It’s a good time of year to track down the summer constellation of Sagittarius, the archer, who is usually depicted as a centaur drawing a bow.
The chart shows the view looking south from London at 23:00 BST on 28 July, when the most recognisable portion of the constellation will be visible. Often called the teapot because of its distinctive shape, it fits into the larger constellation. The teapot’s spout, as represented by the star Alnasl, depicts the arrow’s sharp head in the full constellation. The lid and handle represent the upper body and outstretched arms.
The full constellation never rises above the UK horizon and is anyway composed of much fainter stars than the teapot, making it more difficult to see except under excellent sky conditions at more southerly latitudes.
One of the zodiacal constellations, Sagittarius was also included on Ptolemy’s original list of 48 constellations, made in the 2nd century AD. According to classical myths, Sagittarius either represents Chiron, the wisest of all the centaurs, or the satyr Crotus, the inventor of archery.
At this time of year, the constellation is high in the southern hemisphere sky.
