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| Sagittarius | |
| Abbreviation | Sgr |
| Genitive | Sagitarii |
| Meaning in English | the Archer |
| Right ascension | 19 h |
| Declination | −25° |
| Visible to latitude | Between 55° and −90° |
| Best visible | August |
| Area - Total | Ranked 15th 867 sq. deg. |
| Number of stars with apparent magnitude < 3 | 5 |
| Brightest star - Apparent magnitude | Kaus Australis (ε Sgr) 1.9 |
| Meteor showers | none |
| Bordering constellations | |
Sagittarius (the archer) is a constellationOrion is a remarkable constellation, visible from most places on the globe (but not always the whole year long). A constellation is a group of stars visibly related to each other in a particular configuration. In three-dimensional space, most of the stars of the zodiacThis article is about the astrological concept. For other uses, see zodiac (disambiguation The zodiac (from Greek zoon "animal") is an imaginary belt in the heavens extending approximately 8 degrees on either side of the Sun's apparent path (the ecliptic), commonly depicted as a centaurSee also centaur (planetoid), Centaur (rocket stage Guido Reni, Abduction of Deianira 1620-21 In Greek mythology, the centaurs are a race part human and part horse, with a horse's body and a human head and torso illustration, right . A centaur is the firs drawing a bow. Sagittarius lies between Scorpius to the west and Capricornus to the east. Its brighter stars form an easily recognizable teapot shape.
The constellation is easily recognizable through an asterism called the Teapot. The stars Kaus Media (δ), Kaus Australis (ε), Ascella (ζ), and φ Sagitarii form the body of the pot; Kaus Borealis (λ) is the point of the lid; Alnasl (γ) is the tip of the spout; and Nunki (σ) and τ Sagitarii the handle. [1] [2]
The α star, Rukbat , is nowhere near the brightest star of the constellation, having a magnitude of only 4.0.
The Milky WayThis article is about the galaxy called the Milky Way. For the candy bar of the same name, see Milky Way candy bar. The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea in turn derived from the Greek Galaxia gala, galactos means "milk")) is a hazy band of is at its densest as it passes through Sagittarius, as this is where the galactic center lies. Consequently, Sagittarius contains many star clusters and nebulae. One of the brightest of the star clusters is M55, about 7.5° west of δ Sgr.
The constellation contains nebulae such as the Lagoon Nebula (M8)The Lagoon Nebula (also known as Diffuse Nebula M8 Messier Object 8 Messier 8 M8 or NGC 6523 is a diffuse nebula in the Sagittarius constellation. It was discovered by Le Gentil in 1747. External links Diffuse nebulae Messier objects NGC objects Sagittari, near λ Sagitarii, beautiful in telescopes; the Omega, Swan, or Horseshoe Nebula (M17), near the border with Scutum; and the Trifid Nebula (M20), a large nebula containing some very young, hot stars.
The complex radio source Sagittarius A associated with the galactic centre is also here. Astronomers believe that Sagittarius A may contain a supermassive black hole.