Mensa Constellation | Constellations In The Southern Hemisphere
MENSA CONSTELLATION – In this topic, we are going to know and learn about the southern constellation Mensa, the Table.
It is the constellation in the southern sky. It means “table” in the Latin.
It is the southernmost of the 88 constellations and cannot be observed from the northern hemisphere. It was introduced by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille.
It is not associated with any myths. Lacaille named it Mons Mensae, or Table Mountain, after the mountain in South Africa where he observed the constellations in the southern sky.
The constellation was to commemorate Table Mountain near Cape Town in South Africa. He initially named it Montagne de la Table on his planisphere from 1756 but Latinized it to its current name.
It is the 75th largest constellation in the night sky and occupies an area of about 153 square degrees. It lies in SQ1, the first quadrant of the southern hemisphere.
Mensa belongs to the Lacaille family, along with Antlia, Caelum, Circinus, Fornax, Horologium, Microscopium, Norma, Octans, Pictor, Reticulum, Sculptor, and Telescopium.
Stars
Among the stars include:
- Alpha Mensae
- Beta Mensae
- Gamma Mensae
- Lambda Mensae
- Mu Mensae
- Pi Mensae
- Theta Mensae
- W Mensae
- Zeta Mensae
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