The Sagitta constellation is a small but fascinating constellation found in the northern sky.
It’s the third smallest of all modern constellations, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for with mythical lore and captivating deep-sky objects.
Often referred to as “The Arrow of the Milky Way“, its name means “the arrow” in Latin.
The ancient Greeks considered it the arrow of Heracles, (Roman name – Hercules). It was one of the 44 constellations identified by 2nd century Greek astronomer Ptolemy and belongs to the Hercules family of constellations. From Greek mythology to astronomy, there’s much to discuss!
In this guide, we’ll explore how the Sagitta constellation myth was born, where to find it in the night sky, and discuss two of its fascinating deep-sky objects.
Key Takeaways
- Sagitta is the third smallest constellation in the northern sky, occupying only 80 square degrees.
- The constellation is located within the Milky Way and is surrounded by Aquila, Delphinus, Hercules, and Vulpecula.
- Gamma Sagittae is the brightest star in Sagitta, with an apparent magnitude of 3.51.
- Notable deep-sky objects in Sagitta include the globular cluster Messier 71 and the Necklace Nebula.
- Sagitta is best observed between latitudes +90° and -70°, making it visible from regions like North America, Europe, and parts of Asia.
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How the Sagitta Constellation
Myth Made It Into the Stars
The myth of Sagitta (The Arrow of the Milky Way) begins with a Titan named Prometheus. Titans were gods who once ruled in ancient times before the Olympians.
Prometheus was known for his intelligence and love for humanity. He was said to have created humans from clay and embraced the role of protector.

Prometheus noticed people were struggling to survive without fire, something the gods had kept entirely for themselves on Mount Olympus.
Feeling compassion, he decided to steal fire and give it to humanity. This defiance greatly angered Zeus, the king of the gods, who wanted the power of fire for the gods alone.

Zeus ordered Prometheus to be chained to a rock high up in Mount Caucasus as punishment for his theft. Each day, the eagle Aquila, sacred to Zeus, attacked the captive Titan and ate Prometheus’s liver.

Prometheus, being immortal, was trapped in an eternal cycle of torment as his liver regenerated each night, only to have the Eagle return at daylight.
The Titan endured his punishment for many years until the hero Hercules freed him by killing the Eagle Aquila with his trusty bow and arrow—a task he took upon himself while pursuing his 12 labors of penance.

Afterward, Zeus placed the arrow in the sky, creating the constellation of the arrow, Sagitta, honoring his son Hercules’s heroic deed.

The Cultural Significance and
Symbolism of Sagitta
Sagitta is best known as the arrow of Hercules, but the god Apollo was sometimes associated with the constellation through the myth of avenging his son’s death by killing the Cyclops with a bow and arrow.
The Romans had also connected the constellation of Sagitta with the arrow of Eros, the god of love, as in Cupid’s arrow.
In some Native American traditions, Sagitta represented a protective spirit guiding hunters and travelers.
Symbolically, Sagitta represents speed, precision, defense, protection, guidance, and direction.
Symbolism of the
Constellation Sagitta
• Speed & Precision – Sagitta represents precision and speed as an arrow is carefully aimed and swiftly glides through the air.
• Defense & Protection – Arrows in mythology symbolize measures taken to protect oneself or loved ones.
• Guidance & Direction– Sagitta symbolizes direction and purpose, guiding towards a specific goal or objective such as love or accomplishment.
The Sagitta Constellation
Myth in the Arts
Sagitta has inspired illustrators and painters to create images that connect mythology to the stars.
An example below is part of a 32-card collection called “Urania’s Mirror,” created in 1824 based on the illustrations of Alexander Jamieson’s “A Celestial Atlas.”
It illustrates the constellation Sagitta as an arrow next to the eagle Aquila and its neighboring constellations. Miniature holes were punched into the card, so once held up to the light, a depiction of Sagitta’s pattern of stars is displayed.

Celestial navigation of the sky through star atlases and maps has been a coveted art for centuries.
18th-century monk, artist, and mathematician Corbinianus Thomas was a highly respected celestial cartographer. Below is an example of his work depicting Sagitta beside the eagle constellation Aquila.

(C. 1730)
The Sagitta constellation symbolizes protection, strength, determination, and accomplishment. These attributes come from the character Hercules demonstrated while using his arrow to pursue the 12 Labors and his decision to rescue Prometheus.

Writers pay tribute to the constellation Sagitta through the subject of Hercules’s arrow, such as in Ovid’s poem, which represents the arrows Hercules gave to his friend Philoctetes upon lighting his funeral pyre. Noted in poems, novels, and literature, Hercules’s arrow Sagitta holds great power.
“Philoctetes light a torch
“Nessus and the Death of Hercules” by Ovid
beneath it, and then take in recompense
your bow with its capacious quiver full
of arrows, arms that now again would see
the realm of Troy.”
Body Art:
Sagitta Constellation Tattoo
For thousands of years, cultures have used body art to express meanings and symbols important to their values or beliefs.
To many, the pattern of the Sagitta Constellation tattoo symbolizes their connection to strength, precision, protection, guidance, and love.

Now that we have covered what the Sagitta Constellation has meant to stargazers before us let’s get to the astronomy and celestial wonders hidden within it!
How to find the
Constellation Sagitta

the bright stars Deneb and Altair.
Sagitta is high in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere during the late summer and early autumn months. The best time is in August, around 9 PM.
Several easy-to-find constellations are nearby, which can help you locate Sagitta. It will be positioned between Aquila (the Eagle) to the west and Cygnus (the Swan) to the east.
The Summer Triangle is also a helpful reference point. It is formed by three bright stars: Vega in Lyra, Deneb in Cygnus, and Altair in Aquila. Sagitta is located just below and slightly to the right of the Summer Triangle.
Of course, there are many stargazing apps to simplify the process, but you’ll better understand the night sky when using stars, constellations, and asterisms as road signs to find where you want to go.
Interesting Facts
about the Constellation Sagitta

Sagitta is visible between +90° and -70° latitudes in the northern and southern hemispheres. In the northern hemisphere, it’s high in the sky during the summer months. For those in the southern hemisphere, it appears low in the northern sky during winter.
In terms of size, Sagitta ranks as the 3rd smallest of the 88 official constellations designated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). It covers an area of only 80 square degrees, and its appearance is best described as a small line of stars resembling an arrow shape.
• 3rd smallest constellation of the 88 (IAU) official constellations
• Sagitta covers an area of 80 square degrees
• Its four primary stars resemble an arrow shape
• Sagitta’s brightest star is a red giant star named Gamma Sagittae (magnitude 3.47)
• Sagitta lies along the plane of the Milky Way
The Four Primary Stars of Sagitta
The Sagitta constellation is made up of four primary stars located within the plane of the Milky Way. They are Gamma Sagittae, Delta Sagittae, Alpha Sagittae, and Beta Sagittae.

Sagitta’s Four Main Stars
Gamma Sagittae
- brightest star in the constellation Sagitta
- approximately 258 light-years away from Earth
- visual magnitude of about 3.47
- more luminous and larger than the Sun
Delta Sagittae
- binary star system, primary red giant star
- approximately 448 light-years away from Earth
- visual magnitude of about 3.68
- the second brightest star in Sagitta
Alpha Sagittae
- classified as a G1II-III giant star
- approximately 475 light-years away from Earth
- apparent magnitude of around 4.38
- has exhausted the hydrogen in its core
Beta Sagittae
- classified as a G8III giant star
- about 467 light-years away from Earth
- magnitude of approximately 4.38
- The surface temperature is around 5,000 Kelvin, giving it a yellowish color
Sagitta’s Other Notable Stars
• Zeta Sagittae a triple star system, approximately 326 light-years from Earth
• Eta Sagittae is a singular star about 160 light-years away
• Epsilon Sagittae is a solitary star with an optical binary. (It appears as a double star) Its located 580 light years with its optical companion much further at 7,000 light years away.
• Theta Sagittae is a double star system barely visible with the naked eye located around 147 light years away
• FG Sagittae is a super giant star at a distance about 4,000 light years
• 18 Sagittae has a stellar classification as a K1III type of star around 298 ly away
• 9 Sagittae is a 08e class star at a distance about 14,174 ly
Deep-Sky Objects Within the
Sagitta Constellation

are illustrated in this image.
Sagitta covers a small area but is located in an astronomically rich part of the sky, where deep-sky objects can be explored and observed. We’ll discuss its best-known nebula and globular cluster.
The Necklace Nebula:
PN G054.2-03.4

The Necklace Nebula is a stunning planetary nebula located about 15,000 light years away, positioned close to the arrow’s plume in the constellation Sagitta.
It’s known for its distinctive appearance, resembling a string of pearls or a piece of jewelry, which is why it was named the Necklace Nebula.
It formed approximately 10,000 years ago, resulting from a dramatic interaction between two ancient stars within a binary star system. As one of the stars aged and expanded, it engulfed its smaller companion.
This interaction caused the larger star to spin rapidly, ejecting its outer layers into space and forming a dense ring of gas around the stars. The knots within the ring, which shine brightly, are regions where gas has clumped together more densely.
The Necklace Nebula spans about 2 light-years across, which is roughly 19 trillion kilometers.
The stars at its center continue to orbit each other at a remarkable speed, completing an orbit in just over a day.
Messier 71 (M71): Globular Cluster

Messier 71 (M71) is a globular cluster of luminous stars located about 13,000 light-years away, closer to the head of the arrow in the constellation Sagitta. Unlike typical globular clusters tightly packed with stars, M71 is relatively loose and less dense.
This unique structure led to some confusion in its classification; for a long time, it was thought to be an open cluster before being confirmed as a globular cluster in the 1970s.
M71 spans about 27 light-years across and contains roughly 20,000 stars. These stars are generally old, around 9 to 10 billion years, and contain fewer heavy elements than younger stars, indicating their ancient origin.
The cluster shines with an apparent magnitude of 6.1, making it just visible to the naked eye under excellent conditions but more easily seen with binoculars or a small telescope.
It’s best observed during the summer, near the stars Gamma and Delta Sagittae. Its distinctive V-shaped pattern and the scattering of stars make it an interesting object for amateur astronomers.
Hercules Family of Constellations
Sagitta is one of (19) nineteen constellations in the Hercules Family of Constellations. A group created and first identified by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century as an effort to catalog the stars and constellations.
The fascinating family of constellations is based on their positions in the sky and their mythological connections to the stories and adventures of Hercules.
Most of these constellations are located primarily in the northern hemisphere near Hercules, though some extend further into the southern hemisphere.
Constellations in the
Hercules Family
Aquila (The Eagle) | Ara (The Altar) | Centaurus (The Centaur) |
Corona Australis (The Southern Crown) | Corvus (The Raven) | Crater (The Cup) |
Crux (The Southern Cross) | Cygnus (The Swan) | Hercules (The Hero) |
Hydra (The Water Serpent) | Lupus (The Wolf) | Lyra (The Lyre) |
Ophiuchus (The Serpent Bearer) | Sagitta (The Arrow) | Scutum (The Shield) |
Serpens (The Serpent) | Sextans (The Sextant) | Triangulum Australe (The Southern Triangle) |
Vulpecula (The Little Fox) |
Conclusion
On a dark, starry night, look for Hercules’s arrow, the constellation of Sagitta, and imagine the ancients speaking of its lore. The stories of Prometheus, Aquila, Hercules, and his 12 labors are forever woven into the Sagitta Constellation myth.
Understanding the importance our ancestors placed on these celestial patterns of stars creates a deeper appreciation of the stars and their heavenly beauty. Science and mythology together connect our humanity to the mysteries and wonders of this amazing and mysterious universe.