MENSA
The Table
Mons Mensae - Nicolas Louis de Lacaille - 1756
The constellation Mensa is one of the 14 southern constellations created by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1756, during his two year study of the southern skies from Cape Town, South Africa. It was originally named Mons Mensae, Latin for the famous Table Mountain, overlooking Cape Town. The almost constant cloud cover, known as "The Tablecloth", caught by downdrafts, spills over the edges of the mountain and flows down its sides like so many waterfalls, inspiring Lacaille to forever memorialize this stunning natural display of cascading clouds, a significant departure from the decidedly un-stunning images of tools and scientific instruments he chose for his other constellations.
Tablecloth Clouds -Table Mountain, South Africa
Unfortunately, despite Lacaille's noble intentions, the constellation is one of the smallest and faintest in the skies, and not visible north of the equator.
Mensa - April 15, 10:00 PM - Cape Town, South Africa, Latitude 33° South, Longitude 20° East
WINTER
Orion
Canis Major
Canis Minor
Lepus
Monoceros
Gemini
Taurus
Aries
Auriga
Camelopardalis
Lynx
Eridanus
Columba
Caelum
Fornax
Phoenix
Horologium
Reticulum
Pictor
Dorado
Mensa
Hydrus
SPRING
Ursa Major
Ursa Minor
Draco
Bootes
Canes Venatici
Coma Berenices
Virgo
Leo
Cancer
Leo Minor
Sextans
Hydra
Crater
Corvus
Antlia
Pyxis
Puppis
Vela
Carina
Volans
Musca
Chamaeleon
SUMMER
Cygnus
Lyra
Vulpecula
Sagitta
Aquila
Hercules
Corona Borealis
Ophiuchus
Serpens
Libra
Scorpius
Sagittarius
Corona Australis
Telescopium
Ara
Norma
Centaurus
Lupus
Crux
Circinus
Triangulum Australe
Apus
AUTUMN
Andromeda
Perseus
Cassiopeia
Cepheus
Pegasus
Cetus
Triangulum
Lacerta
Delphinus
Equuleus
Scutum
Capricornus
Aquarius
Pisces
Sculptor
Piscis Australis
Microscopium
Grus
Indus
Tucana
Pavo
Octans
