Constellation Norma (Carpenter's Square)

Norma
Norma: IAU Constellation Map [150]

Properties

The constellation lies in the band of the Milky Way. A strip of galactic dust crosses the constellation from the north and divides the Milky Way into two halves, which reunite further to the southwest. Otherwise, Norma is a very inconspicuous constellation with stars just under 5th mag. The area is 165 square degrees and the center culminates around midnight on May 21, and is not visible from Central Europe. [9, 15]

Data for constellation Norma [150]
IAU NameNorma
IAU GenitiveNormae
IAU Abbr.Nor
English NameCarpenter's Square
Opposition22 May
Season (47° N)
Right Ascension15h 12m 14s … 16h 36m 08s
Declination-60° 26' 08" … -42° 16' 03"
Area165 deg2
Neighbours (N↻)Sco, Lup, Cir, TrA, Ara

Deep-Sky Object Descriptions

Catalogues

History

Norma is a superfluous constellation from the series of technical and scientific devices by the unimaginative Frenchman Lacaille. It was introduced in 1752. Originally the stars belonged to the neighboring figures Ara and Lupus. The constellation boundaries proposed by Lacaille were changed afterwards, so that the stars α and β Normae no longer belong to them today. [7, 21]

References

  • [7] «Der grosse Kosmos-Himmelsführer» von Ian Ridpath und Wil Tirion; Kosmos Verlag; ISBN 3-440-05787-9
  • [9] «Drehbare Sternkarte SIRIUS» von H. Suter-Haug; Hallwag-Verlag, Bern
  • [15] «Hartung's Astronomical Objects for Southern Telescopes» by David Malin and David J. Frew; Melbourne University Press 1995; ISBN 0-522-84553-3
  • [21] «Taschenatlas der Sternbilder» von Josef Klepesta und Antonin Rükl; Verlag Werner Dausien; ISBN 3-7684-2384-0
  • [150] IAU: The Constellations, 11. Oktober 2020; iau.org/public/themes/constellations