Aquarius constellation
Latin Aquarius, genitive Aquarii, abbreviation Aqr
North up, east to the left, as you see the sky. The lines are a common figure; the stars are from the catalogue.
The myth
The Babylonians already saw a man pouring water from a jar here; the whole region has long been called 'the Water', with the Fishes, the Whale and Capricorn around it. The Greeks saw Ganymede in him, cupbearer of the gods. A constellation without a bright star, in autumn south of Pegasus.
When can Aquarius be seen?
It stands highest around 10 pm in September. It can be seen from everywhere south of 73°N.
The brightest stars
| Star | Designation | Magnitude | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sadalsuud | β Aqr | 2.91 | yellow |
| Sadalmelik | α Aqr | 2.96 | yellow |
| Skat | δ Aqr | 3.27 | white |
| – | 88 Aqr | 3.66 | orange |
| Hydor | λ Aqr | 3.74 | reddish |
| Albali | ε Aqr | 3.77 | white |
| Sadachbia | γ Aqr | 3.84 | bluish |
| – | 98 Aqr | 3.97 | orange |
The smaller the number, the brighter: below 1 are the brightest stars of the sky, 4 is hard to see under a city sky. Greek letters after Johann Bayer (1603).
Constellation and zodiac sign
The constellation Aquarius and the zodiac sign of the same name are not the same. The signs divide the Sun's path into twelve equal parts of 30 degrees, counted from the vernal equinox; the constellations differ in size, and because the Earth's axis slowly wobbles, they now lie almost one sign further on.
Meteors
The Eta Aquariids radiate from Aquarius: when they fall and how to see them.