Telescopium
Encyclopedia
Telescopium is a minor southern constellation
created in the 18th century by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille
, a French
astronomer
and student of the southern skies. Its name is a Latin
ized form of the Greek
word for telescope
.
There are no European names for stars in this constellation. The Chinese
did assign names to α Tel (We, meaning danger), and γ Tel (the present-day G Scorpii
) as Chuen Shwo, with a mythological meaning.
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
created in the 18th century by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille
Nicolas Louis de Lacaille
Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer.He is noted for his catalogue of nearly 10,000 southern stars, including 42 nebulous objects. This catalogue, called Coelum Australe Stelliferum, was published posthumously in 1763. It introduced 14 new constellations which have since become...
, a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and student of the southern skies. Its name is a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
ized form of the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word for telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
.
There are no European names for stars in this constellation. The Chinese
Culture of China
Chinese culture is one of the world's oldest and most complex. The area in which the culture is dominant covers a large geographical region in eastern Asia with customs and traditions varying greatly between towns, cities and provinces...
did assign names to α Tel (We, meaning danger), and γ Tel (the present-day G Scorpii
G Scorpii
G Scorpii is a star in the constellation Scorpius. It is an orange K-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +3.19. It is approximately 126 light years from Earth.Just 8.5 arcminutes to the east is the globular cluster NGC 6441....
) as Chuen Shwo, with a mythological meaning.
Lost stars
The following stars do not belong to this constellation.- β Tel ＝ η SgrEta SagittariiEta Sagittarii is a star system in the constellation Sagittarius, 149 light years from Earth.It was formerly known as "Beta Telescopii" . The SkyMap site has the name "Sephdar" attributed to η Sgr, but the etymology of this name is not clear.The primary component, η Sagittarii A, is a spectral...
- γ Tel ＝ G ScoG ScorpiiG Scorpii is a star in the constellation Scorpius. It is an orange K-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +3.19. It is approximately 126 light years from Earth.Just 8.5 arcminutes to the east is the globular cluster NGC 6441....
- θ Tel ＝ d Oph
- σ Tel ＝ HD 168905 in Corona AustralisCorona AustralisCorona Australis or Corona Austrina is a constellation. Its name means "southern crown", and it contrasts with Corona Borealis, the northern crown...