Fact sheet
- Latin name
- Sagittarius (Sgr)
- Brightest star
- Kaus Australis (ε Sgr)
- Relative brightness
- 1.90 mag
- Hipparcos catalogue
- HIP 90185
- Area
- 867 deg² (rank: 15 out of 88)
- Right ascension
- 17h 43m 12s to 20h 28m 41s
- Declination
- -45° 16' 39'' to -11° 40' 34''
- Neighbouring constellations
- Aquila, Scutum, Serpens, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Corona Australis, Telescopium, Indus, Microscopium, Capricornus
Visibility
The constellation Sagittarius
Sagittarius is a constellation of the southern hemisphere. It lies on the ecliptic and is therefore one of the zodiac constellations. The ecliptic is the apparent path of the Sun over the course of a year. During this time the Sun passes through all the zodiac constellations. From 17 December to 20 January the Sun is in the constellation Sagittarius. During this time the constellation cannot be observed, because it is in the daytime sky.
The brightest star of Sagittarius is ε Sagittarii, which bears the Arabic name Kaus Australis (southern bow). To the north lie the stars δ Sagittarii (Kaus Media [middle bow]) and λ Sagittarii (Kaus Borealis [northern bow]), which together with it form the bow of the archer. In English-speaking countries, Sagittarius is also often called the “Teapot”. This is because, when you look more closely, its brightest stars form the shape of a teapot. The centre of the Milky Way lies in the direction of Sagittarius. There sits a black hole of around four million solar masses, Sagittarius A*.
Mythology
Like the constellation Centaurus, Sagittarius is usually shown as a hybrid creature of human and horse with a bow and arrow. Even in antiquity it was disputed whom it represents: Chiron, the wisest of the centaurs, or Crotus, the son of Eupheme, the nurse of the nine Muses. Pan, the god of shepherds, is regarded as the father of Crotus. Crotus, however, was not a centaur: he stood on two legs like a human and had the tail of a satyr. Crotus is said to have been a keen hunter and to have invented the art of archery. He lived together with the Muses on Mount Helicon. The Muses loved to sing, and Crotus sat with them and applauded with great enthusiasm. According to legend, the Muses asked Zeus to place Crotus in the sky, so that he could show them the art of archery at night. There you can see Crotus, shown with a bow and arrow, aiming at the constellation Scorpius. It looks as if he wants to kill the scorpion before it can sting Orion.
Astrological significance
People born between 23 November and 21 December are born under the zodiac sign Sagittarius. They are optimistic and truly cheerful people. They love life and people, and they hate injustice. In society they are often seen as the guardians of morality. But appearances can be deceptive: they show their dark side only in private.
