Constellation Sagittarius: legend, stars, interesting facts, famous people

Some people have long had the habit of consulting their horoscope when making important decisions, basing their actions on the positions of the stars and planets in the sky. Others, on the contrary, ridicule astrology, considering it a pseudoscience, and prefer to always have the final say themselves.

Perhaps this dispute between proponents and opponents of the Zodiac is doomed to remain unresolved, but both sides do not deny the existence of constellations – clusters of bright points imaginatively united by our ancestors into a single picture. Among them is the figure of Sagittarius.

This constellation is considered one of the most ancient. It was among the first included in the famous catalog of Claudius Ptolemy’s “Almagest”. However, there is still no clear answer to the question of which mythological character became its prototype.

It is established that the symbol of Sagittarius underwent some changes during cultural development: initially, it was represented to people as a half-human, half-animal figure, pulling a bowstring. Then there was a transformation into a horseman with weapons in his hands. Currently, astrology uses a pictogram with an arrow.

Legends of the origin of the constellation:

In ancient Babylon, there was a belief that Sagittarius in the dark sky is a reflection of the god Nergal, the ruler of war, the sea, and death. During daylight hours, he should be in the underworld, but at night the highest essence turns its gaze to Earth and its inhabitants, punishing or showing mercy, killing or granting forgiveness.

In ancient Egypt, Sagittarius also embodied a local deity capable of taking two forms – human and lion. It was believed that under his feet there was a boat smoothly sailing through the sky, and in his hands – a bow with arrows, always hitting the intended target.

In ancient Greece, the constellation of Sagittarius was associated with the fifth labor of Heracles. In addition to the fierce Boar, the hero faced a herd of centaurs (beings with the lower bodies of horses and the upper bodies of humans). But not all representatives of the mythical tribe were hostile to the son of Zeus; some assisted him.

There are several versions regarding which of Heracles’ allies the gods honored by elevating them to the sky:

• Pholus – a centaur who hospitably opened the doors of his house to Heracles but was accidentally struck by a poisoned arrow instead of the hero.
• Chiron – the old wise friend of Heracles, who accepted death from his hand. In the heat of battle, the son of Zeus struck down enemies without looking at their faces. Among others, he struck a blow to his rushing comrade.
• Nessus – the cunning abductor of Heracles’ wife, Deianira.
• Croto – a valiant centaur, about whom there are almost no surviving legends.
• A less well-known ancient Greek legend states that Sagittarius was transformed into the constellation by Heracles himself, shooting at the Stymphalian birds during his third labor. This version is based on the fact that neighboring the stellar figure of Sagittarius are the constellations of the Eagle and the Swan.

Cosmic objects within Sagittarius:

With the naked eye, in Sagittarius, you can distinguish 110-115 stars, but there are no particularly noticeable ones among them. The brightest ones are in the “arrow”: Kaus Australis, Nunki, Ascella, Kaus Medius, Kaus Borealis, Albaldah, and Nasl. All these cosmic objects are navigational aids, helping sailors not to get lost and plot their course correctly.

The alpha star of Sagittarius is considered to be Rukbat, but it is not among the brightest points forming the figure. Moreover, its location is not the most prominent – in the hoof of the presumed horse or centaur.

In addition to stars, astronomers distinguish within Sagittarius:

• several large nebulae – the Lagoon, Trifid, Omega, and Horseshoe;
• galactic clusters and globular clusters, which do not have individual names, only markings with letters and numbers;
• asterisms of the Teapot, Spoon, and Terebellum;
• a supermassive black hole;
• a dwarf irregular galaxy.
• In the constellation, very powerful sources of radio emission have also been recorded, but their nature has not yet been fully understood, so it is not yet possible to say what objects they originate from.

Interesting Facts:

1. In the constellation of Sagittarius lies the center of the Milky Way, the most beautiful part of it – a blend of dark and light nebulae, clusters of globular clusters, stars, and other astronomical objects. Unfortunately, all this magnificence is hidden by cosmic dust, and without special optical instruments, it is practically impossible to observe it from Earth.
2. The Sun stays in the constellation Sagittarius for 32 days (which is slightly longer than in the other zodiac signs).
3. For the last 2000 years, the point of the winter solstice has been in the constellation of Sagittarius.
4. The arrow of the celestial warrior is aimed towards the constellation of Scorpio.
   The famous “Wow! Signal” was received by Dr. Eymann on March 15, 1977, from the direction of the Sagittarius constellation. Theoretically, it completely matched the characteristics of a possible message from an extraterrestrial civilization. However, its actual origin remains a mystery for scientists, as the expected repetition has not been observed.
5. The star OGLE-TR-56 in the constellation of Sagittarius has a planet orbiting around it. This fact was discovered relatively recently – in 2002.

Celebrities Born Under This Sign:

It is believed that the celestial warrior, drawing the bowstring for a deadly shot, favors individuals who are charming but very impulsive. The fire in their blood prevents them from making balanced decisions and compels them to always take risks. However, often this risk-taking proves noble, as Sagittarians are accustomed to winning. Once they set a goal, they always achieve results. However, they don’t always do so by honest means.

Representatives of this sign mostly choose one of two radically different paths of personal development: either home and comfort or popularity. Only a limited circle of people knows those who choose the first option, but everyone without exception admires them as ideal hosts. As for those who are closer to the second option, the whole world speaks of them:

• Actor and producer Brad Pitt;
• Legendary martial artist Bruce Lee;
• Former Prime Minister of Britain Winston Churchill;
• Actress and singer Milla Jovovich;
• Dancer and singer Christina Aguilera.
• Walt Disney: Iconic animator, film producer, and creator of Disneyland.
• Taylor Swift: Award-winning singer-songwriter known for her country and pop music.
• Britney Spears: Pop music icon and performer.
• Lucy Liu: Actress known for her roles in both television and film, including “Charlie’s Angels” and “Kill Bill.”