Hawaiian Astronomical Society

Constellations: Triangulum Australe -- Another Carpenters' Tool

Myth

Triangulum from Bayer's Uranometria

This is one of Johann Bayer's inventions, appearing first in his star atlas Uranometria of 1603. Bayer remains a giant in astronomy, because his atlas used lower case Greek letters to identify stars visible to the naked eye. We still use this system today, including in this atlas.

Bayer was born in Rain, Bavaria in 1572, began his study of philosophy in Ingolstadt in 1592, and moved later to Augsburg later to begin work as a lawyer. He soon grew interested in astronomy, and published Uranometria in 1603 as a popular work. It was the first atlas to make use of Tycho Brahe's accurate measurements of stellar positions. These were far better than Ptolemy's rather incomplete listing. In addition, Bayer added 12 southern constellations to Ptolemy's original 48.

Bayer became legal advisor to the Augsburg city council in 1612 and died in 1625. For more information on Uranometria, click here.

Maps

Each map can be clicked on to produce a 916x1200 version of it. They sport red labels, which look good on screen, but which disappear when used with red flashlights. Each map, therefore has a second link to a map better suited for printing in a graphics program, and using in the field. While they are quite large, they are all about 50k, and so are easy to view at today's modem speeds. The first map is a wide area view of the constellation, suitable for naked eye browsing. The next views are binocular width, showing stars to mag. 10, deepsky objects to mag. 12.9, and labeling deepsky objects to magnitude 12.

Interactive, wide area map of Triangulum Australe

Click the map for a 916x1200 version of the above. Click here for a map better suited for use in the field.

Detailed View

This a more detailed view of the constellation. The map displays stars to magnitude 10, and deepsky objects to magnitude 12. Click here for a map better suited for use in the field.

Images

51k JPEG. Caldwell 95 (NGC6025) is an open cluster located 3.1° NNE of Beta Trianguli Australis. Dreyer calls it bright (mag. 5.1), very large (12'), fairly rich (with 60 stars of mag. 7 and fainter) and little condensed. From the Digital Sky Survey.

Map	Printable Map

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