The Fish
| Abbreviation: | Psc |
| Genitive: | Piscium |
| Origin: | [antiquity] |
| Fully Visible: | 56°S – 83°N |
Pisces is a member of the zodiac. The constellation represents two fish tied with a ribbon or cord, and is associated with the Greek myth of the monster Typhon. Typhon attacked the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. Most of the denizens of the mountain fled, including Aphrodite and her son Eros who were helped to escape by two fish. The tails of the fish were tied together to avoid them losing each other. After Typhon was eventually defeated, the gods honoured the two fish by placing them in the sky.
The circle of stars ι Psc, θ Psc, γ Psc, κ Psc and λ Psc is an asterism called the 'Circlet'.
Notable Features
| Visible Named Stars | ||
|---|---|---|
| α Psc | Alrescha | Alrescha is a telescopic binary. It sometimes appears as Kaitain (from the Arabic al‑haiṭ al‑kattāniyy meaning 'the thread') or Okda (from the Arabic al‑ʿuqdah meaning 'the knot') in older star atlases and catalogues. |
| β Psc | Fumalsamakah | The name of this star literally means 'the mouth of the fish'. |
| ζ Psc | Revati | The name of this star refers to only the brightest member of this quintuple star system. |
| η Psc | Alpherg | This is actually the brightest star in the constellation. |
| ο Psc | Torcular | This star is positioned very near to the ecliptic so it is frequently occulted by the Moon. |
| Other Interesting Stars | ||
| HD 1502 | Citadelle | This eighth-magnitude star is known to have at least one exoplanet. It is located just south of the 'Great Square of Pegasus' asterism. |
| HD 8574 | Bélénos | Found near υ Psc, this seventh-magnitude star is known to have at least one exoplanet. |
| HD 218566 | Ebla | This ninth-magnitude star is known to have at least one exoplanet and is found south of Fumalsamakah (β Psc). |
| WASP‑32 | Parumleo | This eleventh-magnitude star is known to have at least one exoplanet. It appears a little ways south of the star ω Psc. |
| Deep Sky Objects | ||
| M74 | A small telescope is needed to view this grand design spiral galaxy although its low surface brightness makes it a difficult object to spot. | |
| Meteor Shower Radiants | ||
| 144 APS | April Piscids | This daytime radio shower is only active for less than a week, peaking at around 22 April. |
Copyright © 1995–2023 by L.M. Stockman and David Harper