The Reticulum constellation
Ret · Catalogue stars: 7
Why this name?
Reticulum is the reticle, a crosshair or arrangement of threads in the eyepiece of an astronomical instrument. It helps mark a star’s position precisely.
A little history
Lacaille gave the constellation this name in the eighteenth century to honour the measuring reticle in his instrument. Its original name specified a diamond-shaped reticle.
Data
- IAU code
- Ret
- Catalogue stars
- 7
- Messier objects
- 0
- Brightest star
- HIP 19780 · 3.3ᵐ
Stars (HIP)
- HIP 19780 · 3.3ᵐ · G7III
- HIP 17440 · 3.8ᵐ · K0IV SB
- HIP 19921 · 4.4ᵐ · K2IV
- HIP 18744 · 4.5ᵐ · M4III
- HIP 18597 · 4.6ᵐ · M2III
- HIP 16245 · 4.7ᵐ · F5IV-V
- HIP 18772 · 5.0ᵐ · K4III
Altitude above the horizon by latitude
| Latitude | Maximum altitude | Rise azimuth |
|---|---|---|
| +60° | never rises | — |
| +55° | never rises | — |
| +45° | never rises | — |
| +30° | never rises | — |
| 0° | 28° | 152° |
| −35° | 63° · never sets | — |
Geometric altitude at upper culmination, atmospheric refraction not included. Positive latitudes are in the northern hemisphere.
Culmination time by month
| Month | Culmination |
|---|---|
| January | 20:12 |
| February | 18:05 |
| March | 16:20 |
| April | 14:27 |
| May | 12:32 |
| June | 10:26 |
| July | 08:22 |
| August | 06:21 |
| September | 04:28 |
| October | 02:39 |
| November | 00:39 |
| December | 22:30 |
Upper culmination in local solar time — no time-zone or daylight-saving correction applied.
Neighbouring constellations
In brief
Which is the brightest star in Reticulum?
HIP 19780 — 3.3ᵐ.