Pegasus is easy to recognize because it is dominated by a prominent asterism known as the Great Square of Pegasus. The constellation lies between Enif, the brightest star in the other horse constellation ( Pegasus), and Altair, the luminary of Aquila, near the distinctive diamond-shaped pattern of Delphinus. Equuleus belongs to the Heavenly Waters constellation family, along with Carina, Columba, Delphinus, Eridanus, Piscis Austrinus, Puppis, Pyxis, and Vela.Įquuleus constellation map by IAU and Sky&Telescope magazine How to find EquuleusĮquuleus is not too difficult to find but can be challenging to spot from light-polluted areas because its stars are relatively faint. The star name approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) is Kitalpha (Alpha Equulei A).Įquuleus does not contain any Messier objects and there are no meteor showers associated with the constellation. The constellation contains one formally named star. HD 200964 (spectral class K0IV) has two planets, while WASP-90 (F6) and HAT-P-65 (G2) have one transiting planet each. Equuleus contains three stars with known exoplanets. The nearest star, HD 200779, is 48.41 light years distant from Earth. The brightest star in the constellation is Kitalpha, Alpha Equulei, with an apparent magnitude of 3.919. The three-letter abbreviation, adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1922, is Equ.Įquuleus does not have any stars brighter than magnitude 3.00 or located within 10 parsecs (32.6 light years) of Earth. The genitive form of Equuleus, used in star names, is Equulei (pronunciation: /ɪˈkwuːliaɪ/). In English, the constellation is known as the Little Horse or Foal. The constellation name Equuleus is pronounced /ɪˈkwuːliəs/. The neighboring constellations are Aquarius, Delphinus and Pegasus. The constellation is located in the fourth quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ4) and can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -80°. Facts, location and mapĮquuleus is the second smallest constellation in the night sky, after Crux (the Southern Cross). The larger Pegasus represents the winged horse in Greek mythology. It is sometimes also known as Equus Primus, or the First Horse, because it rises just before the constellation Pegasus. The creator of the constellation is unknown, but Equuleus was introduced by the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century CE along with other Greek constellations.Įquuleus is a small, faint constellation with few notable deep sky objects and no stars brighter than fourth magnitude. The foal constellation is associated with several Greek myths, most notably the one about Hippe, the daughter of the centaur Chiron and the nymph Chariclo. Its name means “little horse” or “foal” in Latin. Equuleus constellation lies in the northern sky.
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