Star scene Constellation of the month: Sagittarius

摘要

Sagittarius is a southern constellation that hugs the horizon in the UK during July and August evenings, with the most northerly reaches only having a declination of approximately -16 degrees. Nevertheless, Sagittarius' position at the heart of the bright summer Milky Way makes it an irresistible target. It's one of the oriainal 48 classical. Ptolemaic constellations and a zodiacal constellation, with the Sun present within its boundaries from December to January. Sagittarius is a veritable jewel box for deep sky observers with a host of magnificent nebulae, open and globular clusters and it has the distinction of harbouring the most Messier objects (15) of any constellation. Covering an area of 867.43 square degrees, Sagittarius is the fifteenth largest constellation.