Name a Star in the Pegasus Constellation

The Wings of this flying horse are shown in an inverted posture. Pegasus occupies a large area of the northern sky. The Swan, Dolphin, and Eagle are to the west. The the Northern Fish and Andromeda lie to the east. Pegasus is an easy constellation to find. There is an asterism formed by three major stars in Pegasus plus the eye of Andromeda. This large, dark area is called the Great Square of Pegasus and is easily located in the summer and fall. 

Here are some of the superstars and politicians with stars named in the Pegasus constellation: Cher, Drew Barrymore, Lurleen Burns Wallace, Ringo Starr, Gene Roddenberry, and Uma Thurman. Click here for more information.

The Alpha star of Andromeda is shared with Pegasus. Andromeda’s eye is called “Alpheratz”, meaning the “horse’s navel” in Arabic. Alpheratz forms the upper left star of the great square and has a 2.1 magnitude. Markab, “saddle”, the lower right star of the square is a 2.5 magnitude white star. Markab is the Alpha of Pegasus. The Beta star is “Scheat,” or shoulder. It makes up the upper right of the great square, a 2.2 magnitude and a deep yellow color. The Gamma star of Pegasus is called “Algenib” and makes up the left-hand corner of the giant square. 

There is a small meteor shower from Pegasus during the second week in July called the Pegasides. Remember, to find Pegasus look for the big empty square in the sky; look for nothing.  The constellation can be viewed throughout the northern hemisphere and as far throughout Australia and most of South America. It is a favorite constellation to buy a star package to name a star for horse lovers. 

Pegasus shares a border with the constellations Andromeda, Aquarius, Cygnus, Delphinus, Equuleus, Lacerta, Pisces and Vulpecula.  

Symbol: Peg 

Right Ascension: 10:44 

Declination: 19 

Diameter (°): 27 

Area (square °): 1121 

Opposition: Sep 01 

Size Rank: 7th 

Brightness Rank: 26th 

Genitive: Pegasi 

Major or notable stars in Pegasus   

Markab – α Pegasi (Alpha Pegasi) 

Scheat – β Pegasi (Beta Pegasi) 

Algenib – γ Pegasi (Gamma Pegasi) 

Enif – ε Pegasi (Epsilon Pegasi) 

Homam – ζ Pegasi (Zeta Pegasi) 

Matar – η Pegasi (Eta Pegasi) 

Baham – θ Pegasi (Theta Pegasi) 

Sadalbari – μ Pegasi (Mu Pegasi) 

51 Pegasi 

IK Pegasi 

Deep Sky Objects in Pegasus  

Messier 15 (M15, NGC 7078) 

Stephan’s Quintet (HCG 92, Arp 319) 

NGC 7320 

NGC 7317 

NGC 7318 

NGC 7319 

NGC 7315 

NGC 7742 

NGC 7331 (Caldwell 30) 

NGC 7217 

NGC 7673 

NGC 23 

Einstein Cross (Q2237+030) 

NGC 7814 (Caldwell 43, UGC 8) 

Propeller Galaxy – NGC 7479 (Caldwell 44) 

NGC 1 

NGC 7725 and NGC 7753 Galaxies  

Mythology of the Constellation Pegasus  

The story of Pegasus starts with the story of Medusa.  Medusa was a beautiful woman who was the defiled in the temple of Athena by of Poseidon (Neptune). She was turned into a horrible Gorgon by Athena. As a Gorgon she was a monstrous creature with snakes for hair. Her head would turn all who looked upon it to stone. 

Pegasus, the beautiful flying horse, was the son of Neptune and Medusa. He is said to have sprung from the neck of Medusa, whose blood spilled into the ocean after Perseus cut off her head.  According to Ovid, Pegasus lived on Mount Helicon, approximately 50 miles north of Athens. There he struck the Earth with his foot he raised the fabled fountain called Hippocrene, “the Horses Fountain”. He became a favorite of the Muses who lived there. The Muses were the 9 daughters of Jupiter (Zeus) and Mnemosyne, the Titan Goddess of Memory.  

These 9 sisters ruled the arts and sciences.  

Calliope was the goddess of epic poetry. 

Clio was the goddess of history.  

Erato was the goddess of love poetry.  

Euterpe was the goddess of lyric poetry. 

Melpomene was the goddess of tragedy. 

Polyhymnia was the goddess of sacred poetry. 

Terpsichore was the goddess of choral dance. 

Thalia was the goddess of comedy.  

Urania was the goddess of astronomy.  

In one famous myth, Bellerophon, the son of Glaucus was sent to slay the hideous monster Chimera who was destroying Corinth.  Bellerophon, after praying in the temple of Athena, was given a golden bridle to harness and break Pegasus, the winged horse. Mounting Pegasus, they rose into the air, found the Chimaera and quickly dispatched him with an arrow. After killing the monster, Bellerophon attempted to fly up to Mount Olympus on Pegasus. Jupiter (Zeus) did not appreciate this arrogance and sent an insect to sting the horse. The startled Pegasus thus threw his rider.  Pegasus continued his flight to Olympus where he served Zeus and was later placed among the constellations. Bellerophon, struck blind and lame by the fall, was left to wander the countryside and died lonely and destitute.