Sagittarius: The Archer
Pronunciation: SAJ-ih-TARE-ee-us
Sagittarius Constellation Profile | |
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Abbreviation: Sgr | Genitive: Sagittarii |
Origin: Ancient | Location: Southern Hemisphere |
Best View (North): Summer | Best View (South): |
Bordering Constellations: Aquila, Scutum, Serpens Cauda, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Corona Australis, Telescopium, Indus, Microscopium, Capricornus |
The Myth Behind the Constellation Sagittarius
The myth behind Sagittarius, “The Archer”, is uncertain. Hyginus, a Roman mythographer, states that the constellation represents Crotus, son of Pan. He invented archery and lived with the Muses on Mount Helicon. They asked Zeus to place Crotus in the sky where he demonstrates the art of archery.Sagittarius Constellation Points of Interest
Interesting Objects in the Constellation Sagittarius | ||||
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Name | Messier | NGC | Type | Visibility |
Lagoon Nebula | M8 | NGC 6523 | Nebula | Binoculars |
Omega Nebula | M17 | NGC 6618 | Nebula with Cluster | Binoculars |
M18 | NGC 6613 | Open Cluster | Binoculars | |
Trifid Nebula | M20 | NGC 6514 | Nebula with Cluster | Binoculars |
M21 | NGC 6531 | Open Cluster | Binoculars | |
Sagittarius Cluster | M22 | NGC 6656 | Globular Cluster | Binoculars |
M23 | NGC 6494 | Open Cluster | Binoculars | |
Sagittarius Star Cloud | M24 | Milky Way Star Cloud | Naked-Eye | |
M25 | Open Cluster | Naked-Eye | ||
M28 | NGC 6626 | Globular Cluster | Binoculars | |
M54 | NGC 6715 | Globular Cluster | Binoculars | |
M55 | NGC 6809 | Globular Cluster | Binoculars | |
M69 | NGC 6637 | Globular Cluster | Binoculars | |
M70 | NGC 6681 | Globular Cluster | Binoculars | |
M75 | NGC 6864 | Globular Cluster | Binoculars |
Bright Stars in Sagittarius
These are the stars in Sagittarius with a minimum magnitude of 3.0.Name | Bayer Name | Magnitude | Color | Luminosity | Distance |
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Kaus Australis | Epsilon Sagittarii | 1.79 | Blue | 375 suns | 145 ly |
Nunki | Sigma Sagittarii | 2.05 | Blue | 1,392 suns | 225 ly |
Ascella | Zeta Sagittarii | 2.60 | White | 67 suns | 89 ly |
Kaus Media | Delta Sagittarii | 2.72 | Orange | 2,415 suns | 306 ly |
Kaus Borealis | Lambda Sagittarii | 2.82 | Orange | 52 suns | 77 ly |
Al Baldah | Pi Sagittarii | 2.88 | Yellow-White | 1,115 suns | 440 ly |
Alnasl | Gamma Sagittarii | 2.98 | Orange | 74 suns | 96 ly |