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Antlia

The Air Pump

Constellation of the southern sky

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GenitiveAntliae
AbbreviationAnt
Constellation FamilyLa Caille
Celestial QuadrantSQ2
Right Ascension9h27 to 11h06
Declination-24.5° to -40.4°
Area (sq deg)239
Brightest StarAlpha Antliae
Optimum VisibilityMarch
NotesAntlia is a modern constellation nestling between Centaurus, Hydra and the stars of Argo Navis. This is one of several constellations introduced by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille to represent scientific instruments (with other examples including Microscopium and Telescopium). Specifically, Antlia (originally called more fully Antlia Pneumatica) represents the air pump used in laboratory experiments.
Map of Antlia Map of Antlia

On the fringes of the Milky Way in the southern sky lies the sparse and curiously-named region known as the Air Pump.

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