Triangulum constellation is located in the northern sky. Its name means “the triangle” in Latin.
Triangulum is one of the Greek constellations. It was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. It does not have any first magnitude stars. The three brightest stars in the constellation form the shape of a long, narrow triangle.
The constellation is home to the Triangulum Galaxy (Messier 33), one of the nearest and best known galaxies in the night sky.
FACTS, LOCATION & MAP
Triangulum is the 78th constellation in size, occupying an area of 132 square degrees. It lies in the first quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ1) and can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -60°. The neighboring constellations are Andromeda, Aries, Perseus and Pisces.
Triangulum belongs to the Perseus family of constellations, along with Andromeda, Auriga, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cetus, Lacerta, Pegasus and Perseus.
Triangulum has one star with a confirmed planet and contains one Messier object, Messier 33 (M33, NGC 598, Triangulum Galaxy). The brightest star in the constellation is Beta Trianguli, with an apparent magnitude of 3.00. There are no meteor showers associated with the constellation.
MYTH
The Greeks knew the constellation as Deltoton, named for its shape, which resembled the capital Greek letter delta. Eratosthenes said that the constellation represented the delta of the river Nile, and Hyginus wrote that some people saw it as the island of Sicily.
Sicilia was one of the early names for the constellation because Ceres, who was the patron goddess of the island, was said to have begged Jupiter to place the island in the sky.
The Babylonians saw Triangulum and the star Gamma Andromedae in Andromeda constellation as a constellation called MUL.Apin, or the Plough.
The Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius introduced a smaller triangle, Triangulum Minus, in 1687, formed by three stars located near Triangulum, but the division soon fell into disuse.
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