What is the most boring constellation?

[661-pete]

Well?

I'm only starting this 'for a larf..' in answer to the 'favourite constellation' thread, but take it seriously if you want to!

I suppose there are too many 'candidates' to number. Traditionally, the dimmest constellation is Mensa, which is tucked away in the far south and has no stars brighter than mag.5, but it has a bit of the LMC protruding into it, so it can't really be counted as 'uninteresting'.

In the northern skies, well I can't really put my finger on Leo Minor (I can never remember whether it's above or below its 'big daddy' Leo) - a few dim stars, a few faint NGC fuzzies and not much else. Likewise its near neighbour and fellow-feline Lynx.

Canis Minor? Now that one boasts a first-magnitude star, Procyon, but little else. It's outside the glorious Orion nebulous region.

I imagine this question could awake some discussion....

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The "little boring group of stars" as seen from the disk world .

"Wizzard" Rincewind was born under this sign.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I have heard on several occasion that Aries is the most boring constellation. Its 3 stars,none very bright and it just happens to be my zodiac sign.

[deebster]

...the dimmest constellation is Mensa.

Oh the irony

[steppenwolf]

Pegasus might have a reasonably defined shape but there's not much inside to excite me to be honest so to me it's pretty boring!

[Double Kick Drum]

Bottom three are;

3. Equuleus...dull

2. Caelum.....duller

1. Lynx........doesn't even have the excuse of being particularly small like Telescopium and Mensa. Boring!

[Pavel]

In my opinion: every constellation is absorbing.

[661-pete]

Pegasus might have a reasonably defined shape but there's not much inside to excite me to be honest so to me it's pretty boring!

Tongue-in-cheek or a surprising statement?

I must say I heartily disagree! No constellation which contains NGC7331, Stephan's Quintet, and M15, can ever be boring to me! I never tire of looking at a good presentation of 7331 with all the background fuzzies. And then there's the beautiful 'spindle' NGC7814, plus the lovely little barred spiral NGC7479.

And Pegasus I find is a useful 'indicator' of how dark the sky is. If I can see nothing inside the square itself - pretty dire. The first to pick out are the pair tau and upsilon Peg. towards the top right - then I know I've got at least a mag.4.5 sky. Then as things get better I aim for phi to lower left (mag.5). And so on. The thing is, these stars are easy to locate within the square.

Ah well....

[steppenwolf]

Tongue-in-cheek or a surprising statement?

Tongue in cheek - I've yet to find an area of sky that doesn't offer something, even if it's simply a challenge and several people have suggested that I am indeed 'challenged'! I picked on poor old Pegasus because it is a famous constellation but it's short on nebulae which are my favourite objects!

[hemihaggis]

constellation nips too much to be boring

[cantab]

All the ones for which I will only see ground if I look in their direction ;-)

[glowjet]

That little Constellation which has spent all those years sending its light to you, so you can observe it, and then someone turns round and says your boring. really!! kleenex anyone.

[661-pete]

All the ones for which I will only see ground if I look in their direction ;-)

You mean - like this one

[todd8137]

they are all nice to me ,it seems people only like the ones that are full of goodies to look at

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

They are all full of goodies. If you can't see them, you need a bigger scope . As for the "underground" ones, I found them most entertaining when I was down-under.

[moflaher]

For me is anything to the south east-west, because is blocked by the hourse and tall trees!

[Charon]

Having only seen one so far, I cannot comment.