Name a Star in the Sagittarius Constellation
Modified: July 1, 2023 Author: International Star Registry

The sun passes through Sagittarius, the ninth zodiac sign, around January first. It is a southern constellation which lies in the brightest part of the Milky Way. It contains many large stars and famous objects in addition to two asterisms. The famous Teapot asterism consists of eight large stars in the shape of a teapot. Whimsically, it appears to be “pouring” stars and steam directly into the brightest spot of the Milky Way. The smaller asterism, Terebellum, is made up of four visible stars and sits outside of the Milky Way. It appears to be riding on the back of the centaur.
The Zodiac constellations are a very popular choice for naming stars. Some of the famous people listed in the Sagittarius constellation include: Alyssa Milano, David Lee Roth, Katherine Heigl, Miley Cyrus, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Edwin Washington Edwards, and Peter Farrelly. Click here for more information.
Messier, the French astronomer, catalogued fifteen objects, the most famous being the Lagoon Nebula and the Omega Nebula. The finest view of the Milky Way galaxy is the great Sagittarius star cloud, just north of gamma Sagittarius. The constellations Aquila, Capricornus, Corona Australis, Indus, Microscopium, Ophiuchus, Scutum, Scorpius, Serpens Cauda and Telescopium share a border with Sagittarius.
Symbol: Sgr
Right Ascension: 06:50
Declination: -28
Diameter (°): 19
Area (square °): 867
Opposition: Jul 03
Size Rank: 15th
Brightness Rank: 12nd
Genitive: Saggitarii
Major stars in Sagittarius
Kaus Australis – ε Sagittarii (Epsilon Sagittarii)
Nunki – σ Sagittarii (Sigma Sagittarii)
Kaus Media – δ Sagittarii (Delta Sagittarii)
Kaus Borealis – λ Sagittarii (Lambda Sagittarii)
Rukbat – α Sagittarii (Alpha Sagittarii)
Arkab – β Sagittarii (Beta Sagittarii)
Ascella – ζ Sagittarii (Zeta Sagittarii)
φ Sagittarii (Phi Sagittarii)
Albaldah – π Sagittarii (Pi Sagittarii)
Alnasl (Nushaba) – γ Sagittarii (Gamma Sagittarii)
τ Sagittarii (Tau Sagittarii)
Sephdar (Ira Furoris) – η Sagittarii (Eta Sagittarii)
Pistol Star
Peony Star – WR 102ka
VX Sagittarii
WR 104
Sakurai’s Object – V4334 Sagittarii
KW Sagittarii
Polis – μ Sagittarii (Mu Sagittarii)
ρ Sagittarii (Rho Sagittarii)
υ Sagittarii (Upsilon Sagittarii)
Ross 154 (V1216 Sagittarii)
V4641 Sagittarii
LBV 1806-20
SGR 1806-20
Deep Sky Objects in Sagittarius
Sagittarius A
Sagittarius B2
Lagoon Nebula – Messier 8 (M8, NGC 6523)
NGC 6530
Omega Nebula – Messier 17 (M17, NGC 6618, Swan, Horseshoe or Lobster Nebula)
Messier 18 (M18, NGC 6613)
Trifid Nebula – Messier 20 (M20, NGC 6514)
Messier 21 (M21, NGC 6531)
Sagittarius Cluster – Messier 22 (M22, NGC 6656)
Messier 23 (M23, NGC 6494)
Small Sagittarius Star Cloud – Messier 24 (M24, NGC 6603, IC 4715)
Messier 25 (M25, IC 4725)
Messier 28 (M28, NGC 6626)
Messier 54 (M54, NGC 6715)
Messier 55 (M55, NGC 6809)
Messier 69 (M69, NGC 6637)
Messier 70 (M70, NGC 6681)
Messier 75 (M75, NGC 6864)
Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy
NGC 6565
Arches Cluster
Quintuplet Cluster
Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy
NGC 6578
NGC 6522
NGC 6528
Barnard’s Galaxy – NGC 6822 (IC 4895, Caldwell 57)
The Bubble Nebula (Hubble 1925 I)
NGC 6723
Little Gem Nebula – NGC 6818
Eye of Sauron Nebula – M 1-42
NGC 6589
Henize 3-1475 (IRAS 17423-1755)
NGC 6544
Westerhout 31
1806-20
Terzan 7
Terzan 5
Red Spider Nebula – NGC 6537
NGC 6440
Box Nebula – NGC 6445
NGC 6559
NGC 6638
NGC 6624
NGC 6520
NGC 6717
Hurt 2 – 2MASS-GC02
NGC 6553
Ruprecht 147 – NGC 6774
NGC 6558
NGC 6569
NGC 6540
Mythology of the Constellation Sagittarius
Sagittarius, the archer, was depicted as a centaur named Chiron. A centaur is a mythological creature half man and half horse. The centaurs, except for Chiron, were known for their generally bad nature. At the wedding feast of King Pirithous and his bride Hippodamia, the centaurs drank too much wine. One of the drunken centaurs, Eurytion, attempted to steal Hippodamia. Dreadful violence ensued, and many centaurs were slain.
Chiron, unlike the other centaurs, was famous for gentleness and his knowledge of music. In an alternate description by Eratosthenes, he is not a centaur at all, but is the Satyr Cronus, son of Pan. A prophet, a doctor of medicine, and a poet, he was also an expert archer. Chiron taught mankind the use of plants and medicinal herbs. He and instructed the greatest heroes of his age in all the polite arts. He taught Aesculapius physics, Apollo music, Hercules astronomy, and tutored Achilles, Jason and Aeneas.
According to Ovid, he was mistakenly shot by Hercules for offering an indignity to his newly married bride. The arrow Hercules aimed at the centaur had been dipped in the blood of the monster Hydra, rendering the wound incurable even by the father of medicine himself. Chiron (Sagittarius) begged Jupiter (Zeus) to make him mortal to relieve him of his excruciating pain. Jupiter granted his request, yet still gave him a place in the night sky among the constellations. Sagittarius’ arrow is always aimed at the treacherous Scorpion’s heart.
This constellation appears in the ancient zodiacs of Egypt, Dendera, Esne and India. It seems conclusive that the Greeks only borrowed the figure though they invented the fable. This is true of many of the ancient constellations; hence the jargon of the conflicting accounts which have descended to us. Some Christians assign Sagittarius to St. Matthew the Apostle, and others to Ismael, son of Abraham and Hagar. The Chinese call it Seih Nuh, meaning firewood and later as Jin Ma the manhorse. In the Hebrew zodiac, Sagittarius is assigned to Benjamin.
Sagittarius Zodiac
Sun Enters: November 22
Sun Leaves: December 21
Planet: Jupiter
Trait: Adventurous
Positives: Optimistic, jovial, freedom loving, sincere, dependable, a go-getter, explorer, philosophical
Negatives: Extreme, tactless, capricious, a lack of the amenities, too optimistic
As a Child: Strong willed
Plant: Bird of paradise
Emotional: Witty, nonjudgmental
Career: Teacher, broadcaster
FAQ
Q. What is Antares?
A. Sagittarius famously points its arrow at the heart of Scorpius, represented by the reddish star Antares, as the two constellations race around the sky.
Q. What is Sagittarius?
A. Sagittarius is the 15th largest constellation in the sky, representing the archer.
Q. Are there any celebrities with stars in the Sagittarius constellation?
A. Yes, Barbra Streisand, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and David Lee Roth!