Mensa constellation

Mensa (the Table Mountain) is a constellation in the southern sky, best seen in the evening in January. Its brightest star is α Mensae (magnitude 5.09). Mensa covers 153 square degrees and is the 75th-largest of the 88 constellations.

Updated: 2026-11-01

Mensa constellation: the main stars connected by lines — The shape of Mensa: its brighter stars joined by the traditional stick figure.

Free to use with credit: Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), CC BY 4.0 · More

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Detailed star map of Mensa

Mensa constellation star map with lines connecting the stars, the brightest stars labeled (Greek letters), the IAU boundary and neighboring constellations — Map of Mensa: lines connect the stars of the traditional figure, the dashed line is the official IAU boundary. Star names and Greek letters mark the brightest stars.

Facts

Latin name	Mensa (genitive: Mensae)
Abbreviation	Men
Meaning	the Table Mountain
Area	153 square degrees (75th of 88)
Location	right ascension 5.5 h, declination −77°
Visible from	latitudes 5° N to 90° S (whole constellation)
Best month	January (at about 9 pm)
Brightest star	α Mensae
Stars brighter than magnitude 6	15
Named stars (IAU)	none
Messier objects	none
Neighbors	Chamaeleon, Dorado, Hydrus, Octans, Volans

Sources: star positions, magnitudes and colors from the Yale Bright Star Catalogue; constellation boundaries and star names from the IAU; areas and distances from Wikidata; stick figures by M. van der Sluys. How the maps are made.

How to find Mensa

From 40° N (the USA, southern Europe, Japan) Mensa never rises completely above the horizon. From 35° S (Australia, South Africa, Argentina) it never sets and stands highest in the south, about 48° up. The months before and after (December and February) are also good: then it is up a couple of hours earlier or later.

Mensa borders Chamaeleon, Dorado, Hydrus, Octans and Volans.

Where Mensa is in the night sky, shown among its neighbors Chamaeleon, Dorado, Hydrus, Octans and Volans — Mensa (highlighted) among the neighboring constellations. Bright stars are named for orientation.

Stars of Mensa

Mensa has 15 stars brighter than magnitude 6, the limit of the naked eye under a dark sky. These are the brightest:

Star	Designation	Magnitude	Type	Distance

Printable Mensa map and outline

A black and white version for printing and a plain outline of the Mensa figure, useful for school projects, worksheets and learning to recognize the shape.

Printable black and white map of the Mensa constellation with star names, lines and boundary

Mensa constellation outline: the stick figure of Mensa without labels

History

Mensa is introduced by the French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille, who charted the southern sky from the Cape of Good Hope in 1751–52. Its official boundary was drawn by Eugène Delporte for the International Astronomical Union in 1930.