What it looks like
Telescopium is a small southern constellation created by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille during his stay at the Cape of Good Hope. It represents the telescope, one of the tools of the new astronomy, and occupies a fairly empty region of sky between Corona Australis and Pavo. None of its stars are brighter than fourth magnitude.
Brightest stars
Telescopium has no bright stars; its brightest, Alpha Telescopii, sits near magnitude 3.5.
| Star | Magnitude | Distance | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Telescopii | +3.51 | 278 ly | — |
| Zeta Telescopii | +4.13 | 127 ly | — |
| Epsilon Telescopii | +4.53 | 409 ly | — |
| Delta-1 Telescopii | +4.92 | 800 ly | — |
Mythology and history
Telescopium has no ancient mythology. It was created by Lacaille in 1756 and named after the telescope, the central instrument of modern astronomy.
The astronomer's tool
Lacaille introduced Telescopium in 1756 as part of his catalogue of the southern sky, using stars he had observed from the Cape of Good Hope between 1751 and 1752. He named the constellation after the telescope, one of the instruments of the new science of his age. Along with Microscopium, Norma, Circinus, Fornax and Caelum, it belongs to a small group of Lacaille's constellations named for tools rather than mythological figures — a quiet celebration of the Enlightenment and its instruments.
How to find it
Look just south of Corona Australis and east of Sagittarius on winter and spring evenings from the southern hemisphere.
- Find Corona Australis first, then look south for Telescopium.
- This is a faint, sparse region — use a chart.
- Best from the southern hemisphere on winter and spring evenings.
Key facts
- Abbreviation
- Tel
- Genitive
- Telescopii
- Meaning
- The Telescope
- Brightest star
- Alpha Telescopii
- Main stars
- 3
- Area rank
- 57th
- Best visible
- August
- Declination
- -50°
- Meteor showers
- —
- Neighbours
- Ara, Corona Australis, Sagittarius, Microscopium, Indus, Pavo
Deep-sky objects
Telescopium contains the globular cluster NGC 6584 and the faint spiral galaxy IC 5082. The constellation is mostly of interest for its historical role as one of Lacaille's scientific constellations rather than for its deep-sky contents.
Frequently asked questions
What does the constellation Telescopium look like?
Telescopium is a faint southern constellation introduced by Lacaille in 1756, named in honour of the telescope and lying just south of Corona Australis.
What is the brightest star in Telescopium?
The brightest star in Telescopium is Alpha Telescopii, shining at around magnitude 3.51.
When is Telescopium best visible?
Telescopium is best seen from southern hemisphere during August.
What is the story behind Telescopium?
Telescopium has no ancient mythology. It was created by Lacaille in 1756 and named after the telescope, the central instrument of modern astronomy.
Which constellations are near Telescopium?
Telescopium borders Ara, Corona Australis, Sagittarius, Microscopium, Indus and Pavo.
Corona Australis
Ara