Sagittarius (constellation)
| Constellation | |
|
|
| Abbreviation | Sgr |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Sagittarii |
| Pronunciation | /ˌsædʒᵻˈteɪriəs/, genitive /ˌsædʒᵻˈteɪri.aɪ/ |
| Symbolism | the Archer |
| Right ascension | 19 |
| Declination | −25 |
| Family | Zodiac |
| Quadrant | SQ4 |
| Area | 867 sq. deg. (15th) |
| Main stars | 12, 8 |
|
Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
68 |
| Stars with planets | 32 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 7 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 3 |
| Brightest star | ε Sgr (Kaus Australis) (1.79m) |
| Nearest star |
Ross 154 (9.69 ly, 2.97 pc) |
| Messier objects | 15 |
| Bordering constellations |
|
|
Visible at latitudes between +55° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of August. |
|
Sagittarius is one of the constellations of the zodiac. It is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy and remains one of the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is 
(Unicode U+2650 ♐), a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur pulling-back a bow. It lies between Scorpius and Ophiuchus to the west and Capricornus to the east.
The center of the Milky Way lies in the westernmost part of Sagittarius (see Sagittarius A).
As seen from the northern hemisphere, the constellation's brighter stars form an easily recognizable asterism known as 'the Teapot'. The stars δ Sgr (Kaus Media), ε Sgr (Kaus Australis), ζ Sgr (Ascella), and φ Sgr form the body of the pot; λ Sgr (Kaus Borealis) is the point of the lid; γ2 Sgr (Alnasl) is the tip of the spout; and σ Sgr (Nunki) and τ Sgr the handle. These same stars originally formed the bow and arrow of Sagittarius.
...
Wikipedia