Constellation Triangulum (Triangle)
Properties
Triangulum with an area of 132 square degrees is a small, not particularly bright but distinctive constellation with the shape of a long, right-angled triangle. It lies between Andromeda, Perseus, Aries and Pisces. The centre culminates around midnight on October 23rd. [9, 15]
| α Tri | Metallah, Mothallah, Atria, Caput Trianguli, Ras Al Muthallah, Elmuthalleth |
| IAU Name | Triangulum |
| IAU Genitive | Trianguli |
| IAU Abbr. | Tri |
| English Name | Triangle |
| Culmination at local midnight | 27 October |
| Season (Latitude +46.8°) | June … March |
| Right Ascension (J2000.0) | 01h 31m 28s … 02h 50m 40s |
| Declination (J2000.0) | +25° 36' 18" … +37° 20' 50" |
| Area | 132 deg2 |
| Neighbours (N↻) | And, Psc, Ari, Per |
Deep-Sky Object Descriptions
Catalogues
Mythology and History
There are some interpretations for this constellation. The Greeks called it Deltoton, the Romans Triangulum and the Arabs El Muthalleth, which also means triangle. Some say that Triangulum also represents the island of Sicily, which was honored by Zeus by the fact that its image can be seen under the stars. One of the earlier names of Triangulum was Sicilia. Aratos von Soli describes this place as follows: «Near Andromeda is the island of Sicily, which resembles a triangle, the shorter part of which is adorned with closely spaced asterisks.» For the Egyptians, this constellation was a symbol of the Nile Delta and an honor for the Alexandrian sciences. [7, 21]