Antlia
- Water snake
- Marine Compass
- Sailing of the ship
- Centaur
The air pump, fachsprachlich Antlia ( from Latin ), a constellation is south of the celestial equator.
Description
The air pump is a very inconspicuous constellation, which is composed of faint stars. Only the brightest star, α Antliae, reached the fourth size class.
The constellation is difficult to be observed by Germany, because it is only a few degrees above the horizon in the spring.
History
The French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille occupied in the 18th century, some regions of the southern sky, which were not named by name. In contrast to the classical constellations that are named after mythological figures, its constellations wore mostly the names of technical achievements. The constellation air pump he named after the technical equipment air pump, which was invented by Otto von Guericke and further developed by Robert Boyle.
Celestial objects
Stars
The brightest star, α Antliae is 366 light years distant, orange star of spectral type K6 III.
Multiple stars
ζ1 Antliae is a double star system 372 light-years away.
Variable Stars
U Antliae is a deep red variable star of spectral type C5 in 840 light years away. It changes its brightness with no apparent periodicity.
Deep-space objects
NGC 2997 is a spiral galaxy of type Sc, whose plane is inclined at about 45 ° to our line of sight.
NGC 3132 is 5,000 light- years away in a planetary nebula, so the scuffed gaseous envelope of a star. Due to its shape, which resembles a 8, it is also called Eight - Burst Nebula. In its interior, there is a double star system. Even in the smaller telescope in the central star surrounded by a misty oval Scheibchens is visible.
PGC 29194 is a faint dwarf galaxy, which belongs to the local group.