Fact sheet
- Latin name
- Sagitta (Sge)
- Brightest star
- γ Sagittae (γ Sge)
- Relative brightness
- 3.47 mag
- Hipparcos catalogue
- HIP 98337
- Area
- 80 deg² (rank: 86 out of 88)
- Right ascension
- 18h 57m 21s to 20h 20m 45s
- Declination
- +16° 04' 45'' to +21° 38' 37''
- Neighbouring constellations
- Vulpecula, Hercules, Aquila, Delphinus
Visibility
The constellation Sagitta
Although Sagitta is a constellation of the northern hemisphere, it can be seen in the sky from both the northern and the southern hemisphere. Its stars α Sagittae and β Sagittae are arranged like the feathers of an arrow.
The constellation lies directly above the head of the constellation Aquila. Starting from the brightest star of Aquila (Altair), which is the twelfth brightest star of the night sky, the constellation Sagitta is easy to find in the night sky despite its low brightness.
Mythology
The Titan Prometheus created humans and animals with the goddess Athena. He taught the humans the arts and sciences. When Zeus refused them fire, Prometheus stole it and secretly brought it down to Earth for them in a hollow fennel stalk. In his anger, Zeus created the beautiful Pandora and sent her to Earth with a box full of evils (Pandora's box), which brought disease and death upon the humans for all eternity. He had Prometheus chained to a rock forever, where every day the eagle Aethon ate from his liver, which always grew back. Only many centuries later did Hercules find him and kill the eagle with a poisoned arrow. However, Prometheus was only allowed to go free once an immortal was willing to die for him.
Before Hercules found Prometheus, he stopped at the cave of the centaur Pholus (centaurs are hybrid creatures with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse). There, a quarrel broke out over a jug of wine, in which Hercules had to defend himself and killed several centaurs. The others fled to Chiron, the wisest and most just of the centaurs. He was a friend of many gods and kings, had raised many of their children and had exceptional knowledge of medicine. During the chase, Hercules is said to have accidentally hit Chiron with a poisoned arrow. Because Chiron was immortal, he did not die, but from then on he suffered endless pain. He gave up his immortality, and this set Prometheus free. Zeus then placed the eagle, the arrow with which Hercules had killed the eagle, and Chiron himself in the sky as constellations.
