Retículo
Net (Reticuli)
Reticulum, the Reticle, is a small southern constellation created by Isaac Habrecht II in the early 17th century and later refined by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille. It represents the reticle (crosshairs) used in telescope eyepieces for precise measurements. Despite its small size and faintness, Reticulum contains some interesting galaxies.
📜 Mitologia
Reticulum is a modern constellation with no classical mythology. It was originally created by Isaac Habrecht II around 1621 as 'Rhombus' (the Diamond), referring to a diamond-shaped pattern of stars. Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille renamed it 'Reticulum Rhomboidalis' (the Rhomboidal Net) during his southern sky survey (1751-1752), representing the reticle or crosshairs used in telescope eyepieces for precise celestial measurements. The name was later shortened to Reticulum.
💡 Fatos curiosos
- ✦Zeta Reticuli is famous in UFO lore as the alleged home system of the 'Gray' aliens from the Betty and Barney Hill case
- ✦Zeta Reticuli is a wide binary system of two Sun-like stars about 39 light-years away
- ✦Reticulum was one of the first constellations created to honor scientific instruments