Constellation Horologium (Clock)
Date:
Southern Hemisphere
Winter
Clock
Horologium
The Clock (lat. Horologium) is a 249 square-degree constellation of the southern hemisphere. Only one star is brighter than the fourth magnitude.
How to spot Horologium
The Horologium is located west of the southernmost star of the Eridanus, between Caelum, Reticulum and Hydrus. South of the 20th latitude, the constellation is best seen in winter.
History
After the invention of the telescope, the French astronomer Nicolas de Lacaille named some constellations of the southern hemisphere that had not been recognized before. Unlike the 48 constellations of antiquity, which bear the names of mythological figures, he often used the name of technological novelties for the new constellations. He first named the constellation "Horologium Oscillitorium", but later the name was shortened to Horologium.