The Sagittarius Star Constellation, Its Composition And The Myth Behind Them

The Sagittarius constellation or the archer constellation was first cataloged by Ptolemy in the 2nd century, like other constellations. Sagittarius means Archer in Latin. It has been depicted in Greek mythology as a centaur holding a “Bow and Arrow”. The Bow and Arrow constellation lies in the Southern sky and is one of the largest southern constellations. It is easy to find the Sagittarius constellation in the sky as it lies close to the dense area of the Milky Way and the brightest stars in it form a teapot-like image in the sky. The eight bright stars that contribute to the formation of the Sagittarius constellation are:

  •  Epsilon Sagittarii
  •  Delta Sagittarii
  •  Lambda Sagittarii
  •  Gamma Sagittarii
  •  Zeta Sagittarii
  •  Phi Sagittarii
  •  Sigma Sagittarii
  •  Tau Sagittarii.

All these eight stars form the celestial Teapot-like shape.


The brightest star in the Sagittarius star constellation

Kaus Australis: The word is derived from the Arabic word meaning  “bow” and the Latin meaning “southern”. Also called Epsilon Sagittarii, it is the brightest star in the Sagittarius constellation with a magnitude of +1.85.

What is a star, a constellation of your Leo zodiac? Know more about Leo Star Constellation .


Location of the Sagittarius Star Constellation 

The Sagittarius constellation is the 15th constellation in size and occupies an area of approximately 867 square degrees. The Sagittarius star constellation lies in the fourth quadrant of the southern hemisphere (SQ4) and can be seen at the latitude of +55 degrees and -90 degrees. The neighbors of the Sagittarius constellation are Aquila, Capricornus, Corona Australis, Indus, Microscopium, Ophiuchus, Scutum, Scorpius, Serpens cauda, and Telescopium.

Coordinates of the Sagittarius Star Constellation:

Right Ascension – 19 hours

South Declination – 25 Degrees 

Latitude +55 and -90 degree


The Components of the Sagittarius star constellation

The Arches cluster: The densest cluster of the Sagittarius star constellation. The cluster is 100 light-years away from its center and 25000 light-years away from the Earth.

The quintuplet cluster: Another dense open cluster of the Sagittarius star constellation which is also 100 light-years away from the Galactic center and 26000 light-years away from the earth. The most luminous star in the Milky Way Galaxy called the Pistol star is a part of this cluster. 

The Galactic Centre is the Rational center of the Milky Way Galaxy

The Sagittarius A is a bright radio source that is found at the galactic center of the milky way.

Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy

Dwarf Irregular Galaxy

Barnard’s Galaxy

Bubble Nebula

15 messier objects – the Sagittarius Star Cloud (Messier 24, Omega Nebula(Messier 17), Lobster Nebula, Messier 18, Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8), Trifid Nebula (Messier 20), Messier21, Messier22, Messier24, Messier25, Messier 54, Messier 55, Messier 69 Messier 70 Messier 75.


Which Greek god is Sagittarius?

According to Greek Mythology from Babylone, the Sagittarius star constellation is supposed to represent a centaur which is a creature with the upper body of a man, and the lower body of a horse. The Centarus were the offspring of God and the cloud nymph Nephele.  The centaur is said to be the Mesopotamian archer God. The Greeks apparently associated Sagittarius with Cronus the Satyr, which is another creature that is part horse and part goat. While the Romans previously associated Sagittarius with Chiron, who was a wise and kind centaur.

What constellation represents Sagittarius? Uncover in Free Yearly Astrology.


What is the story behind the constellation Sagittarius?

Centaurs, the half-man and half-horse in this zodiac sign creatures are said to be immortal, aggressive, wild, athletic, and brave warriors. However, Chiron was more associated with medicines and artistic abilities. He knew how to control his animal instinct and became a wise man by staying away from all the other centaurs. Chiron later became the idol and teacher of many Greek heroes like Hercules. One day Hercules accidentally hit him with a poisoned arrow. After this incident, he suffered a lot. Chiron asked Zeus, the King of Gods, to help him become mortal.  Zeus was ready to help him on one condition, and the condition was that he had to exchange his immortality for the life of a mortal, Prometheus, a brave warrior, and hero who gave fire to humans. Zeus rewarded Chiron for this sacrifice, by placing him in the sky forever in the form of the Sagittarius constellation. The Sagittarius star constellation is also called the archer constellation.

Know about your strengths and weaknesses. Get access to our free Janampatri Now!


Sagittarius personalities 

According to astrology, Sagittarius is the ninth sign of the 12 zodiac signs. The Sun is near the Sagittarius constellation from 22 November to 21st December.  The Sagittarius zodiac as represented by its constellation “Bow and Arrow”, is considered one of the bravest Zodiac signs. People born under this Sagittarius sign possess heroic abilities. 

  • They tend to sacrifice for the sake of knowledge, experience, and wisdom.
  •  They are brave, intelligent, wise, and have a tendency to live life to the fullest.
  • They have attractive personalities and fascinate everyone around them with their intelligence and wisdom. 
  • In astrology, people with the Sagittarius sun sign are researchers, guides, and teachers.
  • They are possessive and very protective of their family. They dearly love their family and friends and tend to make several sacrifices for them. 
  • The Sagittarius sign is very optimistic and has a positive outlook.
  • Sagittarians live a complete life. They are imaginative, good-looking, smart, confident, brave and above all, they know how to face the challenges of life.

What will you do in your life? Get Access to Premium Janampatri Reports.


Which is the best time to see the Sagittarius Star Constellation?

The best time to see the Sagittarius star constellation is the month of July, August, and early September. During this period you may get a beautiful view of the Sagittarius star constellation, which gives a fascinating view of deep-sky objects. Its shape appears to be like a teapot with a handle and a spout extending outwards. Sometimes it seems that the Milky way is rising out of the spout like steam. During July, August, and September, it appears in the northern hemisphere and reaches its highest point in the southern part of the sky. Its shape is distinctive and it is easy to locate, just look up and observe the shapes to find the Sagittarius constellation. 

Keen for an ideal match with Partner? Zodiac Compatibility Analysis


Lastly

Now that you know about the Sagittarius star constellation, we are sure you would be amazed the next time you look for it in the sky. However, you do need a bit of imagination to be able to spot the constellation. We hope this article helps you find the constellation easily and now that you know the story behind we are sure you will be mesmerized by the experience.

What is a star, a constellation of your Pisces zodiac? Know more about Pisces Star Constellation.



Choose Your Package to Get 100% Cashback On First Consultation