A Field Book of the Stars/Pegasus
PEGASUS (peg'-a-sus)—THE WINGED HORSE. (Face South.)
Location.—One corner of the Great Square is found by drawing a line from Polaris to Cassiopeia, and prolonging it an equal distance.
The Great Square is a stellar landmark. Three of the corners of the square are marked by stars in Pegasus; the fourth, and northeastern, corner is marked by the star Alpheratz in Andromeda.
The horse is generally seen upside down, with his fore feet projected up into the sky. Only the head, neck, and fore feet are represented. The star Enif is in the nose of Pegasus.
The star (π) is an interesting double, easily seen in binoculars.
The position of the asterism Equus or Eqüleus, the Little Horse, or Horse's Head, is shown in the diagram.
Delphinus, the water jar of Aquarius, and the circlet in the Western Fish, are all in the vicinity of Pegasus, and indicated in the diagram.
The winged horse is found on coins of Corinth 500 to 430 B.C. The Greeks called this constellation ίπποζ.
Pegasus seems to have been regarded in Phœnicia and Egypt as the sky emblem of a ship. Within the area of the Square Argelander counted thirty naked-eye stars.
Note a fine pair in Eqüleus just west of the star Enif in Pegasus.
