Telescopium, the Telescope, is a faint southern constellation south of Sagittarius, one of the scientific instruments Lacaille placed in the southern sky.
At a glance
| stars in the figure | 3 |
|---|---|
| nearest star of the figure | Zeta Telescopii, 126 light-years (38.7 pc) |
| farthest star of the figure | Epsilon Telescopii, 418 light-years (128 pc) |
| depth | the farthest is 3.3 × farther than the nearest |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Telescopium
Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille added Telescopium in honour of the telescope, the instrument that had transformed astronomy. As first drawn, the long tube took in stars that now belong to neighbouring constellations; with those removed, what remains is small and dim. It lies south of Sagittarius and Corona Australis, beside Ara, Pavo and Indus.
Its leading star, Alpha Telescopii, is a hot blue-white star. Nothing in Telescopium is conspicuous to the eye, but it lies just off the rich star fields toward the centre of the Galaxy, which shine in the neighbouring part of the sky.
Telescopium is best seen on winter evenings from the southern hemisphere. From mid-northern latitudes it never rises far above the southern horizon.
What you see in the piece
Its figure is three faint stars. With CONSTELLATIONS (N) on, leave the HUMAN EYE view (E) and the nearest separates from the farthest, which lies a few times deeper.
Questions
How far away are the stars of Telescopium?
The nearest star of the figure is Zeta Telescopii, 126 light-years (38.7 pc); the farthest is Epsilon Telescopii, 418 light-years (128 pc). The farthest is 3.3 × farther than the nearest.