Pisces (constellation)

Pisces ( /ˈpaɪsiːz/) is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is the Latin plural for fish, and its symbol is (Unicode ♓). It lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries to the east. The ecliptic and the celestial equator intersect within this constellation and in Virgo.

Notable features

The Vernal equinox is currently located in Pisces, due south of ω Psc, and, due to precession, slowly drifting below the western fish towards Aquarius.

Van Maanen's Star, at 12.36 magnitude, is located in this constellation.

Pisces contains one galaxy that is listed in Charles Messier's catalog, named the spiral galaxy Messier 74.

History

Babylonian origin

According to Gavin White, the Babylonians called Pisces 'The Tails' (MUL.KUN.MES - Zibbatu), visualizing it as two fish swimming in two converging streams of water - the image being a very basic map of Mesopotamia set between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.^[1] According to J. H. Rogers the fish symbol originates from some composition of the Babylonian constellations Zibatti-meš (maybe Šinunutu₄ "the great swallow" in current eastern Pisces) and KU₆ ("the fish, Ea", Piscis Austrinus). In the first Millennium BCE texts known as the Astronomical Diaries, part of the constellation was also called DU.NU.NU (Rikis-nu.mi, "the fish cord or ribbon").^[2] Rogers thinks this constellation was somehow misinterpreted and turned around so that the current northern fish is on the border of Andromeda, instead of being constituted by Piscis Austrinus.

Subdivisons

In 1690, the astronomer Johannes Hevelius in his Firmamentum Sobiescianum divided Pisces into four subdivisions:^[3]

• Piscis Boreus (the North Fish): σ - 68 - 65 - 67 - ψ¹ - ψ² - ψ³ - χ - φ - υ　- 91 - τ - 82 - 78 Psc.
• Linum Boreum (the North Cord):^[3] χ -　ρ,94 - VX(97) - η - π - ο - α Psc.
• Linum Austrinum (the South Cord):^[3] α - ξ -　ν - μ - ζ - ε - δ - 41 - 35 - ω Psc.
• Piscis Austrinus (the South Fish):^[3] ω - ι -　θ - 7 - β - 5 - κ,9 - λ - TX(19) Psc.

In 1754, the astronomer John Hill proposed to treat part of Pisces as a separate constellation, called Testudo (the Turtle)^[4] 24 - 27 - YY(30) - 33 - 29 Psc.^[5], centred a natural but faint asterism in which the star 20 Psc is intended to be the head of the turtle. However the proposal was largely neglected by other astronomers with the exception of Admiral Smyth, who mentioned it in his book The Bedford Catalogue, and it is now obsolete.^[6].

Astrology

While the astrological sign Pisces per definition runs from ecliptical longitude 330° to 0, this position is now mostly covered by the constellation of Aquarius, due to the precession from when the constellation and the sign coincided. According to new agers and some tropical astrologers, the current astrological age is the Age of Pisces,^[7] while other maintain that it is the Age of Aquarius.

As of 2002^[update], the Sun appears in the constellation Pisces from March 12 to April 18. In tropical astrology, the Sun is considered to be in the sign Pisces from February 20 to March 20, and in sidereal astrology, from March 15 to April 14.

References

• Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0027251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.
• Richard Hinckley Allen, Star Names, Their Lore and Legenc, New York, Dover: various dates.
• Thomas Wm. Hamilton, Useful Star Names, Holbrook, NY, Viewlex: 1968.

External links

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Pisces
• Star Tales – Pisces

Coordinates: 01^h 00^m 00^s, +15° 00′ 00″