Constellations · Constellation · Sagittarii · Sgr
Constellation
Sagittarius
The archer, aiming at the Scorpion’s heart — and at the centre of the galaxy, which lies just past the tip of his arrow.
- Genitive
- Sagittarii
- Area
- 867 square degrees · 15th of 88
- Brightest star
- Kaus Australis · magnitude 1.79
- Naked-eye stars
- 195 brighter than magnitude 6.5
- Highest at midnight
- mid July
Look for
Its brightest stars make the Teapot. The Milky Way rises from its spout like steam, and it is at its thickest here because you are looking towards the galaxy’s core.
Science
Twenty-six thousand light-years away, hidden behind dust, sits Sagittarius A*, a black hole four million times the Sun’s mass. Its portrait was published in 2022.
Look for
Binoculars sweeping above the spout find the Lagoon, the Trifid and the cluster M 22 in a single field or two.