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 91460HIP 91466HIP 91470HIP 91478HIP 91486HIP 91487HIP 91488HIP 89525HIP 89529HIP 89535HIP 89537HIP 89539HIP 91506HIP 91514HIP 91515HIP 91524HIP 91527HIP 89566HIP 89567HIP 89573HIP 91546HIP 91550HIP 91556HIP 98813HIP 89584HIP 89592HIP 89596HIP 96967HIP 89607HIP 89609HIP 89614HIP 89620HIP 89622HIP 89625HIP 89628HIP 89629HIP 89630HIP 96970HIP 96971HIP 96972HIP 96978HIP 96983HIP 89637HIP 89647HIP 89659HIP 89660HIP 89661HIP 89662

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.