When most people think of constellations, their minds jump to the big, flashy ones — Orion, Ursa Major, maybe Scorpio. But tonight, let’s turn our telescopes (and binoculars) toward a much humbler patch of sky: Sagitta, the Arrow.
Despite being one of the smallest constellations in the entire night sky — ranking just 86th in size out of 88 — Sagitta holds a special charm. It’s an ancient constellation, steeped in mythology, and it’s nestled in one of the richest starfields of the Milky Way. If you love finding hidden gems when you stargaze, Sagitta is about to become one of your favorites.
Myth and Lore: The Arrow’s Ancient Story
The name Sagitta comes from Latin, meaning simply “the Arrow.” And unlike some constellations that have tangled, complicated backstories, Sagitta’s lore is elegantly simple.
The Greeks saw Sagitta as the arrow of Hercules. According to the myth, Hercules used a poisoned arrow — dipped in the venom of the Lernaean Hydra — to kill the immortal eagle (Aetos Dios) that tortured Prometheus. For context: Prometheus was chained to a rock for gifting humanity with fire, and the eagle would devour his liver daily (ancient myths were… vivid). Thanks to Hercules and his deadly arrow, Prometheus was freed. In honor of this heroic act, Zeus placed the arrow in the sky.
Some older sources also associate the arrow with other myths: the arrows of Cupid, or the general imagery of flying arrows from the gods in the great wars of mythology. But Hercules’ story is by far the most commonly cited.
Interestingly, Sagitta is one of the few constellations that represent an object, not a creature or human figure — kind of like Lyra (the lyre) or Corona Borealis (the crown).
Meet the Stars of Sagitta
Sagitta might be small, but it’s composed of several interesting stars — a few of them surprisingly bright, especially given the constellation’s faint reputation. Here’s a quick tour:
Gamma Sagittae (γ Sagittae)
Magnitude: 3.47
Type: Red giant (spectral class M0 III)
Distance: About 274 light-years
Gamma Sagittae is the brightest star in Sagitta and often acts as an anchor point when you’re trying to find the constellation. It’s a beautiful, orange-tinged red giant — a star nearing the end of its life. Through binoculars or a small telescope, its color becomes even more obvious.
Delta Sagittae (δ Sagittae)
Magnitude: 3.82 (variable)
Type: Spectroscopic binary
Distance: 448 light-years
Delta is actually a binary system, though you won’t split it visually. The primary is a bright, evolved star that’s starting to swell into a red giant, and its companion is a hotter, younger blue-white star. Delta is also slightly variable, but not enough that you’ll easily notice unless you’re doing careful photometric observations.
Alpha Sagittae (α Sagittae)
Magnitude: 4.37
Type: Yellow giant (G1 III)
Distance: 382 light-years
Curiously, Alpha isn’t the brightest star in Sagitta (Gamma is), but it’s still a solid point of light in dark skies. It’s another evolved giant star, a stage many mid-sized stars eventually reach.
Beta Sagittae (β Sagittae)
Magnitude: 4.38
Type: Yellow giant (G8 III)
Distance: 420 light-years
Beta Sagittae is similar to Alpha — a yellow giant shining with a soft light. Together, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma form a rough line that outlines the shaft of the celestial arrow.
Epsilon Sagittae (ε Sagittae)
Magnitude: 5.64
Type: Yellow giant (G8 III)
Distance: 473 light-years
Epsilon is a little dimmer and sometimes harder to spot, but it’s part of the “head” of the arrow if you’re tracing Sagitta’s shape.
Sagitta’s Shape and Finding It in the Sky
Sagitta is charmingly simple: it looks like a short, straight line with a slight wedge at one end. Think of a simple arrow — shaft and arrowhead — and you’ve got the right idea.
To find it:
First, locate Cygnus (the Swan) and its bright star Deneb.
Then look south of Cygnus, past the bright “Summer Triangle” stars (Deneb, Vega, Altair).
Between Altair and Vega, Sagitta sits, tucked against the dense Milky Way background. It’s above the little constellation Aquila and near Delphinus (the Dolphin).
If you’re under dark skies, Sagitta is obvious once you’re looking in the right area — but it’s easy to miss if you’re in a light-polluted location because its stars aren’t ultra-bright.
Pro tip: Binoculars really help Sagitta pop against the background clutter of the Milky Way.
Deep-Sky Treasures Near Sagitta
Because Sagitta lies in the thick of the Milky Way, the region around it is loaded with deep-sky goodies. Even though Sagitta itself doesn’t contain a ton of Messier objects, its neighborhood more than makes up for it.
Here are a few highlights:
M71 (NGC 6838) — A Loose Globular Cluster
Magnitude: 8.2
Distance: ~13,000 light-years
M71 is Sagitta’s main claim to Messier fame! It’s a globular cluster, but it’s a weird one. Unlike the classic tight globulars like M13 (in Hercules), M71 is loose and sparse. For a long time, astronomers debated whether it was a dense open cluster or a sparse globular. Today, it’s officially classified as a globular cluster, just an unusually open one.
What you’ll see: In binoculars, M71 looks like a faint smudge. Through a small telescope (say 4-6 inches), it starts to resolve into individual stars with higher magnification.
Fun fact: M71 is about 9 billion years old, making it relatively young for a globular cluster!
Cr 399 — The Coathanger Cluster (Brocchi’s Cluster)
Magnitude: ~3.6 (overall brightness)
Distance: ~420 light-years
Just a short hop west of Sagitta (technically in Vulpecula) is the famous Coathanger Cluster. Through binoculars, it really does look like an upside-down coathanger — a straight “bar” of stars with a hook.
This isn’t a true gravitational cluster but rather an asterism — a chance alignment of stars from different distances. Still, it’s a fantastic binocular target and one of the best-known deep-sky asterisms.
Observing Guide: How to Best Enjoy Sagitta
Here’s a simple guide to get the most out of your Sagitta session:
1. Pick a Dark Night
Sagitta’s stars aren’t that bright, so moonless nights and dark skies will dramatically improve your experience.
2. Use Binoculars First
Sagitta is a great binocular constellation. A good 7×50 or 10×50 pair will reveal the shape beautifully and also help you spot M71 and the Coathanger nearby.
3. Small Telescope Bonus
A telescope of 4 inches or larger will help you start resolving stars in M71 and better appreciate the structure of the Coathanger.
Try using low power at first to take in the whole constellation.
Then crank up magnification to explore M71 in more detail.
4. Sketch or Log Your Session
Sagitta is a fun target to sketch because of its simple, recognizable shape. Even if you’re not an artist, making rough notes about star colors and brightness will sharpen your observing skills.
Fun Facts and Closing Thoughts
Sagitta is visible primarily in the northern hemisphere, best seen from June through September.
It’s so small that it could fit several times inside larger constellations like Virgo or Hydra.
Ancient civilizations — from Greece to the Middle East — all seemed to pick out the Arrow among the dense star fields, showing just how evocative its simple shape is.
If you’re learning how to star hop and identify deep-sky objects, Sagitta is a perfect practice target.
Final Thoughts: Small But Mighty
Sagitta might not boast the flashiest stars or the biggest deep-sky objects, but that’s part of its charm. It’s a small, ancient arrow flying across the rich canvas of the Milky Way — a subtle reminder that not all treasures in the sky are the ones that shout the loudest.
Next time you’re out stargazing on a warm summer night, take a few minutes to hunt down the Arrow. It’s a perfect constellation to share with friends and family — easy to find once you know where to look, full of hidden gems, and steeped in stories older than civilization itself.
Happy stargazing!