16世纪初,意大利航海家亚美利哥·韦斯普奇在探索新大陆期间学会辨识南半球天空中的恒星,并为提供赞助的葡萄牙国王曼努埃尔一世绘制星表,但如今已经失传。韦斯普奇还用文字描述南天恒星,其中提及的三角形既可能是南三角座,也可能是天燕座。这些文字记载被呈送给住在佛罗伦萨的赞助人洛伦佐·迪·皮埃尔弗朗西斯科·德·美第奇(Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici),后于1504年通过《新世界》(Mundus Novus)发表。[2]1589年,阿姆斯特丹出版佛兰德天文学家兼神职人员彼得勒斯·普朗修斯标识、荷兰制图师雅各布·弗洛里斯·范·朗伦(Jacob Floris van Langren)绘制的32.5厘米直径地球仪[3],上面首度提及“南极三角座”(Triangulus Antarcticus),但错将星座位置标在南船座以南。普朗修斯的弟子彼得·德克索恩·基瑟(Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser)与荷兰探险家弗雷德里克·德·豪特曼(Frederik de Houtman)共同创造星座名“Den Zuyden Trianghel”[4]。1603年,约翰·拜耳在《测天图》上绘出南三角座更准确的位置,标识的新名称“Triangulum Australe”沿用至今[5]。
德国诗人兼作家菲利普·冯·泽森(Philipp von Zesen)将组成三角形的三颗恒星视为三大先祖象征,其中三角形三代表亚伯拉罕,另外两颗分别是以撒和雅各[7]。澳大利亚北领地的瓦达曼人认为,南三角座恒星是彩虹蛇的尾巴,彩虹蛇则从附近的南十字座延伸到天蝎座。每年十月,处于夜空正中的彩虹蛇“轻推闪电”,带来降水拉开11月雨季的帷幕。[8]
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