Sagitta - The Arrow
Last Updated May 29, 2023 by Tim Trott. First Published in 2012.

Learn about the constellation Sagitta - The Arrow, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.
Sagitta is the third-smallest of all constellations (only Equuleus and Crux are smaller). Ptolemy included it in his list of 48 constellations. At that time, however, it was even smaller, spanning only about 4 sq. deg. It's also on the list of 88 constellations now acknowledged by the IAU.
Location: Northern Summer 19h RA 18° Dec
Being located not very far to the north of the equator, this constellation can be seen from everywhere except for the southernmost part of the world.
Sagitta Mythology
Although Sagitta doesn't contain any bright stars, many cultures have seen an arrow in it [1], among them the Persians, Hebrews, Greeks and Romans. So various stories are trying to explain the meaning of Sagitta. The two most important ones both take into account the neighbouring constellations Hercules, which had in earlier times been identified as a stag, (to the west) and Aquila (to the east).
Sagitta Deep Space Objects
Messier 71 is a very loose globular cluster mistaken for quite some time for a dense open cluster.
Northern Circumpolar | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Camelopardalis | Cassiopeia | Cepheus | Draco | Lacerta | Ursa Major |
Ursa Minor |
Northern Spring | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antlia | Boötes | Cancer | Coma Berenices | Crater | Hydra |
Leo | Leo Minor | Virgo |
Northern Summer | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aquila | Corona Borealis | Cygnus | Delphinus | Equuleus | Hercules |
Libra | Lyra | Ophiuchus | Sagitta | Scutum | Serpens |
Vulpecula |
Northern Autumn | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andromeda | Aquarius | Aries | Capricornus | Pegasus | Pisces |
Triangulum |
Northern Winter | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Auriga | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Cetus | Eridanus |
Gemini | Lepus | Lynx | Monoceros | Orion | Perseus |
Taurus |
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