Triangulum

constellation · ancient astronomy · night sky

Named for its shape. Triangulum gets its name from the Latin word for 'triangle' because its three brightest stars form a long, narrow triangle in the sky. Ancient astronomers looked up and saw this simple shape, so they named it exactly what it looked like.

Known for thousands of years. Both the ancient Babylonians and Greeks knew about Triangulum, making it one of the oldest recognized constellations. It was so famous that the astronomer Ptolemy included it in his list of 48 constellations back in the 2nd century.

Named by star mappers. Famous celestial cartographers Johann Bayer and John Flamsteed catalogued the stars in Triangulum and gave six of them special designations. This helped astronomers find and study the constellation more easily.

Found in northern sky. Triangulum is located in the northern part of the sky, which means it's easier to spot from places in the Northern Hemisphere on clear nights away from city lights.