dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) (11/04/84)
The Great Square of Pegasus is overhead in the evening in November. More about it -- right after this. November 4 Sharing the Horse's Navel In the evening sky this month, you'll find the Great Square of Pegasus. Four fairly bright stars mark the corners of the square, which is now located overhead at around 9 p.m. Pegasus is supposed to be a flying horse -- and the Square is the horse's body. At first glance, the Square looks empty, as though no stars lie within its boundaries. But, in a dark sky, you can see many stars inside the Great Square of Pegasus. It's a test of the sky and the night's conditions for stargazing to count how many stars you do see. In the 19th century, an astronomer named Julius Schmidt claimed he saw 102 stars in the Square. You probably won't count nearly that many, but look for yourself and see. The brightest star in the Great Square of Pegasus is called Markab, which is an Arabian word that means "saddle." Another famous Square star is Alpheratz, which means "the horse's naval." It's only fair to mention that this name doesn't apply anymore -- because Alpheratz no longer belongs to Pegasus. The star was shared for many years by two constellations, Pegasus and neighboring Andromeda. Now, although the star is needed to complete the Great Square, it officially belongs to Andromeda. In skylore, it represents the head of the princess for whom that constellation was named. Again, the Great Square of Pegasus can now be seen overhead in the evenings. It's easy to pick out, because it really does look like a square, with four bright stars marking the corners. Script by Deborah Byrd. (c) Copyright 1983, 1984 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin