How did the constellation Pegasus appear and where to look for it

Boundless space has always been of particular interest to people of different ages. The main object of study and observation were and are stars. Billions of small planets, forming entire systems, attract the curious views. Looking at the night sky and fantasizing, thousands of years ago people saw in the stars the outlines of animals and gave them names. They believed that the sun and the planets are gods who, with the help of luminaries, give signs to the earthly inhabitants. And it was undeniable that there is a connection between the stars, the Universe and the Earth. Since ancient times, people have learned to guess and predict by the stars. Then, such sciences as astrology (prediction on stars) and astronomy (study of stars) were born.

Constellations

Studying stars for people has become an exciting activity. In order to navigate in this vast cosmic space, the celestial sphere was divided into areas that are constellations. Everyone has his own name. In ancient times, clusters of stars were given the names of gods and names of animals, which they resembled. To date, the international astronomical union officially recognized 88 constellations. The most famous group of stars in the southern hemisphere: Libra, the Southern Cross and the Centaur. Famous clusters of stars in the northern hemisphere: Cassiopeia, the Big Dipper and the constellation Pegasus. Photo of the latter, fascinating with its beauty, can be seen in the article.

A winged horse in the night sky

In the northern hemisphere of the night sky, you can see with the naked eye 166 stars that make up the constellation Pegasus. In the neighborhood with it there are Aquarius, Dolphin, Andromeda, Chanterelles, Pisces, Lizard, Small Horse and Swan. The area occupied by this cluster of stars is 1120 square degrees. This puts the constellation Pegasus on the 7th place among all existing ones. For the inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere, the winged horse looks inverted. And that's why Pegasus's scheme was depicted in ancient atlases. In order to be able to see from the stars the image of a horse, one must have an extremely developed imagination. Many try to go to the trick, photographing the constellation Pegasus, a photo of which for a person with a small imagination still will not show anything, except for a cluster of stars.

How to find the constellation?

If you have knowledge of astronomy and experience in observing the stars, then you should know about the constellation of Andromeda and about how it looks. Focusing on the chain of stars of this constellation, move your eyes to the west. Look closely. And behind the lights of Andromeda you will see the constellation Pegasus. Another way to find a winged horse is to navigate the North Cross, whose stars border on it.

The most favorable time for observing Pegasus is autumn and the end of summer. For people with little experience and knowledge, it will be easy to find him on the Great Pegasus Square.

Interesting facts about the constellation of the winged horse

All the stars of the constellation Pegasus have to do with the horse. Their names came from Arabic. So Enif in translation means "nose", Sheath - "shoulder", Markab - "saddle" or "cart", Algenib - "horse navel." The brightest luminaries (Enif, Sheath and Markab) form the Great Pegasus Square. Actually, on it this constellation can be found by everyone.

The constellation Pegasus has a distinctive character: it lacks the star of Delta Pegasus. Until 1928, this star, being between Andromeda and Pegasus, belonged to a winged horse. Afterwards it began to be attributed to Andromeda, so the Pegasus Delta became Alfred Andromeda.

An interesting fact is that there is a source of meteor stream Pegasid in the constellation, as well as several galaxies, among them NGC 73331. This is the Seyfert spiral galaxy, the image of which is most often used to represent the appearance of our Galaxy.

Myths and legends about Pegasus

There is not one legend about the constellation Pegasus. In Greek mythology Pegasus is a snow-white winged horse, born from Poseidon and Medusa of the Gorgon. After his birth, he began to faithfully serve Zeus, constantly bringing him lightning and thunder. Also, winged horses were used by ordinary mortals, whom the gods bestowed. These beautiful and strong animals served their masters before they died.

According to another version, Pegasus appeared from the blood of Medusa, killed by Perseus.

Another legend about the constellation Pegasus tells us that, walking along Helikon, a winged horse struck the cliff with a hoof. And from this rock there was a source of Hippocrene (in translation - "the source of the horse"). The one who drank water from such a source, received inspiration. For this, Pegasus was nicknamed "Knight Muses".

According to another myth, the gods presented the winged horse to the Greek hero Bellerophon. He, having managed to saddle Pegasus, climbed it in the air and with arrows defeated the chimera - a terrible monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a dragon.

For the fact that Pegasus was carrying a faithful service, the gods lifted him to the constellations, forever leaving the image of a winged horse in the sky.