Sagittarius, the centaur, the archer:
An ancient constellation and one of the twelve constellations of
the Zodiac. Sagittarius is the second constellation that is depicted
as a centaur, a creature that is half-horse and half-man. The other
constellation is Centaurus. Often the mythology of the two constellations
is confused, Centaurus is supposed to be the wise and benevolent
centaur Chiron, while Sagittarius is a more aggressive and warlike
archer centaur. The shape of the centaur is difficult to see in
Sagittarius, however the main stars do create the pattern of a teapot.
This constellation can be found to the east of Scorpius. It never
rises very high above the horizon for most observers in the United
States. For those living in the most northerly latitudes the entire
constellation will be difficult to see, with only the teapot asterism
becoming clearly visible.
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