Generalities: it is a rather wide northern constellation of peculiar form. It contains different stars of average brightness and interesting objects of the deep sky. It is easy to be recognized because it forms a great square in the sky. Its transit at midnight takes place in September.

Origins and mythology: it represents the famous winged horse, which carried the hero Bellerofonte during an expedition on purpose to kill the Chimera, the monster with lion head,goat body and snake tail, which could spit fire.

Stars: Pegasus has 5 stars under magnitude 3 and other four under magnitude 4. Three of the brightest stars form the great square, which is completed by the star alpha of Andromeda (Alpheratz), the adjacent constellation. This last star once belonged to Pegasus and was subsequently moved to Andromeda. The brightest star doesn't belong to the square and is epsilon Pegasi, the orange one Enif, a rather far star (780 light-years).

 
Table of stars brighter than magnitude 3.5
 

Star	Proper name	Magnitude	Spectrum	Color	Distance (light-years)	Notes
Epsilon	Enif	2.38	K2	orange	520
Beta	Scheat	2.4 (variabile -  max)	M2	red	176
Alpha	Markab	2.49	B9	white	101
Gamma	Algenib	2.83 (variabile)	B2	blue	490
Eta	Matar	2.94	G2	yellow	173
Zeta	Homan	3.40	B8.5	blue	156
Mu	Sadalbari	3.48	K0	orange	147

Other objects: it contains a fine globular cluster, M15, not too far from Enif, which can be easily observed with binoculars. In Pegasus some galaxies are present, which can be observed using good amateur telescopes.
 

Go back to constellations index

Torna alla Home Page