zodiac constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The constellation Sagittarius (meaning "the Archer") is a group of stars in one area of the night sky. The stars are in the shape of a centaur archer. This constellation is part of the Western zodiac.
| Constellation | |
List of stars in Sagittarius | |
| Abbreviation | Sgr |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Sagittarii |
| Pronunciation | /ˌsædʒɪˈtɛəriəs/, genitive /ˌsædʒɪˈtɛəri.aɪ/ |
| Symbolism | the Archer |
| Right ascension | 19 |
| Declination | −25 |
| Quadrant | SQ4 |
| Area | 867 sq. deg. (15th) |
| Main stars | 12, 8 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 68 |
| Stars with planets | 25 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 7 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 2 |
| Brightest star | ε Sgr (Kaus Australis) (1.79m) |
| Messier objects | 15 |
| Visible at latitudes between +55° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of August. | |
The Milky Way is at its densest near Sagittarius, as this is where the galactic center lies. Consequently, Sagittarius contains many star clusters and nebulae. One of the brightest of the star clusters is Messier 55, about 7.5° west of δ Sgr.[1]
The complex radio source Sagittarius A is here. It lies between the Scorpius constellation and Astronomers believe that one of its components, known as Sagittarius A*, is associated with a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy, with a mass of 2.6 million solar masses.[1]
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