Eyes Full Of Stars

Now that Autumn is here, let’s get acquainted with one of the season’s prominent constellations, the winged horse Pegasus. Novice stargazers looking for a pattern of stars resembling a horse are bound for frustration. The easiest way to find the part of the sky Pegasus wings across is to first look for a large square or diamond shape above the eastern horizon.

With baseball playoffs underway, fans may see the diamond pattern as the infield of their favorite ball park. The star at home plate is the faintest of the four and is designated Gamma Pegasi. Its other name, Algenib, comes from Arabic with alternate translations meaning wing or side. Playing first base is Markab designated as Alpha Pegasi. The name Markab is Arabic for shoulder, but sometimes is called the saddle.