Pegasus (constellation)
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 | |
| List of stars in Pegasus | |
| Abbreviation: | Peg |
| Genitive: | Pegasi |
| Symbolism: | the Winged Horse / Pegasus |
| Right ascension: | 23 h |
| Declination: | +20° |
| Area: | 1121 sq. deg. (7th) |
| Main stars: | 9, 17 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars: | 88 |
| Stars with known planets: | 7 |
| Bright stars: | 5 |
| Nearby stars: | 2 |
| Brightest star: | ε Peg (Enif) (2.39m) |
| Nearest star: | EQ Peg (20.7 ly) |
| Messier objects: | 1 |
| Meteor showers: | July Pegasids |
| Bordering constellations: | Andromeda Lacerta Cygnus Vulpecula Delphinus Equuleus Aquarius Pisces |
| Visible at latitudes between +90° and −60° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of October | |
Pegasus (pronounced /ˈpɛɡəsəs/) is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 1st century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.
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[edit] Notable features
[edit] Stars
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. Spectroscopic analysis of HD 209458 b, an extrasolar planet in this constellation has provided the first evidence of atmospheric water vapor beyond the solar system, while extrasolar planets orbiting the star HR 8799 also in Pegasus are the first to be directly imaged.
[edit] Named Stars
| Bayer designation | Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| α | Markab | Arabic | the saddle of the horse |
| β | Scheat | Arabic | the leg |
| γ | Algenib | Arabic | the flank |
| ε | Enif | Arabic | nose |
| ζ | Homam | Arabic | man of high spirit |
| η | Matar | Arabic | lucky star of rain |
| θ | Baham | Arabic | the livestocks |
| μ | Sadalbari | Arabic | luck star of the splendid one |
[edit] Deep sky objects
- M15 - a globular cluster near the nose (ε Peg) of Pegasus.
- NGC 7742 - a Type 2 Seyfert galaxy.
[edit] Visualizations
Pegasus is dominated by an asterism in the shape of a rough square, although one of the stars, Delta Pegasi or Sirrah, is now officially considered to be part of Andromeda, (α Andromedae) and is more usually called "Alpheratz."
H.A. Rey has suggested an alternate way to connect the stars into the shape of a winged horse. The body of the horse consists of a quadrilateral formed by the stars α Peg, β Peg, γ Peg, and α And. The front legs of the winged horse are formed by two crooked lines of stars, one leading from η Peg to κ Peg and the other from μ Peg to 1 Pegasi. Another crooked line of stars from α Peg via θ Peg to ε Peg forms the neck and head; ε is the snout.
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