Pegasus (constellation)
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| Abbreviation: | Peg |
| Genitive: | Pegasi |
| Symbology: | the Winged Horse / Pegasus |
| Right ascension: | 23 h |
| Declination: | 15° |
| Area: | 1121 sq. deg. (7th) |
| Main stars: | 9, 17 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars: | 87 |
| Stars with known planets: | 3 |
| Bright stars: | 5 |
| Nearby stars: | 2 |
| Brightest star: | ε Peg (Enif) (2.39m) |
| Nearest star: | ι Peg (38.3 ly) |
| Messier objects: | 1 |
| Meteor showers: | July Pegasids |
| Bordering constellations: | Andromeda Lacerta Cygnus Vulpecula Delphinus Equuleus Aquarius Pisces |
| Visible at latitudes between +90° and −° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of October |
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Pegasus (IPA: /ˈpɛgəsəs/) is a northern constellation, named after the mythological Pegasus, named for the winged horse. It is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy.
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[edit] Features
α Peg (Markab), β Peg, and γ Peg, together with α Andromedae (Alpheratz or Sirrah) form the large asterism known as the Square of Pegasus. 51 Pegasi, a star in this constellation, is the first Sun-like star known to have an extrasolar planet. IK Pegasi is the nearest supernova candidate.
[edit] Deep sky objects
- M15 - a globular cluster near the head (ε Peg) of Pegasus.
- NGC 7742 - a Type 2 Seyfert galaxy.
[edit] History and mythology
Pegasus has an appearance resembling a grazing horse, with a large square area as its body [1]. Due to the presence of the 4 brightest stars in the square, i.e. the 4 horses of pegasus, this may be part of the origin of the myth of the Mares of Diomedes, one of The Twelve Labours of Herakles, together with another feature in the Zodiac sign of Aquarius, namely Aquarius itself, pouring out the waters.
The star Delta Pegasi (labeled "Sirrah" in the map), one of the 4 stars in Pegasus' square, is now considered to be part of Andromeda, (α Andromedae) and is more usually called "Alpheratz." By moving the star, the square became a triangle attached to a stick body, thus resembling a wing. As a winged horse, Pegasus features in Greek mythology as its namesake, Pegasus.
[edit] Visualization
Among Pegasus' brightest stars (of the second magnitude) are α Peg and β Peg, which tor with γ Peg (third magnitude) form the triangular wing of the horse.
The body of the horse consists of a quadrilateral formed by the stars α Peg, λ Peg, ι Peg, and ξ Peg.
The front legs of the winged horse have two stars of the fourth magnitude which have no Bayer designations but which do have Flamsteed numbers: 1 Pegasi and 9 Pegasi.
The stars ε Peg and θ Peg belong to the hind legs, with ε being of the third magnitude. ρ Peg and σ Peg belong to the tail, but they are both dim: of the fifth magnitude.
η Peg and π Peg form the head: π is the snout, and η has magnitude three. μ Peg is the beginning of the neck.
[edit] See also
- Pegasus in popular culture
- List of stars in Pegasus
- Pegasus Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy
- Pegasus Dwarf Irregular Galaxy
[edit] References
- H. A. Rey, The Stars — A New Way To See Them. Enlarged World-Wide Edition. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1997. ISBN 0-395-24830-2.
[edit] External links
| The 88 modern Constellations |
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nu:Pegasus (horses)
![[1]](http://www.coldwater.k12.mi.us/lms/planetarium/myth/Peg.gif){kind=link}