Pegasus, the Winged Horse, is a large northern constellation of the autumn sky, known for the Great Square, four stars that frame an empty-looking patch of sky.
At a glance
| stars in the figure | 13 |
|---|---|
| nearest star of the figure | Iota Pegasi, 38.2 light-years (11.7 pc) |
| farthest star of the figure | Enif, 690 light-years (211 pc) |
| depth | the farthest is 18 × farther than the nearest |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Pegasus
Pegasus is the winged horse of Greek myth, born from the blood of Medusa. Only the front half of the horse is drawn, upside down: the Great Square is its body, made of Markab, Scheat, Algenib and Alpheratz, though Alpheratz officially belongs to Andromeda. A line of stars runs from Markab to Enif, an orange supergiant marking the horse’s nose.
Inside the Square few stars are visible to the eye, which makes it a good test of how dark a sky is. Near Enif lies M15, a dense globular cluster. Pegasus is also where the first planet around a Sun-like star was found, orbiting a faint star in the figure. The Square is high on northern autumn evenings and useful for finding Andromeda and its galaxy.
What you see in the piece
Flown out to, the Square no longer looks square: Iota Pegasi is a near neighbour, while Enif lies far behind, and the corner stars sit at different depths.
Questions
What stars make the Great Square of Pegasus?
Markab, Scheat, Algenib and Alpheratz. Alpheratz is officially part of Andromeda, where it marks the princess’s head.
How far away are the stars of Pegasus?
They range from Iota Pegasi, 38.2 light-years (11.7 pc), to Enif, 690 light-years (211 pc): the farthest is 18 × farther than the nearest.