Monday, January 23, 2012

What are some facts about the constellation triangulum?

I need some true facts pleaseWhat are some facts about the constellation triangulum?Translation of the Wiki article:



Triangulum is Latin for "triangle", which is the shape of this constellation. It's one of the older named constellations in the sky, going back a couple of thousand years to the Greeks.



It's really tiny compared to other constellations in the sky. You can see the 3 main stars in the US on any clear winter night, but you really gotta' know where to look. Each of those 3 stars are actually "double stars", meaning they have a "buddy" star close by, but you need a good telescope to spot them.



The famous Pinwheel Galaxy is in the constellation, and is one the better known galaxies in our sky. On a really dark night in the middle of nowhere, you can just make the hazy spot of the galaxy. If you have a good telescope, the galaxy is a treat to see. Here's a photo of it from the Wiki article...



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:M33Hun鈥?/a>



There's other stuff in the Triangulum, but you need the Hubble Telecope to see them good, like this nebula (also found in Wiki)...



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Triang鈥?/a>



Cool?What are some facts about the constellation triangulum?From Wikipedia:



Triangulum is a small constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for triangle, and it should not be confused with Triangulum Australe in the southern sky. Its name derives from its three brightest stars, of third and fourth magnitude, which form a nearly-isosceles long and narrow triangle.



Triangulum has no stars of the first magnitude. Its brightest star is the white giant star 尾 Trianguli (3.00m) with a close, dimmer companion. Its second-brightest star, the yellow-white subgiant star 伪 Trianguli (3.41m) with a close dimmer companion, is also known as Caput Trianguli, and is at the apex of the triangle. 6 Trianguli, (known in some older sources as 喂), is an "attractive double star with a noticeable color contrast" that can be split by medium-sized telescopes into a strong yellow and a pale blue star. Both components are themselves close binaries.



Triangulum is the location of the Triangulum Galaxy, M33, also known as the great Pinwheel Galaxy. A distant member of the Local Group, it is about 2.9 million light years away, and at magnitude 5.8, it is bright enough to be seen by the naked eye under the darkest skies. Under light-polluted skies, it is challenging or invisible even in a small telescope or binoculars. Because of its low surface brightness, low power is required.

No comments:

Post a Comment