Pegasus: The Upside-down Flying Horse!

Next time you are out on a clear night, look toward the stars in the east. Can you spot the upside-down flying horse?! Probably not. Most people can't. But I bet you can see the Great Square! 

Look straight up from east in the image below, set for Peoria at 8 PM. Can you see a group of four bright stars that look like a diamond? If you can, you have found the Great Square of Pegasus. 

Click on image to enlarge. Look for four bright stars that make a rectangle shape in the east. Image: Stellarium and Me

If you need a little help, here is the same image with constellation lines: 

Image: Stellarium and Me

If you have an excellent imagination, perhaps you can see the upside-down horse in the lines drawn above. Dissect the square diagonally, and you have the wings. The horse's head is the curved line of stars coming off of the most eastern point in the square. The set of two curved lines of stars coming off of the upper point represents the horse's legs. It's a stretch, I know. Here is how Johannes Hevelius imagined Pegasus.

Hevelius' atlas of constellation images is full of beautiful and romantic drawings. You can find the full collection here.

Pegasus and Bellerophon.

As with many constellations, Pegasus originates in Greek mythology. He is the offspring of Medusa, the Gorgon. As a young woman, Medusa was famed for her beauty, especially her flowing hair. She rejected many suitors, until Poseidon (both the god of the sea and the god of horses) finally seduced her. Sadly for Medusa, the event took place in the temple of Athene. Angry at her temple being defiled, the goddess Athene punished Medusa (not Poseidon, of course) by turning her into a monster with snake for hair and eyes that turned men into stone. 

When Perseus the Hero decapitated Medusa, Pegasus and the warrior Chrysaor sprung from her body. Pegasus had many adventures with the hero Bellerophon, and eventually flew to Olympus to join the gods. For a time he carried thunderbolts for Zeus, and eventually Zeus placed him in the stars. 

To learn how to find Pegasus and other fall constellations in our night sky, stop by the Dome at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, where we teach about space and science every day! Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for daily updates. 

Find some zen with us under the Dome's beautiful starry sky.