Sagittarius

Sagittarius, the Archer, lies in the direction of the center of the Milky Way. Its Teapot asterism is easily recognizable in the southern summer sky. The constellation is extraordinarily rich in deep sky objects, containing more Messier objects (15) than any other constellation, including the Lagoon Nebula (M8) and the Trifid Nebula (M20). Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, is located within its boundaries.

The Zodiac family comprises the 12 constellations that lie along the ecliptic — the apparent path of the Sun across the sky over the course of a year. These are among the oldest recognized constellations, with origins in Babylonian astronomy dating back over 3,000 years. The ecliptic crosses each zodiac constellation at different widths, meaning the Sun spends varying amounts of time in each — from about 7 days in Scorpius to 45 days in Virgo.

Mythology & History

The zodiac constellations carry some of the richest mythological traditions in astronomy. Aries recalls the golden ram whose fleece was sought by Jason and the Argonauts. Gemini represents the twins Castor and Pollux, one mortal and one divine. Leo honors the Nemean Lion slain by Heracles as his first labor. The Babylonians originally used these constellations for agricultural timing, and their astrological associations developed later through Greek and Roman traditions. The modern astronomical boundaries were standardized by the IAU in 1930.

Observation Tips

Zodiac constellations are visible from both hemispheres since they straddle the celestial equator. Each is best observed when it reaches opposition (opposite the Sun in the sky), which occurs roughly six months from the dates when the Sun is in that constellation. The zodiac contains many spectacular deep sky objects: the Orion-adjacent Taurus hosts the Pleiades (M45) and Crab Nebula (M1), Virgo is home to the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, and Sagittarius points toward our galaxy's center with its dense Milky Way star clouds.

HIP 99039HIP 88206HIP 88325HIP 88354HIP 88362HIP 97962HIP 96111HIP 96113HIP 96119HIP 96124HIP 97972HIP 97977HIP 97981HIP 97986HIP 96134HIP 88597HIP 88615HIP 88618HIP 88629HIP 88631HIP 88634HIP 96139HIP 88645HIP 88649HIP 99057HIP 99051HIP 96144HIP 88677HIP 88683HIP 98002HIP 98005HIP 96151HIP 96154HIP 96155HIP 96169HIP 96172HIP 96176HIP 98008HIP 98009HIP 98012HIP 98014HIP 98021HIP 98022HIP 98024HIP 98033HIP 99062HIP 99066HIP 99070

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Sagittarius constellation?
Sagittarius (Sgr) is one of the 88 IAU-recognized constellations in the Southern hemisphere. Sagittarius, the Archer, lies in the direction of the center of the Milky Way. Its Teapot asterism is easily recognizable in the southern summer sky. The constellation is extraordinarily rich in deep
How many stars are cataloged in Sagittarius?
StarFYI currently catalogs 2,504 stars in the constellation Sagittarius.
What is the brightest star in Sagittarius?
The brightest star in Sagittarius is Kaus Australis.
How large is the Sagittarius constellation?
Sagittarius covers 867.43 square degrees of the sky.
What family does Sagittarius belong to?
Sagittarius belongs to the Zodiac Family of constellations.