Aquarius - The Water-BearerLearn about the constellation Aquarius - The Water-Bearer, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.
Aquarius is one of the oldest recognized constellations along the zodiac, the sun's apparent path.
Location: Northern Autumn 23h RA -15° Dec
It is found in a region often called the Sea due to its profusion of watery constellations such as Cetus, Pisces, Eridanus, etc. Sometimes, the river Eridanus is depicted spilling from Aquarius' watering pot.
Aquarius Mythology
The best-known myth originates from Greece and identifies Aquarius with Ganymede, a beautiful youth with whom Zeus fell in love. Zeus, in the disguise of an eagle, represented by the constellation Aquila, carried off to Olympus to be cupbearer to the gods. Crater is sometimes identified as his cup.
Aquarius Deep Space Objects
Aquarius is home to several deep space objects, notably clusters M2, M72 and M73.
You can also find several galaxies NGC 7009, the Saturn Nebula, and the Helix Nebula NGC 7293.
In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.
# | Common Name | Constellation | Month | Coords | Direction | Mag | Size (arcmin) | Type | Star Chart | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C55 NGC 7009 | Saturn Nebula | Aquarius | Aug | 21h 04.2m RA -11° 22m Dec | S | 8.00 | 41x35 | Planetary Nebula | 🔍︎ | |
C63 NGC 7293 | Helix Nebula | Aquarius | Sep | 22h 29.6m RA -20° 48m Dec | S | 7.30 | 25 | Planetary Nebula | 🔍︎ | |
M2 NGC 7089 | Aquarius | Oct | 21h 33.5m RA -00° 49m Dec | S | 6.30 | 16 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
M72 NGC 6981 | Aquarius | Aug | 20h 53.5m RA -12° 32m Dec | S | 9.35 | 6.6 | Globular Cluster | 🔍︎ | ||
M73 NGC 6994 | Aquarius | Aug | 20h 58.9m RA -12° 38m Dec | S | 9.00 | 2.8 | Asterism | 🔍︎ |
Northern Circumpolar | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Camelopardalis | Cassiopeia | Cepheus | Draco | Lacerta | Ursa Major |
Ursa Minor |
Northern Spring | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antlia | Boötes | Cancer | Coma Berenices | Crater | Hydra |
Leo | Leo Minor | Virgo |
Northern Summer | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aquila | Corona Borealis | Cygnus | Delphinus | Equuleus | Hercules |
Libra | Lyra | Ophiuchus | Sagitta | Scutum | Serpens |
Vulpecula |
Northern Autumn | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andromeda | Aquarius | Aries | Capricornus | Pegasus | Pisces |
Triangulum |
Northern Winter | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Auriga | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Cetus | Eridanus |
Gemini | Lepus | Lynx | Monoceros | Orion | Perseus |
Taurus |