Equuleus, the Little Horse, is a tiny ancient constellation of faint stars next to Pegasus; of all the constellations, only Crux is smaller.
At a glance
| stars in the figure | 3 |
|---|---|
| nearest star of the figure | Delta Equulei, 60.3 light-years (18.5 pc) |
| farthest star of the figure | Kitalpha, 190 light-years (58.3 pc) |
| depth | the farthest is 3.2 × farther than the nearest |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Equuleus
Equuleus is one of the constellations catalogued by Ptolemy. It shows only the head of a foal, set just ahead of the much larger winged horse Pegasus, and no single story about it is settled. Its stars are faint, and the figure is a small cluster of three stars between Pegasus and the little diamond of Delphinus.
Kitalpha, its brightest star, is a modest yellowish giant. Delta Equulei, the nearest star of the figure, is a close pair of stars much like the Sun, orbiting each other too tightly for the eye to split. Equuleus is seen on evenings in late northern summer and autumn, and lies just north of the celestial equator, so it is visible from both hemispheres.
What you see in the piece
Even a figure this small has depth: Delta Equulei lies close to the Sun while Kitalpha is several times farther away, so flown out to, the foal’s head stretches into a line pointing away from Earth.
Questions
What is the smallest constellation?
Crux, the Southern Cross. Equuleus, the Little Horse, comes next.
How far away are the stars of Equuleus?
The nearest star of the figure is Delta Equulei, 60.3 light-years (18.5 pc) away; the farthest is Kitalpha, 190 light-years (58.3 pc).