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 95142HIP 95150HIP 95164HIP 95177HIP 95215HIP 97076HIP 96248HIP 96249HIP 95216HIP 95276HIP 97430HIP 97443HIP 97495HIP 96333HIP 95613HIP 95615HIP 95619HIP 95623HIP 97505HIP 97512HIP 97515HIP 95636HIP 95639HIP 95645HIP 95647HIP 95648HIP 95655HIP 97521HIP 97522HIP 97529HIP 96404HIP 95662HIP 95667HIP 95668HIP 95670HIP 97546HIP 97552HIP 97554HIP 95677HIP 96508HIP 96510HIP 97567HIP 95709HIP 95711HIP 95713HIP 95714HIP 97577HIP 96536

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.