Abbreviation:

Ara

English name:

Altar

Coordinates

see Stellar data

Particulars:

• Open star clusters NGC 6193, I 4651
• Globular clusters NGC 6352, NGC 6362, NGC 6397

General:

A small constellation of the southern hemisphere streching itself from DECL=55 degrees to DECL=68 degrees and from RA=18h 10m to RA=16h 35m (rough estimate; for the true boundaries refer to Catalog of Constellation Boundary Data).

Stars and other objects

The open star cluster NGC 6193 is a dim collection of about 30 stars (the brightest is about 6 mag). A binocular is sufficient to view this cluster.
I 4651 is an interesting and rich star group.
In small telescopes and binoculars NGC 6397 appears as a misty patch with a brightness of about 7 mag. It can even by viewed with naked eyes. This globular cluster could be the closest one to us; it is lying in a distance of about 7500 lightyears.

Mythological Background:

According to The Night Sky by Ian Ridpath the Greek thought this constellation was forming the altar on which Centaurus sacrifies the wolf, Lupus.
(Note: But I doubt that. Ara is pretty close to the celestial south pole. The constellation Sagittarius is hard to view even from Greece and Ara is located a good deal farther south.)