Sagittarius (The Archer) Constellation
Sagittarius (pronounced sædʒɪˈtɛəriəs) is the Latin name of a large constellation (in fact it extends itself for about 46 degrees across the sky) situated south of the celestial equator. As such, it is more easily visible from the southern hemisphere.
In English language this constellation is also known as "The Archer" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Sgr" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Sgtr" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).
The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Sagittarii" (pronounced ˌsædʒəˈtɛəriaɪ) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Sagittarii (the brightest star of Sagittarius based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Sagittarii (the 23th star in the constellation of Sagittarius based on the Flamsteed catalog).
Sky Chart of Sagittarius Constellation
Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Sagittarius constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Sagittarius in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.
Visibility of Sagittarius Constellation
Location: Greenwich, UK
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Today's Sagittarius rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, UK are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations (like Sagittarius actually is) these times can have little relevance.
Bright Stars in Sagittarius Constellation
The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Sagittarius constellation. See also the complete list of 217 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Sagittarius. Click on each star to see more details about it.
| HR Number(*) | Star designation | Proper name | Visual magnitude | Color | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
HR6879 | ε Sagittarii | Kaus Australis | 1.85 | ⬤ | Double; |
|
HR7121 | σ Sagittarii | Nunki | 2.02 | ⬤ | Double; |
|
HR7194 | ζ Sagittarii | Ascella | 2.6 | ⬤ | Multiple; |
|
HR6859 | δ Sagittarii | Kaus Media | 2.7 | ⬤ | Multiple; |
|
HR6913 | λ Sagittarii | Kaus Borealis | 2.81 | ⬤ | |
|
HR7264 | π Sagittarii | Albaldah | 2.89 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; |
|
HR6746 | γ2 Sagittarii | Alnasl | 2.99 | ⬤ | Variable; |
|
HR6832 | η Sagittarii | 3.11 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; | |
|
HR7039 | φ Sagittarii | 3.17 | ⬤ | Double; | |
|
HR7234 | τ Sagittarii | 3.32 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR7150 | ξ2 Sagittarii | 3.51 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR7217 | ο Sagittarii | 3.77 | ⬤ | Variable; Double; | |
|
HR6812 | μ Sagittarii | Polis | 3.86 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; |
|
HR7340 | ρ1 Sagittarii | 3.93 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
|
HR7348 | α Sagittarii | Rukbat | 3.97 | ⬤ | |
|
HR7337 | β1 Sagittarii | Arkab Prior | 4.01 | ⬤ | Double; |
|
HR7581 | ι Sagittarii | 4.13 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR7343 | β2 Sagittarii | Arkab Posterior | 4.29 | ⬤ | |
|
HR7623 | θ1 Sagittarii | 4.37 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR7604 | 59 Sagittarii | 4.52 | ⬤ | ||
| ...go to the complete list of 217 bright stars in the constellation of Sagittarius | ||||||
(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.
Deep Sky Objects in Sagittarius Constellation
The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Sagittarius constellation. See also the complete list of 119 deep sky objects in the constellation of Sagittarius. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).
