Sagittarius: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
The Milky Way is at its densest near Sagittarius, as this is where the galactic center lies. Consequently, Sagittarius contains many star clusters and nebulae.Sagittarius contains several well-known nebulae, including the Lagoon Nebula ([[Messier 8]]), near λ Sagittarii; the Omega Nebula ([[Messier 17]]), also known as the Horseshoe Nebula or Swan Nebula, near the border with [[Scutum]]; and the Trifid Nebula ([[Messier 20]]), a large nebula containing some very young, hot stars. <ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_%28constellation%29 Sagittarius]] | The Milky Way is at its densest near Sagittarius, as this is where the galactic center lies. Consequently, Sagittarius contains many star clusters and nebulae.Sagittarius contains several well-known nebulae, including the Lagoon Nebula ([[Messier 8]]), near λ Sagittarii; the Omega Nebula ([[Messier 17]]), also known as the Horseshoe Nebula or Swan Nebula, near the border with [[Scutum]]; and the Trifid Nebula ([[Messier 20]]), a large nebula containing some very young, hot stars. <ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_%28constellation%29 Sagittarius]]</ref> | ||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
A competing mythological tradition, as espoused by Eratosthenes, identified the Archer not as a centaur but as the satyr Crotus, son of Pan, who Greeks credited with the invention of archery.According to myth, Crotus often went hunting on horseback and lived among the Muses, who requested that Zeus place him in the sky, where he is seen demonstrating archery. | A competing mythological tradition, as espoused by Eratosthenes, identified the Archer not as a centaur but as the satyr Crotus, son of Pan, who Greeks credited with the invention of archery.According to myth, Crotus often went hunting on horseback and lived among the Muses, who requested that Zeus place him in the sky, where he is seen demonstrating archery. | ||
The arrow of this constellation points towards the star Antares, the "heart of the scorpion," and Sagittarius stands poised to attack should Scorpius ever attack the nearby Hercules, or to avenge Scorpius's slaying of Orion.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_%28constellation%29 Sagittarius]] | The arrow of this constellation points towards the star Antares, the "heart of the scorpion," and Sagittarius stands poised to attack should Scorpius ever attack the nearby Hercules, or to avenge Scorpius's slaying of Orion.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_%28constellation%29 Sagittarius]]</ref> | ||
==HGS Session References== | ==HGS Session References== | ||
Revision as of 22:50, 14 March 2015
Sagittarius is one of the constellations of the zodiac. It is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy and remains one of the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is (Unicode U+2650 ♐), a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow. It lies between Scorpius and Ophiuchus to the west and Capricornus to the east.
As seen from the northern hemisphere, the constellation's brighter stars form an easily recognizable asterism known as 'the Teapot'. The stars δ Sgr (Kaus Media), ε Sgr (Kaus Australis), ζ Sgr (Ascella), and φ Sgr (Nanto) form the body of the pot; λ Sgr (Kaus Borealis) is the point of the lid; γ2 Sgr (Alnasl) is the tip of the spout; and σ Sgr(Nunki) and τ Sgr (the closest bright star to the possible origin of the Wow! signal) the handle.
The Milky Way is at its densest near Sagittarius, as this is where the galactic center lies. Consequently, Sagittarius contains many star clusters and nebulae.Sagittarius contains several well-known nebulae, including the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8), near λ Sagittarii; the Omega Nebula (Messier 17), also known as the Horseshoe Nebula or Swan Nebula, near the border with Scutum; and the Trifid Nebula (Messier 20), a large nebula containing some very young, hot stars. [1]
Mythology
The Babylonians identified Sagittarius as the god Nergal, a strange centaur-like creature firing an arrow from a bow. It is generally depicted with wings, with two heads, one panther head and one human head, as well as a scorpion's stinger raised above its more conventional horse's tail. The Sumerian name Pabilsag is composed of two elements – Pabil, meaning 'elder paternal kinsman' and Sag, meaning 'chief, head'. The name may thus be translated as the 'Forefather' or 'Chief Ancestor'.[23] The figure is reminiscent of modern depictions of Sagittarius.
In Greek mythology, Sagittarius is usually identified as a centaur: half human, half horse. However, perhaps due to the Greek's adoption of the Sumerian constellation, some confusion surrounds the identity of the archer. Some identify Sagittarius as the centaur Chiron, the son of Philyra and Saturn and tutor to Jason, who was said to have changed himself into a horse to escape his jealous wife, Rhea. However, Chiron is in fact represented by the constellation Centaurus, the other heavenly centaur. An alternative tradition is that Chiron merely invented the constellation Sagittarius to help in guiding the Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece.
A competing mythological tradition, as espoused by Eratosthenes, identified the Archer not as a centaur but as the satyr Crotus, son of Pan, who Greeks credited with the invention of archery.According to myth, Crotus often went hunting on horseback and lived among the Muses, who requested that Zeus place him in the sky, where he is seen demonstrating archery.
The arrow of this constellation points towards the star Antares, the "heart of the scorpion," and Sagittarius stands poised to attack should Scorpius ever attack the nearby Hercules, or to avenge Scorpius's slaying of Orion.[2]
HGS Session References
HGS Sessions - Clearing Hyperspace Phantom Matrix - 3/12/2015 [3]
References
Found in HGS Manual on Page 108
Found in HGS Manual on Page 115