Find it in the sky
Its bright stars draw a teapot; just off its spout lies the centre of the Milky Way. Low in the south on summer evenings.
Zodiac
Sagittarius
Sagittarius: its stars draw a teapot.
Best in August, around 9 p.m.No. 15 of the 88 constellations by areaBrightest star Kaus Australis (magnitude 1.85)8 stars in this guide
The drawings on these maps are the game’s, and don’t show exact positions in the sky.
Legend
Sagittarius is drawn as a centaur or a satyr with his bow drawn. Eratosthenes held him to be Crotus, said to have invented archery, set in the sky at the Muses’ wish.
Sign
22 November to 21 December. In the real sky the Sun passes in front of Sagittarius from about 18 December to 18 January; it is there at the December solstice.
Its stars
Magnitude says how bright a star looks from here: the smaller the number, the brighter the star.
Alnasl
Gamma² Sagittarii
- Type
- Orange giant
- Distance
- about 97 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.98
- Name
- “Arrowhead” (Arabic)
The arrowhead points toward the centre of the Milky Way, a few degrees away.
Kaus Media
Delta Sagittarii
- Type
- Orange giant
- Distance
- about 350 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.70
- Name
- “Middle of the bow” (Arabic and Latin)
In the middle of the bow, an orange giant far bigger than the Sun.
Kaus Borealis
Lambda Sagittarii
- Type
- Orange giant
- Distance
- about 78 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.81
- Name
- “North of the bow” (Arabic and Latin)
So close to the Sun’s path that the Moon often, and planets sometimes, pass in front.
Kaus Australis
Epsilon Sagittarii
- Type
- Blue-white giant
- Distance
- about 143 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 1.85
- Name
- “South of the bow” (Arabic and Latin)
Sagittarius’s brightest star and a corner of the Teapot.
Ascella
Zeta Sagittarii
- Type
- White giant
- Distance
- about 88 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.60
- Name
- “Armpit” (Latin)
A pair of stars that circle each other every 21 years.
Nunki
Sigma Sagittarii
- Type
- Blue-white star
- Distance
- about 228 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.05
- Name
- The Babylonian name of the holy city of Eridu
One of the oldest star names known. Near the Sun’s path, the Moon can hide it.
Albaldah
Pi Sagittarii
- Type
- Yellow-white bright giant
- Distance
- about 510 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.89
- Name
- “The town” (Arabic)
A triple system led by a bright giant much larger than the Sun.
Polis
Mu Sagittarii
- Type
- Blue supergiant
- Distance
- about 5,000 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 3.84
- Name
- “City” (Greek)
A supergiant about 180,000 times brighter than the Sun; it will end as a supernova.
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Sources: constellation areas follow the International Astronomical Union (IAU) boundaries; star values come from Wikipedia’s articles, based on Hipparcos and Gaia; the Sun’s dates come from EarthSky. Distances are rounded.