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.

HYG 119237NunkiRukbatHIP 89526HIP 90709HIP 89691HIP 91276HIP 91282HIP 91284HIP 91287HIP 91573HIP 91581HIP 91583HIP 91584HIP 92465HIP 92511HIP 92980HIP 92988HIP 93072HIP 93225HIP 93446HIP 93925HIP 93911HIP 93923HIP 94372HIP 94853HIP 94839HIP 94844HIP 94845HIP 96389HIP 97137HIP 97698HIP 98715HIP 100001HIP 100042HIP 100045HIP 100071HIP 100075HIP 100096HIP 100100HIP 100119HIP 100123HIP 100166HIP 100169HIP 100185HIP 100186HIP 100196HIP 100205

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.