monthly skyguide, free star charts, constellation star charts, sky guide

Pisces - the Two Fish

 

Mythology - According to the Greeks, the goddess Aphrodite was the object of the affections of the monster Typhon. One day while she and her son Eros were walking along the Euphrates River the it began to pursue them. In a fright, the two gods panicked. The river nymphs protected them by transforming them into twin fishes. In thanks for their aid, the image of the fish was placed in the sky. Christians have an affinity for anything piscean, these two being part of the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
Stars - One of the most strongly coloured stars visible is TX piscium within the "circlet of pisces". Binoculars will show a distinct red hue, made more obvious by defocussing the image.
Deepsky - Despite its size, this faint and sprawling constellation has very little that is accessible to the casual observer. M74 is a 10th magnitude face on spiral that requires a 6" telescope to pick out.
Visibility - Although in the sky from October to January, dark skies are needed to pick out this faint sign.