Corona Australis and Ara are small and dim constellations. However, they are relatively easy to find due to their location just south of major constellations. Corona Australis lies south of the teapot shape of Sagittarius. (Of course, in the Southern Hemisphere this teapot shape is harder to discern because it is seen upside down.) Ara, which touches Corona Australis at one corner, is found south of the constellation Scorpius.
The Stars of Corona Australis
Corona Australis is like its northern cousin Corona Borealis in that it forms an arc. But the stars of Corona Australis are so dim that the brightest star is a mere magnitude 4.09. This star, Beta Coronae Australis, lies at the eastern edge of the constellation and is found near the middle of the arc shape. The star lies 508 light-years distant.
The next star to the north in the arc is Alpha Coronae Australis, magnitude 4.11 and 130 light-years distant. Continuing in the same direction along the arc is a magnitude 4.23 star 58 light-years away known as GSC 7422:1737. One and a half degrees west of this star is Epsilon Coronae Australis, magnitude 4.83 and 98 light-years away. The last notable star on this side of the arc is just over three degrees away, magnitude 5.11 Lambda Coronae Australis, at 202 light-years distant.
Heading the other direction from Beta is Delta Coronae Australis, a magnitude 4.57 star at a distance of 175 light-years. Next out is Zeta Coronae Australis, magnitude 4.74 and 184 light-years away. At the end of the crown is a double star system, Eta 1 and 2 Coronae Australis, at magnitude 5.46 and 347 light-years away, and magnitude 5.60 and 607 light-years distant, respectively.
The Stars of Ara
Ara's stars are brighter than Corona Australis. The main stars form a rectangular shape that is slightly collapsed along one of its long sides. Starting here is one of the two stars tied for brightest in the constellation, Beta Arae at magnitude 2.84. It lies 603 light-years away. Less than a degree away to the south is Gamma Arae at magnitude 3.31 and 1,136 light-years distant. Continuing on to one corner of the collapsed rectangle is Delta Arae at magnitude 3.60 and 187 light-years distant. The star at the next corner is 3.77 magnitude Eta Arae at a distance of 313 light-years. Just over 3 degrees away is magnitude 3.12 Zeta Arae at a distance of 574 light-years. In the next corner is the other star tied for brightest, Alpha Arae at magnitude 2.84 and 242 light-years away. And in the last corner is Theta Arae at magnitude 3.65 and a distance of 1,013 light-years.
There are some minor deep-sky targets in Ara. One of the brightest is also one of the easiest to find. About one-third of the way from Beta to Theta is a globular cluster known as NGC 6397. It shines at magnitude 5.7 and is one of the nearest globulars, at a distance of 7,200 light-years.
Kelly Whitt - I have been a professional writer for more than a decade, covering many topics from science-based articles to do-it-yourself home ...
