Particulars:
General:
A small constellation of the southern hemisphere streching itself from DECL=55 degrees to DECL=68 degrees and from RA=18h 10m to RA=16h 35m (rough estimate; for the true boundaries refer to Catalog of Constellation Boundary Data).
Stars and other objects
The open star cluster NGC 6193 is a dim collection of
about 30 stars (the brightest is about 6 mag). A binocular is
sufficient to view this cluster.
I 4651 is an interesting and rich star group.
In small telescopes and binoculars NGC 6397 appears as a
misty patch with a brightness of about 7 mag. It can even by
viewed with naked eyes. This globular cluster could be the
closest one to us; it is lying in a distance of about 7500
lightyears.
Mythological Background:
According to The Night Sky by Ian Ridpath the Greek
thought this constellation was forming the altar on which Centaurus
sacrifies the wolf, Lupus.
(Note: But I doubt that. Ara is pretty close to the
celestial south pole. The constellation Sagittarius is
hard to view even from Greece and Ara is located a good
deal farther south.)