Antlia

Abbreviation:  Ant
English Name:  The Air Pump
Genitive: Antliae
Hemisphere:  Southern Hemisphere (Parts visible from the UK.)
Location: Between the constellations of Hydra and Vela.
Visible between latitudes:  +45 and -90 degrees
Best season: Spring
Seen in three season: Winter, Spring and Summer
Best seen in:  March/April
Seen between: February and April
Right Ascension (RA):  10 hour
Declination (DEC):  -35 degrees
Area (square degrees):  239 (62nd)

Antlia (The Air Pump)

  • A small southern constellation representing an air pump, added to the sky by the French astronomer; Abbe Nicolas de Lacaille.
  • He had the great honor of naming 15 of the 88 constellations in the sky.
  • He spent four years (1750-1754) studying the stars of the southern hemisphere from the Cape of Good Hope – the southernmost part of Africa. (259 years later today in 2013; a single deaf sailor – Gerry Hughes, had sailed passed there from Troon, Scotland to around the world!)
  • In his years there, he was said to have observed over 10,000 stars using just his 1/2-inch refractor telescope.
  • Lacaille named the following southern constellations;  Antlia, Caelum, Circinus, Fornax, Horlogium, Mensa, Microscopium, Norma, Octans, Pictor, Pyxis, Reticulum, Sculptor and Telescopium.
  • He also renamed the constellation of Musca.

Messier Objects in Antlia

  • No Messier objects in Antlia.

Other objects in Antlia

Features of interest

  • It has no star brighter than magnitude +4.3.
  • The brightest star is Alpha Antliae (Mag: +4.3).

Brightest objects in Antlia

Others

  • Photo of the constellation – Antlia, as it appears to the naked-eye (Lines have been added for clarity.)
  • Sky Chart  –  Antlia
  • List of stars in Antlia

 

Back to The 88 Constellations Lists  page.

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