Sagitta, the arrow, lies in the Milky Way directly north of Aquila and south of Cygnus, pointing eastward. It is often depicted as the arrow held in the eagle’s talons because the eagle originally was the armor-bearer for Jove in some stories of mythology. It was also the arrow shot by Hercules at the Stymphalian birds, Cygnus and Aquilla.
Erostones said it was the arrow Apollo used in destroying three one-eyed monsters called Cyclopes. Early Jesuit astronomers called it the “Nail of the Crucifixion.” At the very least, being the most famous arrow in history, it is the arrow Cupid always uses when he aims most true.
|
| Symbol | Sge |
| Right Ascension |
07:51
|
| Declination | 18 |
| Diameter (°) | 4 |
| Area (square °) | 80 |
| Opposition |
Jul 18
|
| Size Rank |
86th
|
| Brightness Rank |
77th
|
| Genitive | Sagittae |
|