Mensa (The Table Mountain)

Southern polar constellation, the only one named after a place on Earth: Table Mountain.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Lacaille named it in 1752 for Table Mountain at the Cape of Good Hope, from whose summit he charted the southern sky.
• It is the only constellation commemorating a terrestrial landmark.
• The Large Magellanic Cloud overlaps its northern border, and its own stars are so faint that none reaches the fifth magnitude.

Specifications & Metrics

• BRIGHTEST STAR: α Mensae
• HEMISPHERE: Southern
• BEST VIEWED: January