The constellation Pegasus is in the northern hemisphere and is named for the mythological Greek-winged horse Pegasus. It is one of the eighty-eight constellations recognised today and was one of the forty-eight constellations Claudius Ptolemy listed in the second century.
The orange supergiant Epsilon Pegasi, commonly called Enif, which denotes the horse's muzzle, is the brightest star in Pegasus, with an apparent brightness fluctuating between 2.37 and 2.45. The enormous asterism known as the Square of Pegasus is composed of the stars Alpha (Markab), Beta (Scheat), and Gamma (Algenib), as well as Alpha Andromedae (Alpheratz). Exoplanets have been discovered in twelve-star systems with 51 Pegasi The first Sun-like star with an exoplanet. |
Mythology
Four stars comprised the Babylonian constellation IKU (field), three of which later became a member of the Greek constellation Hippos (Pegasus). (Thurston 1996) In Greek mythology, Pegasus was a horse with wings and supernatural abilities. According to one legend surrounding his abilities, his hooves dug out the Hippocrene spring, which gave people who drank its water the ability to produce poetry. When Perseus severed Medusa's head from her body after Poseidon's impregnation, Pegasus was the result. He inherited Chrysaor from the blood of Medusa at birth. (Ovid 1986) It became Bellerophon's mount after he was tasked with killing the Chimera and prevailed with the aid of Athena and Pegasus. Despite his prosperity, Bellerophon ordered Pegasus to transport him to Mount Olympus after the passing of his children. Pegasus consented, but after Zeus smote him with a thunderbolt or sent a gadfly to make him back off, Pegasus fell back to Earth. (Staal 1988) In contrast to most other uranographers who had represented Pegasus as a half-horse rising out of the ocean in ancient Persia, al-Sufi showed him as a complete horse facing east. Pegasus's head is depicted by al-Sufi as being composed of Lacerta the lizard's stars. Its rear legs are denoted by 9 Peg, while its right foreleg is denoted by Peg and its left foreleg by η Peg, μ Peg, and λ Peg. π Peg and μ Cyg stand in for the back, while ι Peg and κ Peg. stand in for the belly. (Staal 1988) The Black Tortoise of the North (北方玄武), where the stars were divided into various distinct asterisms of stars, is where the current constellation of Pegasus is located. Epsilon, Theta, and Alpha Aquarii are combined to form Wei 危, or "rooftop," with Theta serving as the peak of the roof. (Schiegel 1967) The 26th and 27th lunar mansions were in the Great Square of Pegasus according to Hindu astrology. More particularly, it symbolised the Moon's bedstead while it was at rest. (Staal 1988) The Great Square's stars, which stand for various parts of Pegasus and Andromeda, symbolised a barbecue that the seven hunters from the Siritjo story lifted into the sky for the Warrau and Arawak peoples of Guyana. (Staal 1988) |
Characteristics
Pegasus is the seventh largest of the eighty-eight constellations, occupying an area of 1121 square degrees. Andromeda, Lacerta, Cygnus, Vulpecula, Delphinus, and Equuleus are to the north and east of Pegasus, while Pisces, Aquarius, and Andromeda are to the south and east. The constellation is known by the three-letter acronym "Peg," which was chosen by the IAU in 1922. (Russell 1922) Eugène Delporte, a Belgian astronomer, established the official constellation borders in 1930, which are represented by a 35-segment polygon. These borders' right ascension coordinates in the equatorial coordinate system range from 21h 12.6m to 00h 14.6m, while their declination coordinates range from 2.33° to 36.61°. Given that it is in the Northern Celestial Hemisphere, the entire constellation.
Although one of the stars, Delta Pegasi or Sirrah, is now formally recognised as Alpha Andromedae, a component of Andromeda, and is more often known as "Alpheratz," Pegasus is dominated by an asterism that is about square in shape. The stars α Peg, β Peg, γ Peg, and α And traditionally form a quadrilateral to represent the horse's body. Two crooked lines of stars, one going from η Peg to κ Peg and the other from μ Peg to 1 Pegasi, combine to form the front legs of the winged horse. The neck and head are formed by a second crooked line of stars running from α Peg via θ Peg to ε Peg; the nose is formed by ε.
Pegasus is the seventh largest of the eighty-eight constellations, occupying an area of 1121 square degrees. Andromeda, Lacerta, Cygnus, Vulpecula, Delphinus, and Equuleus are to the north and east of Pegasus, while Pisces, Aquarius, and Andromeda are to the south and east. The constellation is known by the three-letter acronym "Peg," which was chosen by the IAU in 1922. (Russell 1922) Eugène Delporte, a Belgian astronomer, established the official constellation borders in 1930, which are represented by a 35-segment polygon. These borders' right ascension coordinates in the equatorial coordinate system range from 21h 12.6m to 00h 14.6m, while their declination coordinates range from 2.33° to 36.61°. Given that it is in the Northern Celestial Hemisphere, the entire constellation.
Although one of the stars, Delta Pegasi or Sirrah, is now formally recognised as Alpha Andromedae, a component of Andromeda, and is more often known as "Alpheratz," Pegasus is dominated by an asterism that is about square in shape. The stars α Peg, β Peg, γ Peg, and α And traditionally form a quadrilateral to represent the horse's body. Two crooked lines of stars, one going from η Peg to κ Peg and the other from μ Peg to 1 Pegasi, combine to form the front legs of the winged horse. The neck and head are formed by a second crooked line of stars running from α Peg via θ Peg to ε Peg; the nose is formed by ε.
Deep-sky Objects
- Messier 15 (M15) – Globular Cluster
- NGC 7331 – unbarred Spiral Galaxy
- NGC 7742 – Unbarred Spiral Galaxy (Type 2 Seyfert Galaxy)
- NGC 7814 – The Little Sombrero Galaxy – Spiral Galaxy
Main stars - 17
Bayer stars - 88
Stars with planets - 12
Stars brighter than Magnitude 3.00 - 5
Stars within 32 Ly - 3
Messier objects - 1
Meteor showers
- July Pegasids
Bordering
constellations
- Andromeda
- Lacerta
- Cygnus
- Vulpecula
- Delphinus
- Equuleus
- Aquarius
- Pisces