Constellations are memorable maps to the stars, dating back many thousands of years.

Many of the constellations are associated with the Gods and Godesses of ancient Greek mythology.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has divided the sky into 88 official constellations with exact boundaries, so that every direction or location in the sky belongs to one constellation. Astronomers use this as a rough guideline for location objects, e.g. when they say that Mars is in the constellation of Gemini, it can be found within the borders of the constellation. The constellations that the Sun pass through each year are known as the Zodiac.

Sagitta

The Arrow

Sagitta is the third-smallest of all constellations (only Equuleus and Crux are smaller). Ptolemy included it in his list of 48 constellations. At that time, however, it was even smaller, spanning only about 4 sq. deg. It's also on the list of 88 constellations now acknowledged by the IAU.

Sagitta Mythology

Although Sagitta doesn't contain any bright stars, many cultures have seen an arrow in it [1], among them the Persians, Hebrews, Greeks and Romans. So there are various stories trying to explain the meaning of Sagitta. The two most important ones both take into account the neighbouring constellations Hercules, which had in earlier times been identified as a stag, (to the west) and Aquila (to the east).

Further Information

Being located not very far to the north of the equator, this constellation can be seen from everywhere except for the southernmost part of the world.

Sagitta Photographs

 

Taken on 2005-11-04, 1 views

 

Taken on 2005-11-24, 1 views