Ara – The Altar

Ara is one of the 88 constellations within the celestial sphere.

Ara is one of the 29 constellations that represents an object.

Symbolism: Ara is also known as ‘The Altar’

History & Mythology

Ara has been known by many different cultures and represents many different things for these cultures throughout history. In Greek mythology, Ara represents an Altar where the Greek gods prayed before battle. In victory the god Zeus placed the altar in the sky in gratitude. The constellation sits within the Milky Way and is easy to find in the night sky, sitting south of the constellation Scorpius.

Key Data

Bordering Constellations: Ara is bordered by constellations Telescopium, Pavo, Apus, Norma & Triangulum.

Sky Chart #: 2.

Star Raking: 63rd largest constellation in the celestial sphere. 

Main Stars: Ara consists of 8 main stars.

Brightest Star: Beta Arae.

Kids Fun Facts Corner

# 1. Ara has 7 stars with planets.

# 2. Star Mu Arae in constellation Ara is a Sun-like star orbited by at least 4 planets.  

# 3. Beta Arae is the brightest star in Ara.

Q&A Corner

Q. What is Ara also known as?

Q. How many main stars does Ara have?

Q. What is the brightest star in Ara?

Q. How many stars have planets in Ara?

Q. What number star ranking is Ara in the celestial sphere?

Download questions about the Ara Constellation here: Ara Constellation (answers are on this page)

Teachers. For more in depth work sheets on constellations. Click on Kidskonnect Worksheets  

For further reading and more information on the Ara Constellation visit www.wiki.kidzsearch.com/Ara Constellation