Orestes
* Paris
* Patroclus
* Penelope
* Philomela
* Phoenix
* Polybus of Corinth
* Polynices
* Priam
* Procne
* Pylades
* Pyrrha
* Telemachus
* Troilus

Underworld|

| Entrances to
the underworld|

| Rivers|

* Acheron
* Cocytus
* Eridanos
* Lethe
* Phlegethon
* Styx

|

Lakes/swamps|

* Acherusia
* Avernus Lake
* Lerna Lake

Caves|

* Cave at Cape Matapan
* Cave at Lake Avernus
* Cave at Heraclea Pontica

Charoniums|

* Charonium at Aornum
* Charonium at Acharaca

Ploutonion|

* Ploutonion at Acharaca
* Ploutonion at Eleusis
* Ploutonion at Hierapolis

Necromanteion (necromancy temple)|

* Necromanteion of Acheron

Places|

* Elysium
* Erebus
* Fields of Asphodel
* Isles of the Blessed
* Mourning Fields
* Tartarus

Judges|

* Aeacus
* Minos
* Rhadamanthus

Guards|

* Campe
* Cerberus

Residents|

* Anticlea
* Danaïdes
* Eurydice
* Ixion
* Ocnus
* Salmoneus
* The Shades
* Sisyphus
* Tantalus
* Tiresias
* Titans
* Tityos

Visitors|

* Dionysus
* Heracles
* Hermes
* Odysseus
* Orpheus
* Pirithous
* Psyche
* Theseus

Symbols/objects|

* Bident
* Cap of invisibility
* Charon's obol

Animals, daemons,
and spirits|

* Ascalaphus
* Ceuthonymus
* Eurynomos
* Menoetius

Mythical|

| Beings|

| Lists|

* Deities
* Mythological creatures
* Mortals
* Minor figures
* Trojan War characters

|

Minor spirits|

* Daemon
* Agathodaemon
* Cacodaemon
* Eudaemon
* Nymph
* Satyr

Beasts /
creatures|

* Centaur
* Centaurides
* Ichthyocentaur
* Cyclops
* Dragon
* Drakaina
* Echidna
* Giant
* Gorgon
* Harpy
* Hecatonchires
* Hippocampus
* Horses of Helios
* Lamia
* Phoenix
* Python
* Siren
* Scylla and Charybdis
* Sphinx
* Typhon

Captured
/ slain by
heroes|

* Calydonian boar
* Cerberus
* Cerynian Hind
* Chimera
* Cretan Bull
* Crommyonian Sow
* Erymanthian boar
* Khalkotauroi
* Lernaean Hydra
* Mares of Diomedes
* Medusa
* Minotaur
* Nemean lion
* Orthrus
* Polyphemus
* Stymphalian birds
* Talos
* Teumessian fox

Tribes|

* Achaeans
* Amazons
* Anthropophagi
* Bebryces
* Cicones
* Curetes
* Dactyls
* Gargareans
* Halizones
* Korybantes
* Laestrygonians
* Lapiths
* Lotus-eaters
* Myrmidons
* Pygmies
* Spartoi
* Telchines

Places
/ Realms|

* Aethiopia
* Ara
* Colchis
* Erytheia
* Hyperborea
* Ismarus
* Ithaca
* Libya
* Nysa
* Ogygia
* Panchaia
* Phlegra
* Scheria
* Scythia
* Symplegades
* Tartessos
* Themiscyra
* Thrinacia
* Troy

Events|

* Apollo and Daphne
* Calydonian boar hunt
* Eros and Psyche
* Judgment of Paris
* Labours of Heracles
* Orpheus and Eurydice
* Returns from Troy
* Odyssey

Wars|

* Amazonomachy
* Attic War
* Centauromachy
* Gigantomachy
* Indian War
* Theomachy
* Titanomachy
* Trojan War

Objects|

* Adamant
* Aegis
* Ambrosia
* Apple of Discord
* Argo
* Dragon's teeth
* Diipetes
* Eidolon
* Galatea
* Girdle of Aphrodite
* Golden apple
* Golden Fleece
* Gordian knot
* Harpe
* Ichor
* Labyrinth
* Lotus tree
* Milk of Hera
* Moly
* Necklace of Harmonia
* Orichalcum
* Palladium
* Panacea
* Pandora's box
* Petasos (Winged helmet)
* Phaeacian ships
* Philosopher's stone
* Shield of Achilles
* Shirt of Nessus
* Sword of Damocles
* Talaria
* Thunderbolt
* Thyrsus
* Trident of Poseidon
* Trojan Horse
* Winnowing Oar
* Wheel of fire

Symbols|

* Bowl of Hygieia
* Caduceus
* Cornucopia
* Gorgoneion
* Kantharos
* Labrys
* Orphic egg
* Ouroboros
* Owl of Athena
* Phallus
* Rod of Asclepius
* Swan song
* Wind
* East
* West
* North
* South

Modern
treatments|

* Classical mythology in western art and literature
* Classicism
* Classics
* Greek mythology in popular culture
* Modern understanding of Greek mythology

Portals:

* Astronomy
* Stars
* Outer space

Authority control databases: National |

* Germany

|

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