Ara

 

or Arrah (both: ŭ'rə) , city (1991 pop. 157,082), Bihar state, NE India, on the Son Canal. A major road and rail junction, it is the administrative center for a district that produces grain, sugarcane, and oilseed. There are limestone deposits on the outskirts. Ara was the scene of fighting during the Indian Mutiny (1857), when the British were attacked by Kunwar Singh.

Ara

Click for larger image
List of stars in Ara
Abbreviation:	Ara
Genitive:	Arae
Symbology:	the Altar
Right ascension:	17.39 h
Declination:	−53.58°
Area:	237 sq. deg. (63rd)
Main stars:	7
Bayer/Flamsteed stars:	17
Stars known to have planets:	3
Bright stars:	2
Nearby stars:	4
Brightest star:	β Ara (2.9m)
Nearest star:	41 Ara (28.7 ly)
Messier objects:	0
Meteor showers:	None
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 (IPA: /ˈɑːrə/, Latin: altar) is a southern constellation situated between the constellations Scorpius and Triangulum Australe.

Notable features

Ara's brightest star, β Arae, has an apparent magnitude of 2.9. γ Arae is a double star just south of β. μ Arae is believed to have at least four planets orbiting it, one of which may be rocky in nature.

Notable deep sky objects

The northwest corner of Ara is crossed by the Milky Way and contains several open clusters and diffuse nebulae. The brightest of the globular clusters, NGC 6397, is 8,200 light-years from our solar system and may be the closest cluster of that kind.

History

This constellation was one of Ptolemy's original 48 constellations.

Mythology

The altar, usually depicted upside down, but sometimes upright with the smoke drifting into the Milky Way, was identified as that of the centaur Chiron; its original Latin name was Ara Centauri. It was also occasionally called the altar of Dionysus.

References

• Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Collins Stars and Planets Guide, HarperCollins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209.

External links

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Ara
• NightSkyInfo.com: Constellation Ara
• WIKISKY.ORG: Ara
• Star Tales – Ara

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