Sagitta

constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere

Sagitta is a small constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for 'arrow'. It is one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy and one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Sagitta
Constellation
Sagitta
AbbreviationSge
GenitiveSagittae
Pronunciation/səˈɪtə/ Sagítta,
genitive /səˈɪt/
Symbolismthe Arrow
Right ascension19.8333
Declination+18.66
QuadrantNQ4
Area80 sq. deg. (86th)
Main stars4
Bayer/Flamsteed
stars
19
Stars with planets2
Stars brighter than 3.00m0
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)1
Brightest starγ Sge (3.51m)
Messier objects1
Bordering
constellations
Vulpecula
Hercules
Aquila
Delphinus
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −70°.
Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of August.

History

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Sagitta was called Oistos 'the arrow' by the ancient Greeks,[1] and it was one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy.[2] Richard Hinckley Allen proposed that Sagitta could represent the arrow shot by Hercules towards the Stymphalian birds.[3]

References

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  1. Kunitzsch, Paul (2002). "Albumasariana" (PDF). Annali dell'Università degli studi di Napoli "L'Orientale". 62. Rivista del Dipartimento di Studi Asiatici e del Dipartimento di Studi e Ricerche su Africa e Paesi Arabi: 4. ISSN 0393-3180.
  2. Ridpath, Ian. "Sagitta". Star Tales. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  3. Allen, Richard Hinckley (1963) [1899]. Star-Names and Their Meanings. New York: Dover Publications. pp. 349–351. ISBN 978-0-486-21079-7.

Other websites

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  Media related to Sagitta at Wikimedia Commons