Aquarius: The Water-Carrier
Pronunciation: uh-KWAIR-ee-us
Aquarius as depicted by Johannes Hevelius in his Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia (1687). Source image provided by www.RareMaps.com — Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc.
| Aquarius Constellation Profile | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation: Aqr | Genitive: Aquarii |
| Origin: Ancient | Location: Celestial Equator |
| Best View (North): Autumn | Best View (South): |
| Bordering Constellations: Pegasus, Equuleus, Delphinus, Aquila, Capricornus, Piscis Austrinus, Sculptor, Cetus, Pisces | |
The Myth Behind the Constellation Aquarius
To the ancient Greeks, Aquarius represented Ganymede, a prince of Troy who was so beautiful that Zeus sent his eagle to bring the youth to Mt. Olympus where now he serves as Zeus’ special cupbearer. To compensate Ganymede’s father, King Tros, Zeus gave immortal horses from his own herd.Aquarius Constellation Points of Interest
| Interesting Objects in the Constellation Aquarius | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Messier | NGC | Type | Visibility |
| M2 | NGC 7089 | Globular Cluster | Binoculars | |
| M72 | NGC 6981 | Globular Cluster | Small Scope | |
| M73 | NGC 6994 | Asterism | Binoculars | |
Brighter Stars in Aquarius
These are the stars in Aquarius with a minimum magnitude of 3.0.| Name | Bayer Name | Magnitude | Color | Luminosity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sadalsuud | Beta Aquarii | 2.90 | Yellow | 2670 suns | 615 ly |
| Sadalmelik | Alpha Aquarii | 2.95 | Yellow | 4617 suns | 759 ly |