How to Find the Pendulum Clock Constellation

The Pendulum Clock constellation, also known as Horologium, sits in the Southern sky and gets its name from the man who invented the pendulum clock. One of the larger constellations in the night sky, the Pendulum Clock has an area of 249 square degrees.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Star maps (optional)
• Telescope (optional)

1. Look for the Pendulum Clock constellation in the Southern hemisphere between the latitudes +30 and -90 degrees. While the Pendulum Clock is visible in the late fall and winter months, it is at its peak visibility during the month of December around 9 p.m. Search the night sky for the Pendulum Clock at right ascension 3h and declination -60 degrees.

2. Use star maps to help you find bordering constellations around the Pendulum Clock, as this large constellation can be a bit overwhelming to find. You should also consider using a telescope to help you track down stars that make the borders of Horologium.

3. Find some of the Pendulum Clocks bordering constellations to help you find the general area where the constellation is found. Some of the most noteable constellations surrounding Horoglium are Hydrus, Reticulum, Caelum, Dorado and Eridanus.

4. Locate the principal stars of the Pendulum constellation, Alpha Hor and GJ1061. Both of these stars should be easy to spot with the help of a star map and will help you to find the remaining 8 visible stars that make up the Pendulum Clock.

Resources

• AstroViewer has a series of downloadable, interactive star maps